OLDS — A rink featuring area residents won the 62nd annual Rotary District 5360/5370 Curling Bonspiel, held Feb. 28 - March 2 in the Olds Curling Club.
The Darren Grierson rink, which featured Gary Gaudette from Olds and Andy Sweetman, downed the Moir rink from the Yukon 8-6 in the A final to take the championship.
As a result, they’ve qualified for the worlds, which will be held April 3-10, 2026 in Stranraer, Scotland.
Grierson, the skip, is from Calgary. Also on the team was Collin Georget from Airdrie.
This is the second time this foursome has won a Rotary championship. They won the world championship in 2024 in Peterborough, Ontario.
The tournament featured 22 teams from across Alberta and the Yukon. In total about 150 attendees to Olds, including curlers, spouses and other supporters from across Alberta, northern and southern B.C. and western Saskatchewan were expected to attend.
“The score was 7-6 going into the last end, we were down one,” Grierson said in an interview with the Albertan. “We took two to make it 8-6.
“They took two in the seventh end to go up by one. And then we took two.
“I didn't have to throw my last rock, you know, because we could have drawn in for three. But we the game was over,” he added.
Gaudette says the way they won the tournament was a thrill.
“It was pretty exciting, for sure,” he said. “Down one going into last end with hammer and we managed to squeak it out and get our two to win.”
Gaudette said the team threw pretty well throughout the bonspiel.
“We can't throw 100 per cent, but we threw through pretty well. Everybody had their had their misses and everybody had some great shots.”
Gaudette figures a big reason for the team’s success is that they’ve played together for quite a while now, not only in the world championships in Peterborough but also in a super league in Airdrie.
“We’ve gotten to know each other a little bit more and know how each other throws. And it definitely gives you an advantage,” he said.
Now the team has until 2026 to obtain kilts for the trip to Scotland.
“That was actually on my, on my mind, trying to find something to go to Scotland (with). So, yeah, a kilt would be pretty fitting,” he said with a laugh.
