Horace Debenham

Despite being the son of a physician and surgeon, Horace Debenham opted for the law as his chosen profession, and became a solicitor. He started rowing at an early age, and at 19 was a member of the Thames Rowing Club junior eight that won the Challenge Cup at the Metropolitan Amateur Regatta in 1923.

Debenham was a member of the Thames eight that represented Great Britain at the 1924 Paris Olympics and, despite setting an Olympic best time in their first round heat, they missed out on a medal after finishing fourth, just half-a-length behind bronze medallists Italy. Less than two weeks after the Paris Games, Debenham was in the Thames RC crew that won the senior eights at the Staines Regatta.

Debenham was in the eight that lost to Leander in the final of the 1925 Grand Challenge Cup at Henley, but he did win the Grand at the Marlow Regatta that year, as well as being in the Thames RC four that beat Leander to win the Senior Fours Challenge Cup at the same regatta. A second Staines title followed in 1926, when Debenham partnered Gordon Killick to win the senior pairs at the Kingston Regatta. The pair enjoyed a similar success at Molesey the following year