CALEB NICKERSON

SHAWVILLE Jan. 11, 2020

While the weather on Saturday was sloppy, the conditions inside the Shawville Curling Club on Saturday were . . .

pristine, as the 41st annual Farmers’ Bonspiel got underway.

Ten teams were competing in the event, slightly down from last year according to organizer Eric Smith, all vying for the prestigious plough trophy.

“It’s smaller now, at one time we had more farmers,” said Smith, who’s taken on the administration of the spiel for the last decade or so. “When it started, most of the teams were farm families, but that’s evolved now.”

The event was founded originally by Phyllis and Lorne Wilson, and the former was on hand to present the trophy to the winners.

“Phyllis and her husband Lorne brought this Farmers’ Bonspiel about,” he said. “She’s the one that should get the credit for 41 years continuation of this trophy. If she hadn’t got it started, we wouldn’t be doing it.”

Last year’s winning team, with one replacement, claimed their rightful spots on the trophy for the second time. The team was made up of skip Jeff Russell, third Andrew Rowat, second Caleb Nickerson and lead Ben Judd. The winners all received a copy of Bill Smith’s new book This is Marjorie: Taking the Lion’s Share.