When I first heard of Doggett's Coat and Badge – it was in a quiz, naturally – it was said to have been contested for longer than any other sporting trophy. Apparently this is not the case; a website called Sports Googly lists what it says are the ten "oldest sports trophies in the world". The oldest of them all is the Scorton Silver Arrow – an archery contest that takes place in the village of Scorton, North Yorkshire, which was first contested in 1673. The event's own website however notes that it was held for the 300th time in 2008 – so if my sums are correct there have been about 36 years when it didn't take place.
A report in the Daily Mirror, dated 28 June 2017, goes one better. It says that the oldest sporting trophy still contested anywhere in the world today is (or are) the Carlisle Bells, which are awarded to the winner of a horse race held at Carlisle, known as the Carlisle Bell. This was first contested in the year 1599; the bells themselves date back to 1559. They are a non–matching pair of what I would describe as bells similar to those worn by morris dancers, but about twice the size.
Doggett's Coat and Badge, it seems, must be content to be the world's oldest rowing race.
© Haydn Thompson 2017