The Foothills Triple Crown may go through some revision after becoming a victim of its own success.
The Triple Crown consists of teams competing in the Black Diamond, High River and Okotoks bonspiels in order to foster cross-promotion among the three clubs — that is to get more teams at their respective bonspiels.
Points are earned for each victory at the three bonspiels, which has Triple Crown competitors competing with those who are just participating in the local bonspiel.
However, the high quality of the teams in the Triple Crown, some of which have curled at the provincial level, have made some curlers think the three local bonspiels have become more difficult than a triple-knockout.
“It worked for a few years, but then we saw a drop at some of the local bonspiels,” said Gord Rhodes of the Oilfields Curling Club and an organizer of the Triple Crown. “Last year we started hearing from some local teams that they wouldn’t play because it was getting too competitive.”
This year for the first time in the Triple Crown’s six-year history there were no teams from Okotoks.
Among the 11 teams in this year’s Triple Crown three were from High River, three from Oilfields in Black Diamond, two each from Calgary and Airdrie and one from Lethbridge.
Rhodes said the most likely scenario is to continue the Triple Crown with bonspiels consisting of participating rinks competing in bonspiels in Airdrie, High River and Black Diamond, whether or not Okotoks would be included has not been decided. The Triple Crown bonspiels would have different dates than the club bonspiels, so as not to be in competition.
John Steel, manager of the Highwood Curling Club in High River, said his club initially saw an increase in numbers at its bonspiel when the Triple Crown first started in 2006-07, but numbers have dropped this year considerably.
“The Triple Crown did work for us at first,” said Steel, who curls in the Triple Crown. “Our membership keeps telling us: ‘It’s gotten too competitive’ so our club curlers aren’t entering our bonspiel.”
Steel said the Triple Crown is legitimate enough to run on its own accord.
The Triple Crown curlers have dominated the local bonspiels. A curler from the three local clubs, who was not a member of the Triple Crown, has not won the A event in the past three years.
Tom Jacks, the organizer for the Okotoks 2012 Men’s Bonspiel, said its numbers are still healthy.
Jacks said the 37 teams in the bonspiel is up from last year’s total of 34.
However, Okotoks curler Darrell Reboul said he was concerned the bonspiel has lost some of its local flavour due to the Triple Crown.
“It’s no longer a local community bonspiel,” Reboul said.
“This was always a successful bonspiel — a gathering of the guys at the end of the season.
