New Dates for Glasgow Audi Braehead Open

The Braehead Curlers website is in the process of having a makeover, but the big news from the rink is that the Glasgow Audi Braehead Open has shifted dates to a weekend right at the beginning of the season.

Writing on behalf of Braehead Curling and Braehead Curling Development Group, Gary Macfarlane has sent out an open invitation for teams to compete in the event, October 1-3. The competition, in its sixth year, offers teams at least three games if not four or more. First games are not until 6pm on the Friday.

The competition is open to all teams, with prize money of £2000, and prizes are available for a range of participants, including under 25s, best overseas, seniors, ladies, Braehead members, as well as the main prize of £650 for the Glasgow Audi Braehead Open Champions. Entry fee is £120 per team.

Information regarding accommodation and travel will be on the Braehead Curlers website at www.curlbraehead.co.uk in the next few days. You can also email Gary (randomffd /at/ msn.com) for information and specific questions.

Entries are on a first come first served basis and the organisers are hoping for as many as thirty-two teams.

For men's and women's teams with intentions of competing in the Scottish Championships, this event offers early season competition, particularly with the demise of the RCCC Mini Tour.

Glasgow Audi Braehead Open

Here they are - the winners of the Glasgow Audi Braehead Open, see report here.

L-R: Graeme Copland, Hamilton McMillan, Sandy Gilmour and Ross Paterson (skip) with David Horne, presenting.

Photo by Corinne Shand

Catching up

I missed quite a few things during my Aberdeen sabbatical!

Let's catch up with just two. My spies tell me that Ross Paterson (skip), Sandy Gilmour, Hamilton McMillan and Graeme Copland won the Glasgow Audi Braehead Open. I'm trying to source a photo of the winners and when I do, it will be here.

Ross and his team beat Graham Shedden (skip), Gary Cannell, Chay Telfer and Graeme Hay in the final, in a tight game which went to an extra end.

Here's Robin Shand's report:

"Ross Paterson saw off Anna Sloan, and two times previous winner Graeme Shedden put paid to Fergus Corbett, to secure their places in the High Road final which, with big money at stake, would prove to be a very close encounter. Peeled at 5s after regulation play, an extra end at 11pm was all we needed. Lying two against at the top of the eight foot, Ross was faced with playing at no more than hack weight with his last rock - he required to do no worse than tap and roll in slightly - and it was played perfectly. Victory by less than 2 inches!

The Low Road winner would either be ex golf club pro Jack Steven or Ian Gillespie (with the venerable Charles Jackson, Area 4 Secretary, throwing 3rd rocks) as they were the only two teams on maximum points after the early schenkel games. On straightish ice, it was Ian who got the early break and he never looked back. The old campaigner, Gary MacFarlane, leapfrogged Jack to take second slot."

Thanks Robin.

Another significant success was for the GB wheelchair curling team in Lausanne, December 5-6. Tom Pendreigh reports that GB came into the competition with a bit of form having made the final of the Ottawa tournament the previous weekend. They started well and continued the good form to top their section and make the final to play the Swiss team from Strasbourg CC.

In the deciding game, Team GB took a five in the second and stole three more in the third, on their way to the win.

There's more from Tom here.

Braehead Open continues

by Robin Shand (guest blogger)

The Le Gruyere European Championships may be reaching a conclusion at Aberdeen, but back in the real world of competitive curling (!), Wednesday evening's Audi Braehead Open sorted out the high flyers from the low gliders. All the younger teams + Jacqui Crawford's senior ladies and a couple of 'unpredictables' went 'high' road. Gary MacFarlane's senior men - you will remember they lost both games on the opening night - just scraped into the low road along with the rest of a very healthy motley crew.

Some heavy hitting games saw the departure of, among others, Jacqui Crawford and Andy Kerr while Anna Sloan and Fergus Corbett (an alias for the unfit Stuart Walker) join the other quarters winners in tomorrow's semifinals.

With a £650 pot for the winners there is a lot to play for before the dust settles but your scribe would be unwise to predict an outcome, particularly in the low road which has two further schenkel games to go. Anyone in the Glasgow area with an hour or two to spare tonight (Thursday) should come along and watch the final session which starts at 20.45.

Braehead Open

by guest blogger, Robin Shand

While some of the action is in Aberdeen, the rest of the curling world continues apace, a healthy sixteen entrants are keenly contesting the Glasgow Audi Braehead Open running Tuesday to Thursday evenings this week.

First night surprise was the double defeat of Gary McFarlane's Seniors rink. No such surprise was Anna Sloan's two victories - albeit not in the same section as Gary.

Stuart Walker limped in on crutches - the result of a swimming pool mishap - to see his team win both opening games, this may not have happened had he been playing!

It is very strange watching live curling through the glass in addition to both live and recorded coverage from the Linx!

More from Robin tomorrow.

Want to play?

Co-incidentally, yesterday I received information about three different competitions that are looking for players.

The last call has gone out for entrants for this years Glasgow Audi Braehead Open. This is being played on Monday, December 7 - Thursday, December 10. Teams are guaranteed three games at least, maximum six. Teams play either on the evenings of Monday or the Tuesday but not both, then on Wednesday, and the finals are on Thursday evening. Prize money totals £2000, with main prize £650 for winning team, and prizes for 2nd, 3rd, 4th and under 25, Braehead members, seniors and ladies teams. The entrance fee is £100. All games are 6.15pm and 8.45pm.

The competition already has a very good standard of entry, but there are still spaces for a few teams. The draw will be done early next week. If you haven't entered and would like to do so, contact David Horne at Braehead.

Next up is the news that Forfar is hosting two bonspiels for Under 17s and Under 12s, December 29-30. A good initiative this! Cost is just £60 per team, and this covers ice fees and a food voucher. Help with accommodation is being offered for those teams travelling a distance.

The organiser is Ian Taylor, but contact the Forfar rink to get an entry form. And spread the word to any young curlers who might be looking for some curling between Christmas and the New Year!

Lastly, the inaugural Moray International Bonspiel at the end of last season was a great success (see here). Andy Cameron is already working hard on the next one, now scheduled for April 16-18, 2010, and is hoping to attract 30 teams to the Elgin rink.

Teams will be guaranteed 5 games, and there is a strong social side to the event! The Crerar Eight Acres Hotel will be the main hotel again this year, and it has a swimming pool, sauna and gym for your use when you are staying there.

Andy has set up an event site on Facebook here.

Call goes out for Glasgow Audi Braehead Open

Gary Macfarlane, on behalf of the Braehead competitions' committee, has sent out a general invitation for this year's Glasgow Audi Braehead Open, to be held on the evenings of Monday - Thursday, December 7-10, 2009.

This competition is in its fifth year, attracts a high standard of curling, and has something for everyone in a variety of categories, such as under 25s, seniors, ladies, Braehead members, as well as the open category.

Played in the evening from Monday 7th to Thursday December 10th, the event offers teams at least three games, and most teams play four to six games. Teams can choose to play their first games on either Monday or Tuesday (but not both), and then play both Wednesday and Thursday.

How about entering your team this year?

The prize pot this year is £2000, with the main prize of £650 going to the Glasgow Audi Braehead Open Champions.

International teams are welcome. Note that the competition is being run the same week as the European Championships, allowing teams to play in the Glasgow Audi Braehead Open in the first part of the week, and then head north to watch the final three days of the Europeans in Aberdeen. There are local hotels within five minutes of Braehead and Glasgow International airport is just 10 minutes away.

Further information regarding accommodation and travel is on the Braehead curlers website at www.curlbraehead.co.uk. The Braehead curling site is here. And you can contact Gary at randomffd /at/ msn.com if you have specific questions.