Mixed doubles curling took over the Northland Power Curling Centre over the Labour Day weekend.
The Battlefords Mixed Doubles Fall Curling Classic was part of the World Curling Tour. The event was held Aug. 31 to Sept 3, and is one of several included on the fall schedule in North Battleford after CurlSask made a deal to locate their high-performance training centre here.
Mixed doubles is a unique form of curling, with teams of two players — one male and one female — throwing five rocks per team per end. Teams are able to position one stone each in play before rocks are thrown.
The event attracted top teams from across Saskatchewan and western Canada to compete for a prize purse of $13,500.
Following completion of the A, B and C events, playoff match ups were finalized and those began Sunday night.
In quarter-final play, the team of Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant of Winnipeg (2017 Canadian mixed doubles champions) defeated Breanne and Kelly Knapp of Regina 9-2; Ashley Quick and Mike Armstrong of Regina beat Jolene Campbell and Trent Knapp 10-3; Kalynn Park and Charley Thomas of Calgary (2015 Canadian mixed doubles champions) fell to Laura Walker and Kirk Muyres of Edmonton (2018 worlds bronze medalists) 7-6; and Madison and Rylan Kleiter defeated another Saskatoon team, Chaelynn Kitz and Brayden Stewart (2018 Saskatchewan champions), also by a 7-6 score.
Semifinal play Monday morning saw Peterman/Gallant beat Quick/Armstrong 10-3, while Walker/Muyres defeated the Kleiters 7-6.
That set up the finals Monday afternoon, pitting Peterman and Gallant against Walker and Muyres.
The two teams traded points before Peterman/Gallant scored two in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead.
Walker and Muyres reclaimed the lead by scoring one in the fifth and two in the sixth, but Peterman/Gallant scored two in the seventh and two in the eighth to take the title, 7-5.
The next big event hosted by Twin Rivers Curling Club will be this weekend’s under-21 Big Sky Slam running Sept. 7-9, part of the Junior Slam Series.
