Visitors to England often seek out the sites of tradition, remnants of a once-glorious way of life. From the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace to the towering glory of Windsor Castle, British pomp and circumstance holds a special appeal -- and nowhere is that pomp more apparent than in the country's sporting events.
Wimbledon tennis and Royal Ascot horse races are both steeped in British tradition. But the lesser-known Henley Royal Regatta rowing competition is both a sport and a feast for the eyes.
As drab weather finally gives way to sunshine, Brits decked out in elaborate garb emerge in early summer to watch Henley's athletes battle it out along the Thames River in southern England.
This year's event includes 432 international crews from France, Russia, South Africa, Slovenia, New Zealand and elsewhere.
With yearly races since its 1839 inception by three Oxford University clubs, Henley is the mecca of international rowing. Crowds flock to witness history in action. Very few changes have occurred in the regatta's rules over the past century and a half.
Under the watchful eyes of the organizing stewards, the governing committee still controls the behavior of contestants and spectators, preserving the competition's traditions but also prolonging its pompous exclusivity.
In one infamous story of Henley elitism, 1920 American Olympic gold medalist Jack Kelly Sr. wasn't allowed to row because of his working-class background. Twenty-seven years later, some softening of the rules allowed Jack Kelly Jr. -- the actress Grace Kelly's brother -- to fulfill his father's dream when he trounced English champion Jack Beresford to win the Diamond Sculls event in which one man faces off against another.
