Province bonspiel in Inverness a big hit

SUPPORTED by curlers from neighbouring provinces, and old friends who previously visited the Brora Ice Rink from Glasgow’s Auchterhouse & Lundie and Dundee, Sutherland Province’s first Bonspiel in the Inverness Ice Centre turned into a great success last Saturday.

Sixty-four curlers took part. Sixteen rinks chosen at random and split into two sections playing three shortened end games under a shenkel scoring system. The final round robin game of five ends paired the section leaders against each other and from Section A Richard Mackenzie emerged as the winner with a one shot result against Ross-shire’s Bill Shirran.

In Section B the final play off game was between Locheye’s Tony Watson and Rogart’s Nigel Murray and when Murray’s final effort was a bit heavy the result was peeled leaving Mackenzie from Section A the overall winner with full points. His rink consisted of three Ross Province curlers, Lynne Fraser, Finlay Mackenzie and Lorna Shirran and they were presented with the John MacKintosh Griffen Bowl which was brought out for the new bonspiel. Rogart’s Nigel Murray was the runner up.

Caberfeidh’s Hugh Mackay emerged as Low Road winners with his rink of Mike Hogg, Davie Lyall and Sue Gardiner and the consolation Lucozade for effort went to Davie MacLennan (Belmaduthy) with Susan Smith, Alan MacDonald and Ian Ross.

There were also fine efforts from first time curlers who emerged from the free "come and try" sessions after they took part in their first competition, Karen Coutts, Alan Sangster and Muriel Mann.

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