Despite picking a date for the new race, the TARA soon dropped their plans after learning that the Tradesmen's Rowing Club's Association (the body who looked after real professionals - i.e. those who worked with boats for a living) had also started to organise a similar open fours race.

And so it was that the fledging "Head of the River 4os" was first raced in 1955. In the following years the race was known as the Tradesmen's Rowing Club's Association Head of the River Fours, though even at this stage ARA clubs were entering along with NARA and TRAC clubs.

In the late 1950s the ARA and NARA finally merged into the Amateur Rowing assoication of Great Britian. The event then became known simply as the Head of the River Fours, and was handed over to a new Committee in 1963 after the TRCA's eventual amalgamation.

Since that time many changes in the members of the Committee have taken place, as well as alterations and additions to the status and boat classifications. Of particular interest was the introduction of quadruple sculls in 1969 when there were 3 entries.

This year (2008), the events on offer have been expanded to include Open and Women's Elite Lightweight Quads for the first time.

Quadruple sculls (4x)	Coxless fours (4-)	Coxed fours (4+)
Nine Events Open Elite Open Elite Lightweight Women's Elite Women's Elite Lightweight Open Senior 1 Open Senior 2 Women's Senior 2 Open Junior Women's junior	Four Events Open Elite Women's Elite Open Senior 1 Open Senior 2 Women's Senior 2	Nine Events Open Elite Open Senior 1 Open Senior 2 Women's Senior 2 Open Senior 3 (Academic) Women's Senior 4 (Academic) Open Senior 3 (Club) Women's Senior 3 (Club)

In the first race 34 crews rowed over a 3 mile course from Chiswick Steps to Putney Pier. The entry has grown steadily over the years and in 1990 the race was extended to the full four and a quarter mile Championship course - Mortlake to Putney (ie. the Oxford/Cambridge boatrace course in reverse).

For many years the entry exceeded the 500 permitted maximum, but in 1997 the Port of London Authority agreed to our request for 50 more crews. Even with 550 places available (the largest number of crews entered in an one race in the UK) we are still heavily oversubcribed.

Unfortunately considerations of tide and stream; length of river closure; November weather; space restrictions at the host clubs; and the simple logistics of marshalling over 500 crews on the water at once mean further expansion is not possible, even though there are many more crews who would like to race each year.

2008 marks the 54th Head of the River Fours and also the 32nd since women's crews became totally integrated with the event. Women's crews first competed with 13 entries in 1977 and now make up around 40% of the total entries.

Fuller Smith and Turner began their sponsorship of the Race in 1979 and their on-going support has enabled the Committee to keep up with modern technology as well as maintaining low entry fees. The 20 event winners are rewarded each year with excellent hospitality in the Hock Cellar at the Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, where the prizes are presented. This helps to ensure that the prize giving is one of the most eagerly awaited and well attended on the rowing circuit.

In 1994 the ARA was pleased to present Fuller Smith & Turner PLC with a Medal of Honour for their support of rowing and the Head of the River Fours in particular; a further award was presented in 2005 to mark 25 years of support.

We remain very grateful to Fuller's for their continued sponsorship and in making 2008 the 29th anniversary of the association.