Craig McLeod won his third golden heart at the B.C. Senior mens curling championship in Salmon Arm Feb. 26.
“That’s what every competitive curler strives for,” said McLeod, who moved to Penticton two years ago from Richmond after retiring. “Whenever you win one of those, you are feeling pretty proud of your team and yourself.”
McLeod helped Craig Lepine’s Langley/Vancouver/Penticton rink double Rob Koffski’s Kelowna rink 8-4.
Winning was no easy feat as Lepine’s rink, which went 7-0, had to face Koffski’s rink a total of three times over the course of the championship. Lepine said they were a strong team that went to the Canadian Senior Curling Championships last year and finished fourth.
“When we were up against them, we knew it was going to be a tough match,” said McLeod. “We were fortunate in the fact we got three in the first end. We managed to keep control of the game.”
McLeod went to the Canadian Senior Curling Championships with this current team in 2013 and another rink in 2009. The championship is the highest level for senior curlers.
“The games are just as tough as they were 30 years ago,” said McLeod, who moved to Penticton for the lifestyle which caters to his love for curling, golf and cross fit, as well as wine. “It’s always good to play against the top teams in Canada. The camaraderie is always a lot of fun too.”
Winning the Salmon Arm bonspiel punches their ticket to the 2017 Everest Canadian Senior Curling Championships, which take place in Fredericton, N.B. from March 18-25. McLeod said the challenge will be to stay focused and rested.
“I’m excited about it. I never lose that desire to win something like this,” said McLeod, 63, who has curled since he was 12.
Penticton’s Marilou Richter, skipped her own team in the senior womens championship, which featured players from Vancouver, Kamloops, Royal City (New Westminster) and Cloverdale. Richter’s rink went 3-4.