MacDougall wins Clydesdale Bank English Mixed Championships

Alan MacDougall and his team of Joan Reed, Chris Robinson and Claire Grimwood won the first English Mixed Curling Championships and will represent England at the inaugural European Mixed Curling Championships in Andorra next October. The Championship was also the first National Championship to be held in England, being played at Fenton’s Rink, near Tunbridge Wells, the first dedicated curling rink in England. MacDougall had to win their last round robin game to qualify for the final and took just six ends to accomplish that task. They then came up against Team Hawker, skipped by Daniel Jaeggi with Fee Hawker, Thomas Jaeggi and Louisa Penny, who had beaten them in the round robin game 11-7 having been 4-7 down after 5 ends!

The 8 end final was a tightly contested match but MacDougall stole singles at the second and third ends having been forced to take one in the first. Team Hawker blanked the fourth end, took one in the fifth and forced MacDougall to take one in the sixth. MacDougall then piled on the pressure in the seventh and lay seven shots prior to Daniel Jaeggi’s final stone. Jaeggi’s draw was a little heavy but cut MacDougall down to two shots. This left MacDougall requiring four successful takeouts in the final end to win – a mission he completed with their fifth stone.

For Joan Reed, this was the completion of a unique triple – she is a member of three National Teams – Ladies, Senior Ladies and Mixed. Claire Grimwood has won the Ladies and Mixed titles with Joan this season and for MacDougall and Robinson, this was their first, long awaited title.