Yara Farmers Championship

With eighty teams, the YARA Farmers Championship is the largest curling event in Europe. First games were played today at the Dewar's Centre in Perth. Largest? Doesn't really matter - those who take part in this event (which reaches its climax on Friday) swear it is the most enjoyable!

This is the twenty-fifth year of the event, which makes it one of the longest running sponsorships and most sought after invitations on the curling calendar!

The competition has been organised faithfully by Alan Wood (Woodie to everyone) for centuries (or so it seems). Perth director David Hay, whose father Chuck was one of the instigators of the event, says of Woodie, "No review of the YARA Farmers Championship would be complete without mention of one man who has been at every event. Woodie is a great character and is loved by all competitors. He handles all the day-to-day organization of the event in a calm professional manner and has always kept the championship running smoothly."

Here he is throwing the first stone. I'll be up to see the action as soon as I get February's Scottish Curler off my desk this week! But I wonder if I'll be lucky enough to see an 8-end this year.

Alan Wood with Jenny Bain, Helen Meikle, Susan Meikle and Joyce McCluskey who scored an eight-ender last year.