The 1953 Macdonald Brier, the Canadian men's national curling championship, was held from March 2 to 7, 1953 at Sudbury Arena in Sudbury, Ontario. A total of 12,500 fans attended the event.[1]
Both Team Manitoba and Team Quebec finished round robin play tied with 8-2 records, necessitating a tiebreaker playoff to determine the Brier championship. Manitoba, who was skipped by Ab Gowanlock defeated Quebec in the playoff 8–6 to capture the Brier Tankard. This was Manitoba's fourteenth Brier championship and Gowanlock's second title as a skip with his other title coming in 1938.
The 15 years between Brier championships by Gowanlock set a record for the longest gap between Brier championships by a skip, which to date is still a record. The title gap is also still a record by any player (since equaled by Steve Gould in 1996 and 2011 as a lead[a]). At 52 years of age, Gowanlock is to date the oldest Brier winning skip in history.
Event Summary
Heading into the final draw, Quebec was sitting at 8–1 with Saskatchewan still left to play. Manitoba had already completed their round robin portion with an 8–2 record, thus drawing a bye in the final draw. All Quebec needed was a victory over Saskatchewan to capture their first Brier championship while Manitoba needed a Quebec loss to force a tiebreaker to decide the Brier championship.
In the final draw, Quebec led 3-1 after four ends, but Saskatchewan would score three in the fifth end and go on to steal three more in the next two ends and eventually won 9–5 to force a tiebreaker between Manitoba and Quebec for the Brier championship.
In the tiebreaker, Quebec led Manitoba 2-1 after four ends. Manitoba then scored one in the fifth end to tie the game and steal one in the sixth and two in the seventh to take a 5–2 lead. Quebec responded with three in the eighth and a steal of one in the ninth to take a 6–5 lead. Manitoba tied the game in the tenth and took a 7–6 lead after a steal of one in the eleventh. Even though Quebec had shot rock in the last end, Manitoba would go onto steal one more and win 8–6 to capture their fourteenth Brier championship and the second for Gowanlock as skip.
Teams
The teams are listed as follows:[3]
| Alberta
|
British Columbia
|
Manitoba
|
New Brunswick
|
| The Glencoe Club, Calgary
Skip: Leonard Haw
Third: Frederick Agnew
Second: David Haggarty
Lead: Edward Miller
|
Trail CC, Trail
Skip: Reg Stone
Third: Roy Stone
Second: Douglas McGibney
Lead: Hunt McKay
|
Dauphin CC, Dauphin
Skip: Ab Gowanlock
Third: Jim Williams
Second: Art Pollon
Lead: Russ Jackman
|
Beaver CC, Moncton
Skip: Ralph Noble
Third: Horace Trites
Second: Albert Eagles
Lead: Harris Mitton
|
| Newfoundland
|
Northern Ontario
|
Nova Scotia
|
Ontario
|
| St. John's CC, St. John's
Skip: Norman Rockwell
Third: Lewis Ayre
Second: Jack Stoneman
Lead: Wilbert Howell
|
Port Arthur CC, Thunder Bay
Skip: Grant Watson
Third: Don McEwen
Second: Frank Sargent
Lead: Archibald Grant
|
Bridgewater CC, Bridgewater
Skip: Bernard Haines
Third: Ralph Simmons
Second: Pennell Richardson
Lead: Lee Rhodenizer
|
Chatham Granite Club, Chatham
Skip: Peter Gilbert
Third: Gord Gilbert
Second: Robert Gilbert
Lead: James Harrington
|
| Prince Edward Island
|
Quebec
|
Saskatchewan
|
| Charlottetown CC, Charlottetown
Skip: Frank Acorn
Third: Stewart Moore
Second: Charles Kydd
Lead: James Campbell
|
St. George CC, Westmount
Skip: Kenneth Weldon
Third: Ches McCance
Second: William Isaac
Lead: James Turney
|
Delisle CC, Delisle
Skip: James Hill
Third: John Bentley
Second: Harold Worth Jr.
Lead: Elmer MacNevin
|
Round robin standings
| Key
|
|
|
Teams to Tiebreaker Playoff
|
Round robin results
Draw 1
| Sheet A
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Newfoundland (Rockwell)
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
7
|
| Saskatchewan (Hill)
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
18
|
| Sheet C
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| New Brunswick (Noble)
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
6
|
| Alberta (Haw)
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
13
|
| Sheet E
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| British Columbia (Stone)
|
1
|
0
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
14
|
| Quebec (Weldon)
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
5
|
Draw 2
| Sheet B
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Newfoundland (Rockwell)
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
8
|
| British Columbia (Stone)
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
9
|
| Sheet C
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Prince Edward Island (Acorn)
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
1
|
10
|
| Alberta (Haw)
|
3
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
14
|
| Sheet D
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Ontario (Gilbert)
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
3
|
9
|
| Quebec (Weldon)
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
11
|
Draw 3
| Sheet A
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Ontario (Gilbert)
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
0
|
15
|
| Newfoundland (Rockwell)
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
6
|
| Sheet B
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Saskatchewan (Hill)
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
5
|
| Alberta (Haw)
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
10
|
| Sheet D
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Nova Scotia (Haines)
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
11
|
| New Brunswick (Noble)
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
7
|
Draw 4
| Sheet A
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Quebec (Weldon)
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
15
|
| Newfoundland (Rockwell)
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
| Sheet D
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Alberta (Haw)
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
11
|
| British Columbia (Stone)
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
4
|
1
|
0
|
10
|
Draw 5
| Sheet D
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Nova Scotia (Haines)
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
11
|
| Saskatchewan (Hill)
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
7
|
| Sheet E
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Ontario (Gilbert)
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
10
|
| Alberta (Haw)
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
8
|
Draw 6
| Sheet B
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Saskatchewan (Hill)
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
6
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
17
|
| New Brunswick (Noble)
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
6
|
| Sheet C
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Manitoba (Gowanlock)
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
3
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
12
|
| Ontario (Gilbert)
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
9
|
| Sheet D
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Quebec (Weldon)
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
10
|
| Alberta (Haw)
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
9
|
| Sheet E
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
13
|
Final
|
| British Columbia (Stone)
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
9
|
| Nova Scotia (Haines)
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
8
|
Draw 7
| Sheet B
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Alberta (Haw)
|
3
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
17
|
| Newfoundland (Rockwell)
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
7
|
| Sheet D
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Nova Scotia (Haines)
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
8
|
| Ontario (Gilbert)
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
5
|
| Sheet E
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Quebec (Weldon)
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
8
|
| Manitoba (Gowanlock)
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
7
|
Draw 8
| Sheet B
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Quebec (Weldon)
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
14
|
| Nova Scotia (Haines)
|
4
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
7
|
| Sheet D
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Ontario (Gilbert)
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
8
|
| New Brunswick (Noble)
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
7
|
Draw 9
| Sheet A
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Nova Scotia (Haines)
|
2
|
1
|
4
|
4
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
20
|
| Newfoundland (Rockwell)
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
2
|
8
|
| Sheet B
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Quebec (Weldon)
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
4
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
14
|
| New Brunswick (Noble)
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
6
|
| Sheet C
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Ontario (Gilbert)
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
11
|
| Prince Edward Island (Acorn)
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
1
|
7
|
Draw 10
| Sheet A
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Quebec (Weldon)
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
10
|
| Prince Edward Island (Acorn)
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
6
|
| Sheet B
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Manitoba (Gowanlock)
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
10
|
| Alberta (Haw)
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
6
|
| Sheet D
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Saskatchewan (Hill)
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
10
|
| Ontario (Gilbert)
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
4
|
9
|
| Sheet E
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| New Brunswick (Noble)
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
14
|
| Newfoundland (Rockwell)
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
9
|
Draw 11
| Sheet B
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| British Columbia (Stone)
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
14
|
| Ontario (Gilbert)
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
8
|
| Sheet C
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Saskatchewan (Hill)
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
9
|
| Quebec (Weldon)
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
5
|
| Sheet D
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Alberta (Haw)
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
4
|
0
|
15
|
| Nova Scotia (Haines)
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
7
|
Playoff
| Sheet C
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
Final
|
| Manitoba (Gowanlock)
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
8
|
| Quebec (Weldon)
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
6
|
Notes
- ^ Gould was an alternate for Jeff Stoughton's championship rink in 1999, but did not play any games during that Brier. Curling Canada excludes alternates from their records, therefore Gould also had 15 years between Brier championships instead of 12.[2]
References
External links
|
|---|
| Macdonald Brier | |
|---|
| Labatt Brier | |
|---|
| Nokia Brier | |
|---|
| Tim Hortons Brier | |
|---|
| Montana's Brier | |
|---|