Remembering The Richmond Trophy

Advertisement for the Richmond Trophy in 1972. Photo courtesy "Skating World" magazine.

In the aftermath of World War II, daily life in England wasn't exactly sunshine and roses. Both food and petrol were strictly rationed, women were forced to give up their wartime jobs as shell-shocked and injured soldiers returned to civilian life and a strike of dockyard workers forced the government to use military troops to unload goods. This gloomy period was the backdrop for the birth of a historic figure skating competition called The Richmond Trophy.

At the time, a who's who of international skating, including the reigning World Champion Ája Vrzáňová, trained at the historic Richmond Sports-Drome in Twickenham under the watchful eye of senior instructor Arnold Gerschwiler. Henry Rule, the Sports-Drome's chairman, came to Captain T.D. Richardson with the idea of holding an annual international event for the women who trained at the rink. Rule offered to furnish the prize - a massive silver cup. Richardson struggled to convince the powers-that-be at the National Skating Association to permit the Richmond Amateur Ice Skating Club to hold the event. Even though the R.A.I.S.C. was affiliated with the N.S.A., the idea of a club hosting its own competition was unprecedented at the time. Richardson's persistence paid off when the event "open to any amateur in the world with the exception of those who have actually won a World, Olympic or European Championship" was finally approved... through the backing of Arnold Gerschwiler. In "Skating World" magazine, Richardson remarked, "One must remember... that there is no... 'qualification for entry.' In actual fact, the chief merit of this competition is that it gives national champions and their nearest rivals a trial run, whilst at the same time providing an assessment of progress for the teachers as well as an opportunity for those with ambition to gain experience, and see how they fare in senior events, with a view to championships in the future." Originally, the event was supposed to have been a junior event, but an ISU rule change stating that skaters who had taken part in the Olympics, Worlds or Europeans were ineligible for junior events forced the organizers to make the event for seniors only.

The first Richmond Trophy, then referred to as the Open International Figure Skating Competition at Richmond, was held on November 7 and 8, 1949, with skaters from five countries participating. Competitors skated six figures and a four-minute free skating performances. Liverpool's Jeannette Altwegg was the winner by over forty points. 

Photo courtesy "Skating World" magazine.

When Jeannette Altwegg defended her title the following year, seventeen women from four countries (The United Kingdom, Switzerland, Holland and Finland) competed. When Barbara Wyatt won in 1951, history was made by Nancy Hallam of Australia - the first skater from one of the Commonwealth countries to participate. The event gained considerable traction in 1952, when British Champion Valda Osborn withdrew due to a sprained ligament in her foot and thirteen year old Kensington schoolgirl Yvonne Sugden was the victor. There were only nine competitors from four countries that year, but the event was televised nationally on the BBC, with commentary by World Champion Cecilia Colledge. The addition of an annual open ice dance event, The Tomlinson Trophy, increased to the event's profile and popularity.

Left: Henry A.V. Hopkins presenting Sjoukje Dijkstra with the Richmond Trophy in 1957. Joan Haanappel, Carolyn Krau and Diana Clifton-Peach on the podium at the Richmond Trophy in 1959. Photos courtesy "Skating World" magazine.

The record for the most wins at the Richmond Trophy is actually a four-way tie, with four women from four different each winning three times. Yvonne Sugden won in 1952, 1953 and 1955; Sjoukje Dijkstra won 1956, 1957 and 1958; Nicole Hassler won in 1960, 1961 and 1962 and Zsuzsa Almássy won in 1964, 1966 and 1967. 

Yvonne Sugden, Sjoukje Dijkstra and Joan Haanappel on the podium at the Richmond Trophy in 1955. Photo courtesy "Skating World" magazine.

Five skaters who went on to win the World Championships won the event over the years: Sjoukje Dijkstra, Jeannette Altwegg, Dorothy Hamill, Christine Errath and Dianne de Leeuw.

Sandra Brugnera of Italy broke the streak of skaters from Great Britain, Holland and France dominating the Richmond Trophy when she won in 1963. Photo courtesy "Skating World" magazine.

Over the years, The Richmond Trophy played host to many memorable moments. In 1965, Alison Smith, Carol Windebank and Lesley Norfolk demonstrated several new compulsory figures which Captain T.D. Richardson was lobbying to include in the ISU schedule - among them three-rocker-three's and double loops. These were skated on Richmond's smaller Arosa rink. Each year, the Sports-Drome's Arosa Room played host to a dance where competitors were presented with souvenir plaques for participating.

1965 winner Uschi Keszler (left) and 1967 winner Zsuzsa Almássy. Photos courtesy "Winter Sports" magazine.

A plucky eleven year old Sonja Morgenstern made her international debut at the Richmond Trophy in 1967, placing only eighteenth but capturing the attention of the international judges 'as a skater to watch'. She went on to win a medal at the European Championships in 1972. There were sadder memories too, like when Joan Haanappel had to withdraw after finishing second in figures in 1957 due to an abscessed tooth. In 1965, Vanessa Simons withdrew after figures when she caught her leg in a car door, requiring three stitches. That same year, one judge had Hana Mašková of Czechoslovakia an unlucky thirteenth. Mašková went on to win the Olympic bronze medal in 1968, but was killed in a car crash when she was only twenty-two.

When Karen Wood won the final event in 1980, there were only eleven entries - down from a record thirty-one from eleven countries in 1966. The Richmond Trophy's demise was directly related to the success of the Rotary Watches International, which evolved into St. Ivel and Skate Electric. As these events included women's events, you might say that the Richmond Trophy wasn't really cancelled, but instead absorbed.

MEDALLISTS AT THE RICHMOND TROPHY

Year	Winner	2nd	3rd
1949	Jeannette Altwegg	Barbara Wyatt	Jiřina Nekolová
1950	Jeannette Altwegg	Barbara Wyatt	Valda Osborn
1951	Barbara Wyatt	Valda Osborn	Helga Dudzinski
1952	Yvonne Sugden	Lidy Stoppelman	Doreen Spowart
1953	Yvonne Sugden	Anne Robinson	Lidy Stoppelman
1954	Patricia Pauley	Sjoukje Dijkstra	Clema 'Winkie' Cowley
1955	Yvonne Sugden	Joan Haanappel	Sjoukje Dijkstra
1956	Sjoukje Dijkstra	Joan Haanappel	Karin Borner
1957	Sjoukje Dijkstra	Patricia Pauley	Diana Clifton-Peach
1958	Sjoukje Dijkstra	Carolyn Krau	Diana Clifton-Peach
1959	Joan Haanappel	Carolyn Krau	Nicole Hassler
1960	Nicole Hassler	Carolyn Krau	Barbara Conniff
1961	Nicole Hassler	Barbara Conniff	Heather Muir
1962	Nicole Hassler	Carol S. Noir	Anne Lenton
1963	Sandra Brugnera	Uschi Keszler	Christine van de Putte
1964	Zsuzsa Almássy	Uschi Keszler	Patricia Dodd
1965	Uschi Keszler	Zsuzsa Almássy	Beate Richter
1966	Zsuzsa Almássy	Petra Ruhrmann	Trixi Schuba
1967	Zsuzsa Almássy	Trixi Schuba	Patricia Dodd
1968	Elisabeth Nestler	Patricia Dodd	Eleonora Baricka
1969	Elisabeth Nestler	Patricia Dodd	Rita Trapanese
1970	Rita Trapanese	Patricia Dodd	Dawn Glab
1971	Christine Errath	Cathy Lee Irwin	Kazumi Yamashita
1972	Dorothy Hamill	Karin Iten	Jean Scott
1973	Dianne de Leeuw	Maria McLean	Karin Iten
1974	Marion Weber	Isabel de Navarre	Kath Malmberg
1975	Lynn Nightingale	Barbie Smith	Linda Fratianne
1976	Barbie Smith	Susanna Driano	Heather Kemkaran
1977	Priscilla Hill	Kristiina Wegelius	Denise Biellmann
1978	Susanna Driano	Carrie Rugh	Karena Richardson
1979	Alicia Risberg	Carola Weißenberg	Simone Grigorescu
1980	Karen Wood	Janina Wirth	Carola Paul

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