A sign Sunday in the Archie Browning Sports Centre read: “Go Victoria Go.”
Yes, but which one? It could have applied to both teams in the all-Victoria Curling Club 2024 sa国际传媒 men’s championship game as the Catlin Schneider rink defeated the Jason Montomery rink 5-2 to advance to the Montana’s Brier national championship March 1-10 in Regina. It will be the second consecutive Brier appearance for third Sterling Middleton, second Jason Ginter and lead Alex Horvath after their VCC rink defended their 2023 sa国际传媒 title from when it was skipped by Jacques Gauthier, who this season joined the Calgary rink of Olympian and two-time world-champion Kevin Koe.
“This is great. I’ve not yet processed it,” said Schneider, recruited to replace Gauthier, and who will be returning to his hometown of Regina for the Brier in sa国际传媒 colours.
The champion rink overcame a searing weekend of emotions to reach the top of the podium after lead Horvath’s mother, Dawn Williams, suffered a stroke in the rink Saturday while watching her son’s team beat Jeff Richard in the A-final and had to be rushed to hospital.
“It took a toll on me and it was hard to finish the game Saturday but I had to keep my composure,” said Horvath.
“The stroke was caused by a blood clot in the brain and there was initially no movement on the right side and some slurring of speech but my mom was coherent. We were fortunate the Esquimalt Fire Department was close by and there quickly. Seeing the progress she made overnight put my mind more at ease heading into Sunday and made it easier for me to focus on the final game. We are hoping for a full recovery. My mom and my dad are the reason I started curling. They are my biggest fans and came to the Brier last year.”
The situation, naturally, affected the entire team through the championship.
“It was a difficult day for everybody,” said Schneider, marveling at Horvath’s resolve.
Ginter threw his broom in the air and the team embraced emotionally on the ice following the final shot of the championship game.
For Montgomery, it was the third time to the sa国际传媒 championship game and third loss in the final for the veteran VCC rink of Chris Baier, Miles Craig, Troy Cowan after previous losses in the provincial final to Jim Cotter.
“It was tough to come up short again,” said Montgomery.
“But this was good for our club to have an all-VCC final with this hometown crowd giving lots of support to both teams. We’re all friends at the club.”
Schneider becomes the sixth skip to take a VCC rink to the Brier following Gauthier last year, Dean Joanisse in 2007 and 2001, Tim Horrigan in 1980 and Tony Gutoski in 1958. It will be the eighth appearance by an Island rink in the Brier, including Glen Harper of Duncan in 1960 and 1963.
Schneider’s VCC foursome will be looking to become the first rink from sa国际传媒 to win the Brier since Greg McAulay of Royal City in 2000 and the fifth Brier-winning rink from sa国际传媒 including Rick Folk’s of Kelowna in 1994, Lyall Dagg’s of Vancouver in 1964 and Frenchy D’Amour’s of Trail in 1948.
In the 2024 sa国际传媒 women’s championship game Sunday at Archie Browning, the Clancy Grandy rink from Vancouver repeated as champions. Grandy ran away early against Corryn Brown of Kamloops, leading 7-1 after three ends en route to an 11-3 victory, to qualify for the Scotties Tournament of Hearts national championship Feb. 16-25 in Calgary. The Brown rink has also qualified for the 18-team Scotties based on its standing in the Canadian Team Ranking System, out of which the top-four rinks qualify for nationals along with Team sa国际传媒 and the 13 provincial and territorial champions.
