Dickens Festival is always a busy weekend in Carlyle and this year, as they’ve done in years past, the Carlyle Curling Club hosted Saskatchewan Women’s Curling Tour (SWCT) Bonspiel from Friday, Dec. 4, to Sunday, Dec. 6.
The bonspiel saw eight teams come together to compete. Last year there were a total of 12 teams participating, but Kristen Sauter said that with a new format in the SWCT and a qualifying bonspiel in Estevan the weekend of Dec. 11 to 13.
Originally they were worried that they wouldn’t get enough teams to hold the bonspiel, but a couple of teams decided to join last minute which meant the event could go on.
“We really like holding it on Dickens weekend,” Sauter said. “There’s just so much going on in town and the Main Street all decorated looks so good, and the women who come down very much enjoy it. So, we are planning on hosting our third annual bonspiel next year during Dickens weekend.”
Heading into the competition the top three teams were Penny Barker’s team holding first with 17 points in the SWCT standings, while Kim Schneider trailed with 13 points, and Mandy Selzer following with 10 points.
A total of eight teams competed at the Carlyle Spiel where first place was earned by Selzer’s team, which includes local curler Sauter from Kenosee, coming in second place was Barker’s team, and finishing in a 3/4 split were Shalon Fleming and Amber Holland.
Leading the pack this year in the SWCT Standings is Barker’s team with 24 points, currently in second in the SWCT standings was Selzer’s team with 20 points, and Patty Hersikorn is in third provincially with 15 points.
Other local curlers participating included Natalie Bloomfield of Carlyle, Kristy Johnson of Wawota. Additionally, Amber Holland (Kent and Myrla Holland’s daughter) brought a team together for the bonspiel to help bolster numbers when it was thought the event may have to be cancelled.
