Latest news with #Wickham
Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
'A distressing time for the athlete': Top NZ rower arrested over incident in US
By Dana Johannsen of RNZ Rowing NZ has launched an investigation into a recent tour to the United States, after a top New Zealand rower was arrested for assault following an incident at a post-regatta celebration. RNZ has learned Zack Rumble, a member of the New Zealand men's elite team, missed his flight home from the US tour as he was in police custody following his arrest on suspicion of assault on May 3. The national team, made up of a men's and women's eight crew, had been in Seattle for the prestigious Windermere Cup. According to records with Washington State's Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD), Rumble was held for 45 hours in the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle before being released without charge on May 5. It is understood the alleged assault occurred at a private event at the Seattle Yacht Club, in which the New Zealand team were invited guests. A source with knowledge of the incident, who did not want to be identified, said the fracas occurred after an evening of drinking. The DAJD records indicate Rumble was arrested at 11.58pm - nearly 12 hours after the prize-giving festivities kicked off. The source said they believed the arrest was a result of a "misunderstanding with police, in a country where you really don't want to have misunderstandings with police". Another New Zealand athlete was said to have been present at the time of the incident, but was not involved. Rowing NZ chief executive Simon Wickham declined to be interviewed, but in a statement confirmed an incident had occurred on the tour involving a member of the men's eight, which meant "that athlete was not able to return home with the remainder of the team". "Rowing New Zealand made sure that athlete had our full support in the United States and their welfare was our first priority at the time. We had one of our Rowing NZ coaching team remain on the ground in Seattle to support the athlete concerned," Wickham said. "This was a distressing time for the athlete and our team members and Rowing NZ has worked hard to make sure the athletes and coaches in our care have the support around them they need." Wickham added Rowing NZ has engaged prominent sports lawyer Don Mackinnon to lead an independent review of the tour to "seek learnings and recommendations". But the national body's handling of the episode is reportedly causing division among the athletes in the Rowing NZ's elite squad. Sources have told RNZ some athletes are uneasy about being swept up in a broad, team-wide probe due to the actions of an individual, while others are concerned about the impact the incident will have on the team's upcoming World Cup and World Championship campaign. It is understood Rumble, who had been selected for the upcoming World Cup events in Italy and Switzerland, resumed training with the team shortly after returning to New Zealand. Asked whether the athlete would still be travelling to Europe in light of the events of earlier this month, Rowing NZ said the team announced on March 21 would attend the next World Cup event in Varese, Italy. Rowing NZ insists its approach has been measured and appropriate. "We have responded proactively with an independent review," Wickham said. "It would be premature to comment on any outcomes or actions until that review has concluded." Commodore of the Seattle Yacht Club Randy Holbrook declined to comment on the May 3 incident, "to maintain the integrity" of Rowing's NZ's review process. However Holbrook said the New Zealand coaching staff displayed "exemplary professionalism in working with us". "We recognise New Zealand as one of the world's top rowing programmes and we'd be honoured to welcome them back to our Club on any future trips to the US Pacific Northwest." The Windermere Cup is an annual rowing event held as part of the Seattle Yacht Club's opening day of the boating season. Aimed at showcasing the might of the University of Washington's rowing programme, each year the college invites international teams to contest the trophy. This year Rowing NZ were invited to send a women's and men's eights crew to the regatta. The New Zealand men finished second behind the Washington crew, which included three oarsmen from New Zealand: Ben Shortt, Harry Fitzpatrick and Olympic silver medallist Logan Ullrich. In response to written questions, a spokesperson for the University of Washington said the organisation "would not have any comment on this". High Performance Sport NZ, which provides $6 million in annual funding to Rowing NZ's elite programmes, are understood to have been briefed on the incident and are being kept updated on the review. RNZ has attempted to contact Rumble without success.
Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Top Kiwi rower arrested over incident in US
By Dana Johannsen of RNZ Rowing NZ has launched an investigation into a recent tour to the United States, after a top New Zealand rower was arrested for assault following an incident at a post-regatta celebration. RNZ has learned Zack Rumble, a member of the New Zealand men's elite team, missed his flight home from the US tour as he was in police custody following his arrest on suspicion of assault on May 3. The national team, made up of a men's and women's eight crew, had been in Seattle for the prestigious Windermere Cup. According to records with Washington State's Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD), Rumble was held for 45 hours in the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle before being released without charge on May 5. It is understood the alleged assault occurred at a private event at the Seattle Yacht Club, in which the New Zealand team were invited guests. A source with knowledge of the incident, who did not want to be identified, said the fracas occurred after an evening of drinking. The DAJD records indicate Rumble was arrested at 11.58pm - nearly 12 hours after the prize-giving festivities kicked off. The source said they believed the arrest was a result of a "misunderstanding with police, in a country where you really don't want to have misunderstandings with police". Another New Zealand athlete was said to have been present at the time of the incident, but was not involved. Rowing NZ chief executive Simon Wickham declined to be interviewed, but in a statement confirmed an incident had occurred on the tour involving a member of the men's eight, which meant "that athlete was not able to return home with the remainder of the team". "Rowing New Zealand made sure that athlete had our full support in the United States and their welfare was our first priority at the time. We had one of our Rowing NZ coaching team remain on the ground in Seattle to support the athlete concerned," Wickham said. "This was a distressing time for the athlete and our team members and Rowing NZ has worked hard to make sure the athletes and coaches in our care have the support around them they need." Wickham added Rowing NZ has engaged prominent sports lawyer Don Mackinnon to lead an independent review of the tour to "seek learnings and recommendations". But the national body's handling of the episode is reportedly causing division among the athletes in the Rowing NZ's elite squad. Sources have told RNZ some athletes are uneasy about being swept up in a broad, team-wide probe due to the actions of an individual, while others are concerned about the impact the incident will have on the team's upcoming World Cup and World Championship campaign. It is understood Rumble, who had been selected for the upcoming World Cup events in Italy and Switzerland, resumed training with the team shortly after returning to New Zealand. Asked whether the athlete would still be travelling to Europe in light of the events of earlier this month, Rowing NZ said the team announced on March 21 would attend the next World Cup event in Varese, Italy. Rowing NZ insists its approach has been measured and appropriate. "We have responded proactively with an independent review," Wickham said. "It would be premature to comment on any outcomes or actions until that review has concluded." Commodore of the Seattle Yacht Club Randy Holbrook declined to comment on the May 3 incident, "to maintain the integrity" of Rowing's NZ's review process. However Holbrook said the New Zealand coaching staff displayed "exemplary professionalism in working with us". "We recognise New Zealand as one of the world's top rowing programmes and we'd be honoured to welcome them back to our Club on any future trips to the US Pacific Northwest." The Windermere Cup is an annual rowing event held as part of the Seattle Yacht Club's opening day of the boating season. Aimed at showcasing the might of the University of Washington's rowing programme, each year the college invites international teams to contest the trophy. This year Rowing NZ were invited to send a women's and men's eights crew to the regatta. The New Zealand men finished second behind the Washington crew, which included three oarsmen from New Zealand: Ben Shortt, Harry Fitzpatrick and Olympic silver medallist Logan Ullrich. In response to written questions, a spokesperson for the University of Washington said the organisation "would not have any comment on this". High Performance Sport NZ, which provides $6 million in annual funding to Rowing NZ's elite programmes, are understood to have been briefed on the incident and are being kept updated on the review. RNZ has attempted to contact Rumble without success.
Vancouver Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Edmonton Folk Music Festival lineup: Allison Russell, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Taj Mahal join The Roots and Mt. Joy
With swirling hip-hop legends The Roots and fuzzy-feelings L.A. rockers Mt. Joy already out of the bag as Saturday and Sunday's headliners — bam! — the rest of the Edmonton Folk Music Festival's lineup has been revealed! The 46 th annual love-in running Aug. 7-10 on Gallagher Park hill is bursting with international deep-cut delights to shining local talent, aglow with soul, folk, rock, country, Afrobeats, blues and more. Nearly 60 more acts just dropped, including North Carolina alt-rock Rainbow Kitten Surprise topping Thursday night after Juno-winning Oji-Cree singer-songwriter Aysanabee and the lovable be-hatted powerhouse Serena Ryder open the fest up — tunes starting Thursday at 6:35 p.m. Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Friday night's main stage 9:05 p.m. on is Gen X singer-songwriter Stephen Wilson Jr. — self-identified as 'Death Cab for Country' — and the return of the multi-style, roots Grammy-winning Allison Russell, last here in 2022. Amid the whirl of Saturday sessions, east L.A.'s Las Cafeterias will pepper up the main stage at 2 p.m. with Chicano rhythm and zapateado dancing. Then, Saturday night, the cultural call-and-response slides in with 83-year-old bluesman Taj Mahal at 6:45; indie pop DJ and model Goldie Boutilier also out of L.A. up next; back from last year, public defender and powerhouse soul/R&B belter Danielle Ponder; bringing us of course to 2025's big-name booking: Philadelphia's The Roots. World-travelling Democratic Republic of Congo ensemble Jupiter & Okwess start things off centre stage at 2 Sunday afternoon, then shifting gears, it's the Seattle folk-rock of Richy Mitch & the Coal Miners at 6:50. This is followed by an American-Australian roots jam with John Butler, then Mt. Joy and the Sunday-night lantern parade, then cue Four Strong Winds. The Roots were something else at Calgary Folk Fest last year, and I'd say you don't want to miss the electrified blues guitar and drumming of Cedric Burnside — but longtime festival producer Terry Wickham is happy to offer his deep cuts and must-sees. 'Watch out for Jesse Welles,' says Wickham. 'He's got a big online presence, very political. He talks about what America's like right now, all of that. 'Riley Walker and Bill McKay, two great guitarists — so I think that's going to be a sleeper hit.' Wickham adds the psychedelic soul of Monophonics to the list, noting Willi Carlisle's also a lot of fun. 'Ian Ngo is a great songwriter in the country vein, so he's going to be really strong. Māmā Mihirangi & the Māreikura are going to be exciting — a lot of looping and that kind of stuff,' Wickham notes. 'And Calvin Vollrath, we're not going cheap, so we're bringing him in with a five-piece.' As far as general operations go, no big announcements this year — more food trucks, some extra shade, that sort of thing — though we did get a bit doomy talking about worst-case scenarios if fire season forced a cancellation due to air-quality safety. 'A couple of rainfalls this week were good,' says Wickham. 'The farmers need rain, the gardens need rain — it just makes the place look better. But I don't think that's going to have any impact on August. 'We're in for a dry spell coming up, so we'll see if things start to spark up. 'I mean, wildfire smoke is an existential threat to all the festivals outdoors.' That consideration aside, costs have also been reliably rising, especially headliner fees. 'It's doubled or quadrupled, post pandemic,' notes the producer of the non-profit festival. 'Dynamic pricing, excess demand, etc. And it won't stop until people stop buying tickets at crazy prices.' This makes it especially noteworthy that ticket and pass prices this year are holding steady, no increases. 'We could go up and people would grumble,' says Wickham, but I'm so tired of inflation everywhere, that at least one place, for one year, we can hold the line.' He notes the folk fest will always continue to do what it can, and that 'money is not everything to all the artists. 'They do look for special places to play,' says Wickham, noting Ben Harper once said it was his favourite. 'And I did hear two band members from The National talking and saying, 'Which is your favourite, here or Red Rocks?' So that kind of thing is nice to hear.' Bringing it home, the local acts include AV & the Inner City, St. Albert's Current Swell, Nîpisîy, Secondhand Dreamcar and let's note Shaela Miller's country music by way of Lethbridge. School of Song will also highlight local talent Asiah Holm, Halfway Home, Sam Steffen and Tayler Grace, and the Nikamowin indigenous programming will spotlight even more locals by the fest's central tipi. 'There's a lot of great talent out there,' says Wickham. 'I said yes to a lot of people who have been knocking on the door for a few years. 'About 60 per cent of the artists have never played here before. We haven't been too nostalgic. So I feel good.' Pre-GST and fees, adult personal weekend passes (25-64) are $234, single tickets Thursday or Friday are $109, and Saturday or Sunday $115. Seniors 65-79 are $179 for a Personal Pass, $56 for single days, and 80+ get in for free. U-25 (18-24) is $189 for a Personal Pass. And for youth 12-17, $117 for a Personal Pass, $42 for a single day, with children 11 and under free. All passes and single days go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 7, online only at . Now, please enjoy the full list of 2025 EFMF acts! AHI Allison Russell AV & the Inner City Aysanabee BALTHVS Blackburn Brothers Blue Moon Marquee Burnstick Calvin Vollrath Cedric Burnside Charlie Cunningham Current Swell Danielle Ponder De Temps Antan Dervish Dry Bones Elizabeth Moen Goldie Boutilier Haley Heynderickx Ian Noe Jeffrey Martin Jennifer Castle Jesse Roper Jesse Welles John Butler Julianna Riolino Jupiter & Okwess Ken Pomeroy Kíla Kim Churchill Las Cafeteras Madi Diaz Māmā Mihirangi & the Māreikura Mama's Broke Marcus Trummer Martyn Joseph Mary Gauthier Melissa Carper Monophonics Mt. Joy Nîpisîy Rainbow Kitten Surprise Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners Ryley Walker & Bill MacKay School of Song: Asiah Holm , Halfway Home , Sam Steffen , Tayler Grace Secondhand Dreamcar Serena Ryder Shaela Miller Steph Strings Stephen Wilson Jr. Taj Mahal Talisk The Roots The Sensational Barnes Brothers The Slocan Ramblers Wesli Willi Carlisle Yasmin Williams fgriwkowsky@ @ Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.
Calgary Herald
3 days ago
- Climate
- Calgary Herald
Edmonton Folk Music Festival lineup: Allison Russell, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Taj Mahal join The Roots and Mt. Joy
Article content Article content As far as general operations go, no big announcements this year — more food trucks, some extra shade, that sort of thing — though we did get a bit doomy talking about worst-case scenarios if fire season forced a cancellation due to air-quality safety. Article content 'A couple of rainfalls this week were good,' says Wickham. 'The farmers need rain, the gardens need rain — it just makes the place look better. But I don't think that's going to have any impact on August. Article content 'We're in for a dry spell coming up, so we'll see if things start to spark up. Article content 'I mean, wildfire smoke is an existential threat to all the festivals outdoors.' Article content That consideration aside, costs have also been reliably rising, especially headliner fees. Article content 'It's doubled or quadrupled, post pandemic,' notes the producer of the non-profit festival. 'Dynamic pricing, excess demand, etc. And it won't stop until people stop buying tickets at crazy prices.' Article content Article content This makes it especially noteworthy that ticket and pass prices this year are holding steady, no increases. Article content 'We could go up and people would grumble,' says Wickham, but I'm so tired of inflation everywhere, that at least one place, for one year, we can hold the line.' Article content He notes the folk fest will always continue to do what it can, and that 'money is not everything to all the artists. Article content 'They do look for special places to play,' says Wickham, noting Ben Harper once said it was his favourite. 'And I did hear two band members from The National talking and saying, 'Which is your favourite, here or Red Rocks?' So that kind of thing is nice to hear.' Article content Bringing it home, the local acts include AV & the Inner City, St. Albert's Current Swell, Nîpisîy, Secondhand Dreamcar and let's note Shaela Miller's country music by way of Lethbridge. School of Song will also highlight local talent Asiah Holm, Halfway Home, Sam Steffen and Tayler Grace, and the Nikamowin indigenous programming will spotlight even more locals by the fest's central tipi. Article content Article content 'There's a lot of great talent out there,' says Wickham. 'I said yes to a lot of people who have been knocking on the door for a few years. Article content 'About 60 per cent of the artists have never played here before. We haven't been too nostalgic. So I feel good.' Article content Pre-GST and fees, adult personal weekend passes (25-64) are $234, single tickets Thursday or Friday are $109, and Saturday or Sunday $115. Article content AHI Article content Allison Russell Article content AV & the Inner City Article content Aysanabee Article content BALTHVS Article content Blackburn Brothers
The Sun
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Hundreds of travellers flock to 800-year-old horse fair as street races close down town and rubbish piles up
FLOCKS of travellers have descended on a quiet town for an 800-year-old horse fair - causing roads, shops and pubs to shut. Pictures show the crowds swarming through the usually sleepy streets of Wickham, which only has a population of 2,000. 10 10 10 10 Horses of all breeds and colours have been pictured outside of homes and pubs ready for trading in Hampshire. Caravans and horse boxes are scattered around the town instead of cars, as all the roads were closed for the event. Traveller families are believed to have started to gather for the Wickham Horse Fair since 1269. Scenes at the yearly fair usually sees people flying down the street as they participate in street horse races. Others parade ponies down the road in a bid to find a willing buyer. Roads are packed with stalls and street vendors selling everything and anything. It is customary for the event to take place on May 20 - except when it falls on a Sunday. What is the Wickham Horse Fair? Wickham Horse Fair has been held in The Square in Wickham, Fareham, for almost 800 years. As is tradition, this year's fair is being held on Monday, May 20. It is customary for the event to take place on May 20 - except when it falls on a Sunday. 2022 saw it's official return following Covid lockdown restrictions. However, an unauthorised gathering took place in 2021 – with people selling, racing and admiring ponies as well as enjoying a funfair. It was back in full force for 2023 with spectacular traditional horse racing on display. The horse fair has been taking place since 1269, which is almost 800 years ago - making it one of the oldest horse fairs in the country. The Wickham Horse Fair traces its origins back to when Roger De Syres obtained a royal charter from King Henry III to have a weekly market in 1269. Over the years this morphed into an annual fair. The Wickham Horse Fair traces its origins back to when Roger De Syres obtained a royal charter from King Henry III to have a weekly market in 1269. Over the years this morphed into an annual fair. Some locals love the famous tradition, but others aren't so happy. Already, piles of rubbish have started to form from the fair. Over the last week, other villages have also played host to travellers looking to attend. Last year, locals blasted the historic fair as "shameful" due to the litter left behind. The high street was left caked in manure, bins overflowed with rubbish and cans of booze littered the pavements. Pub benches were covered in trash, unwanted food and empty alcohol bottles. Discarded cardboard boxes could also be seen pilled up while plastic bags were scattered along the picturesque roads. 10 10 10 10 10
