Kleibrink Makes it 3 in a row

Team Kleibrink wins their 3rd bonspiel in a row by defeating Team Bernard from Calgary at the Calgary Curling Club on Sunday afternoon to raise the Trail Appliances Curling Classic trophy as champions. Shannon, Amy, Bronwen, Chelsea and coach Brent Syme rallied through C to win the $14,000 first prize and bring the championship back to Calgary for the first time in 11 years.

The lucky number for the day was 8 as Kleibrink defeated Rankin in the quarter finals 8-4 before taking out Middaugh in the semi 8-2 and completing the trio of wins with a win over Bernard in the final 8-2. Cheryl's team including Susan O'Connor, Carolyn McRorie and Cori Bartel were classy in defeat as they played extremely well all weekend but ran out of opportunities after Shannon made an amazing soft weight double in the 2nd end. It was a 6 point swing, as if the rock curled two more centimeters Bernard would have hung 2 points to take a 3 point lead, instead Amy nailed the sweeping call and Bronwen and Chels swept hard to make it a 4-1 game. The lead was insurmountable as Bernard tried every trick in the book to generate offence but Team Kleibrink turned on the defensive engines and peeled it out for 6 ends.

It was a karmic final with 3 players from the winning team instrumental in the organization of the event, since Nixon and Webster were the chairwomen and Kleibrink was the treasurer. Also on Bernard's team Bartel was head of the sponsorship committee and O'Connor led the Program Committee. The hard work these ladies showed in preparation, planning and pulling this event off makes this curler happy they were rewarded on the ice with a big pay day as well as the large point haul which moves both teams closer to berths in the actual Olympic Trials in Edmonton next December. Way to go ladies, you are all class all the time.

Finally, a few successes to share from the weekend: we set record attendance numbers, as well as web hit numbers, several teams commented on how well the spiel was run and thank you cards were received, there was amazing feedback on the food, and we had greater media coverage over years past, just to name a few…. None of this would have happened without all of the amazing volunteers who took over from the committee of players who competed in the event to execute an amazing special weekend. Thank you Calgary Curling Club, our sponsors, the fans, the curlers and the volunteers for another Great Thanksgiving. See you in 2009.
Enthusiastically
Rankin

Nice Shot Kleibrink!!!

The last shot in the second end of the 2008 Trail Appliances Curling Classic Final was a very entertaining one. Shannon Kleibrink made a tricky double take-out to score four points and take an early lead. (Watch the replay on curltv!)

It is nice to see all the Calgary fans showing their support for these two top local teams!!!!!!!

Cheers,
Jody Keim
Volunteer - Line Score
Sponsorship Committee

Playoffs set at the Trail

8 of the best have qualified to play in today's money round at the Trail Appliances Curling Classic. Led by 3 Calgary teams (Bernard, Kleibrink and little old me, Rankin) the cash round will be one of the best we have seen in Calgary. In this mornings 9 am match ups we see Bernard take on the Kirkness sisters from Manitoba as she takes on Team Spencer, A battle of Saskatchewan with Anderson taking on Lawton, Lawton has local favorite Lawnie (Goodfellow) MacDonald guest starring at second. On the other side of the draw Middaugh battles Team Moore with Heather Nedohin throwing the brick and I battle Kleibrink and the chairwomen of the event Nixon and Webster. Come out for breakfast and take in some great games. Game times today are at 9, noon and 3:30.

Happy Birthday to CurlTV's voice Mr Luke Coley, he is one of the best and we all love this young man, what a gem. Also congrats to Team Middaugh for skinning Team Bernard in the Curlers Corner Skins Game yesterday in the battle of A qualifiers. Cheryl opened with the first $50 skin and then she got shut out for the rest of the day as she watched Middaugh take home the rest of the 950. Great hospitality Cheryl.

Finally on this Thanksgiving a few things I am grateful for: my draw weight, the ice team at the Calgary Club, our parents who haven't moved from the chairs at the club all weekend, the hard work of Amy Nixon and Bronwen Webster our chairwomen, our event sponsors Trail Appliances, Metro Ford, Capital Printing & Forms, Curlers Corner and Country 105, my mother in law for making great turkey, Team China for their great spirit, Team Russia for their passion and enthusiasm, young teams Gregor and Strath for looking after the future of our game, Team Anderson just because, all the volunteers who are unseen and doing a great job, the universe for ensuring that Heather Moulding our 2nd has a healthy baby girl, and for the opportunity to play the best game on earth for money on this great day in front of our friends, family and the best fans on earth.

Happy Thanksgiving and tell us what you are thankful for.
Enthusiastically
Rankin

Bernard and Middaugh in, B Finals at 5:30 tonight

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone:
The best of Canada's women are spending turkey day at the Calgary Curling Club. The club has put on a fantastic turkey dinner for the players if they can find time between games.

Team Bernard took on Russia and won in the A final winning the bye to the quarterfinals on Monday. In other A action Team Middaugh battled Anderson in a war of great skipping and two of the best playing touch on a great surface. Congrats ladies. Bernard and Middaugh will square off in the Curlers Corner Skins Game at 12:30 for some extra cash. Thanks to Bernice Merrick for the great ongoing support of women's curling by offering up the money for this game.

The B Finals are set for 5:30 tonight with the C Finals following at 9 pm to decide who will round out the quarters on Monday. Team Lawton the fiery young Saskatchewan squad and reigning Canada Cup champions takes on my squad Calgary foursome(Rankin) in one final, while Team Kleibrink the reigning Alberta champs take on Anderson's machine from Saskatchewan. There is great action taking place all day with Team Holland, Team King, Team Japan and young stars Kaileigh Strath still alive in C. Also still in C are the World Champions Team Jennifer Jones.

On this Thanksgiving I have to give some gratitude for the work the volunteers are doing at the Club. I also am so grateful for the opportunity and fun of playing in this event. I had the honor of playing against two of Canada's greatest teams this weekend in Kleibrink and Jones. I tell ya these two teams are a fabulous bunch of ladies, fun to play, amazing strategy, unwavering team dynamic and the best sweeping I have seen in 30 years. I am grateful for the opportunity to play this great game against such champions. You represent the sport well ladies so thank you all.

There is lots of great curling so come take in the action and have a family turkey dinner at the Calgary Club.
Enthusiastically
Rankin

A Finals set for 5:30 Saturday at the Calgary Club

The Trail Appliances is off to a resounding success, thanks to the hard work of the greatest committee on earth. The Calgary Club on Memorial is hosting the best 32 women's teams in the world and the last 4 teams standing without any losses are ready to playoff at 5:30 pm tonight (Saturday) to determine what two teams get the bye into Monday's big money round. In one A final Team Russia, Luidmila Privivkova takes on local favorite and one of Canada's best Cheryl Bernard. In the other A final, one of Canada's classiest teams, Team Middaugh from Ontario take on the experience and touch of the green machine from Saskatchewan in Sherry Anderson. What a great battle of Canada's top national teams against the young force from Russia. Come on down to the club have a beverage and watch these women battle for the cash and a chance to play on Monday.

Trail Appliances once again proves to be the best sponsor in women's curling with their tremendous financial and personal support of the event. Check out the silent auction and get down to the club to make bids on the great products provided by Trail.

That is all for now, after getting thumped on by the Russian train, this skipper is off for a nap to get ready for the 8:30 draw tonight as we battle the best of the rest in B.

Enthusiastically
Rankin

One Week to Go

Hello Curling Fans:
We are within one week of the 2008 Trail Appliances Curling Classic. The committee has everyone lined up and ready to go and we are awaiting the teams to arrive to start the show.

We will be blogging all weekend and scores will be updated courtesy of the WCT in a special custom page found under our scoreboard on the bnavigation menu on our web site. http://www.trailappliancescurling.com

It will be a great show with the best curlers in the world vying for the first slam of the year. Come out and watch at the Calgary Club or watch here on the web.
Enthusiastically
Heather Rankin

Saunders and Nixon new co-chairs

Amy Nixon and Bronwen Saunders have taken over the reigns of the newly branded Trail Appliances Curling Classic. Following the lead of a very strong Calgary women's curling community these two leaders for the next generation of Canadian curlers have stepped in this year to co-chair the event. Formerly known as the Autumn Gold this event has a decorated past running successfullty as the best women's curling event in Canada every Thanksgiving for 30 years.

Last year's chairwoman, Bernice Merrick is backing up the team as honarary chairwoman along with strong volunteers from the past and new volunteers from the Women's Curling Tour. This complement of strengths and experience is building a strong future for this event in the Calgary community. With an extensive curling schedule as part of Team Kleibrink (2008 Canadian Finalists), Amy and Bronwen have made coordinating this event a priority. Please join me in commending these young ladies for jumping onboard and making sure that the history of the Autumn Gold is honored and the tradition will continue in the future.

Kudos Ladies
Enthusiastically

Heather Rankin
Webmaster