Prepared by Jim Collings, coordinator for this event
On Friday 7 November six Mixed teams from Scotland descended on Huntley CC, four of whom competed against our Mixed teams in a single match, as part of their tour of Ottawa Region’s curling clubs. They had been competing all week and finish off in a grand finale at the Hunt on Sunday, completing this year’s version of the Ottawa Valley Goodwill Tour (OVGT).
It was a very memorable event, with fierce competition from all teams, but also much fun and camaraderie. Huntley teams were skipped by David Cormier, Blake Sinclair, Rick Gladstone and Thomas Watters. Although all our teams started ahead, only David and Blake’s teams prevailed, running away with their scores. The others fell behind once the Scots figured out the ice.
And what competitors! The Scots teams included the 2023 and 2024 Scotland Masters Men’s Champions, a female Olympian representing Great Britain in 1992, the Ladies Silver medallist at 2023 Scotland Masters, Scotland Senior Men’s Champion in 2012, and six others who have represented either Scotland, Ireland or England at multiple World competitions at various age levels. So Huntley did very well in such exalted company!
Many thanks to Doug Oneschuk who piped all the players onto the ice, where the Scots sang along to familiar tunes. The curlers were extremely complimentary about our ice conditions - thank you Paul Norman. Toogood’s Kitchen and volunteers provided an excellent lunch, with the Club providing a free drink to all the curlers. Blake Sinclair was kind enough to donate a significant sum to cover costs over our players’ entry fee, so the club broke even financially, while the visiting Scots enjoyed themselves!
Related
- Video of curlers being piped to the ice (480p) (720p)
- Video of some Scots curlers singing (480p)
- A Wee Bit of History - Short History of OVGT (prepared by Murray Pearson)
The highlight of the day was the short singing skit put on by six of the Scots, very skillfully done, hilarious and highly entertaining! Also, one of the Scots described her research into the Huntley name, which apparently originated in the region they come from.
Spectators included former HCC members Locksley Trenholm, Dan Hudson and Ann Boyd, all of whom were part of the reciprocal visits to Scotland in 1990 and 1998. Locksley was our club’s first President and threw the very first rock at the club in 1981.
The OVGT started in its present form in 1976, with teams meeting every four years or so, alternating between this region and Scotland. It will continue in 2028 in Scotland, and HCC members are invited to apply for a spot on one of our teams to attend. However, application must be made before end of November, via the QR code shown on business cards now distributed around the club. It takes years to arrange this, so they insist we get started now!
