Lanarkshire Ice Rink

Lanarkshire Ice Rink Farmers Competition

Sponsored by NFU Mutual

36 rinks contested this years NFU farmers competition at Hamilton from the 2^nd to the 9^th of December.  As usual the format was 9 sections of 4 teams with the section winners playing for the Lanarkshire Farmers Trophy and the section Runners-up playing in the low road for the Hamish Stoddart Cup.

 As usual there were a few surprises in the league play. One of the favourites, Robbie Stevenson from Dunfermline was beaten in a very close first game by the Coulter rink skipped by James Moffat. This rink won all three section games and  reached the quarter final of the High Road where they were beaten in a close game by last years winners skipped by Hugh Neilson.

Alex Torrance was also stopped in his tracks early on by the rink from Broughton skipped by Ben Masterton. In this Section, three teams finished tied on 4 points and it was Ben who missed out on shots up with Craig Hamilton and Alex Torrance qualifying for High and Low roads. Incidentally, for his last section game Alex brought in none other than  his namesake and curling legend Alex F Torrance to play lead and skip and, in the next sheet also playing lead and skip was Jim Waddell, filling in for grandson Craig. Two great Hamilton curlers of the past.

Friday afternoon saw the semi-finals of high and low roads. In the low road Bill Marshall had the unenviable task of trying to stop the hard hitting Stevenson rink. Despite Bill taking an early lead it was the team from Dunfermline who finished 9 shots to 6 in front.

In the other semi Tom Allan’s local rink faced Andrew Galloway’s team from Murrayfield. This game turned in the 7^th and penultimate end. With his last stone to come Tom lay one against but had a one shot lead. Tom saw a possible three but the shot did not go to plan and it was Andrew who picked up the three shots. Two more followed in the last end and he would face Stevenson in the final.

Both High Road semis finished with a 5 – 4 scoreline. Keith Prentice, skipping the team entered by the injured Lockhart Steele scored a 4 in the 5^th end against Hugh Neilson and managed to hold on for a win. The other semi saw the young rink skipped by Craig Waddell with Hammy Mcmillan, Jamie Allan and Greg Allan take on the very experienced team skipped by John Davie. In the end it was this experience that would decide the outcome and after a very close game it was Davie through to meet Prentice in the final.

The Low Road Final saw Stevenson take an early lead against Galloway and despite losing shots in the 6^th and 8^th ends held on to win 5 – 4.

In the High Road Final Prentice was up against it from the start, losing two shots against the head in the first end.  He too made a comeback and had a chance of forcing an extra end with his last stone but his draw behind cover travelled just too far and the trophy was Davie’s for the 6^th time.

High Road Winners with the Lanarkshire Farmers Trophy  l to r

Billy Beattie lead, Neil Murray 2nd, John Davie skip and Martin Silvera 3rd.

Low Road Winners  l to r

Calum Caskie 2nd, Dougie Templeton 3rd, Robbie Stevenson skip and Tom Neill lead.