If you follow Skip Cottage, you will know that I am a big fan of mixed doubles curling. The Braehead Open MDs was played on Tuesday and Wednesday evening, the eight sheets in the rink all still in use late on yesterday.The big game saw Jennifer Marshall and Graham Shedden up against Hannah Fleming and Billy Morton. That's Billy giving the ice above.
Here's Jennifer. Graham and Jennifer finished second on the day! The photo of the winners is here.
Hannah and Graham.
"Now, here's the plan!"
Billy
Latvian friends Gints and Liga Caune finished runners-up in the Low Road. This is Gints.
Now, I have to admit that this is a reconstruction. Gints and Liga scored a six! I should explain for those not used to the complexities of MDs, each side only plays five stones. To count the maximum, then one of the two placed stones (the one of your colour) must count too. I'd not seen the MDs equivalent of an 'eight ender' before, so this was a highlight of the night. And no. I'm not going to say who it was who was on the receiving end!
Alasdair Schreiber, playing with Jennifer Paul, finished in fourth place.
Gary Macfarlane has threatened to have me banished from Braehead if I post another 'funny' picture of him, so here's one I like from last night! Gary was playing with Nadia Krestanovich.
Nadia is from British Columbia and over here for a year with her husband. Good player! She helped Gary to win the Low Road.
Ben and Anna Fowler.
Nicola Evans, playing with Angus Shearer, won the U-25 prize. Good to see the wheelchair curlers taking part. Apart from the lack of a buddy to brace their delivery, mixed doubles presents few obstacles. That's Aileen Neilson and Michael McCrearie behind Nicola.
Paul Webster and Angela Higson won the 'Best Braehead' side prize.
David Aitken.
Lee McCleary, watched by David and Gina Aitken. Lee was paying (or do I mean playing!) with Judith McFarlane.
Here they are sweeping together. They took the prize for third place, having lost to Hannah and Billy in the semifinal.
Body language says it all in a pic from that semi!
Alasdair and Jennifer watch behind Graham Shedden.
Fiona and Chay Telfer against John Sharp and Laura Yuill.
John Brown, who was playing with Dawn Watson.
Michael McCreadie. And an apology. In amongst all the excitement of getting back on the road last weekend, I overlooked the fact that our wheelchair curlers were competing in the Fifth Annual Rolli Trophy in Bern, Switzerland. National Coach Tony Zummack reports that the National Squad members Aileen Neilson, Angela Malone, Gill Keith, Gregor Ewan, Ian Donaldson, Jim Gault and Michael McCreadie were joined by Michael McKenzie from the Spokes program. There were seven teams competing in a full round robin with best records determining the final standings. Teams were altered during the event as illness befell one of the players for the final two games. In total the two teams won nine of eleven games against opposing nations and finished top two in the standings at the end of the competition. Well done to all!Photos © Skip Cottage. Apologies to all those who didn't get shot last night!
