Shona Barbour

Shona Barbour (born July 4, 1979) is a Canadian curler from Inuvik, Northwest Territories. She is the lead for the Kerry Galusha rink from the Yellowknife Curling Centre in Yellowknife.[1]

Shona Barbour
Curler
Born (1979-07-04) July 4, 1979
Calgary, Alberta
Team
Curling clubYellowknife CC,
Yellowknife, NT
SkipKerry Galusha
ThirdJo-Ann Rizzo
SecondMargot Flemming
LeadShona Barbour
Career
Hearts appearances12 (2005, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)
Top CTRS ranking40th (2011–12)

Career

Juniors

Barbour made her first national debut at the 1995 Canadian Junior Curling Championships, playing second stones for Tara Hamer. The team ended up finishing round robin with a 3-8 record.[2] In 1996 Barbour returned to the juniors once more, this time throwing third stones for Kerry Koe. The team finished round robin with a 5-7 record.[3] Barbour made her final junior appearance in 1998, playing third for Koe, and again failed to make the playoffs, finishing round robin with a 2-10 record.[4]

2005–2009

It was not until 2005 that Barbour return to national stage. She made her first Scott appearance at the 2005 Scott Tournament of Hearts, as the alternate for Koe. The team finished round robin with a 4-7 record.[5]

At the 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts Barbour returned as the alternate for Kerry Galusha. The team lost their first six games and following draw nine, Galusha moved from throwing third rocks, to lead rocks. The change did not help, as the team lost three more games before winning their first. They finished round robin with a 1-10 record.[6]

In 2009 Barbour became a member of the Galusha team throwing second stones. The made history at the 2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, when they beat the defending champions Team Canada Jennifer Jones. This was the first time a team from the Northwest Territories defeated the defending champions in a Scotties tournament. It was the second time in the history of the Scotties a team from the Northwest Territories/Yukon defeated the defending champion during round robin play. The first was at the 1987 Scott Tournament of Hearts, when the Yukon's Shelly Aucoin defeated Marilyn Darte. This victory over team Canada earned the Galusha team the 2009 Sport North Team of the Year Award.[7] That year Galusha's team finished 4-7.[8]

2011–2012

In 2011 Barbour and the team once again won the 2011 Yukon/NWT Scotties Tournament of Hearts Territorial championship, finishing 5-1. She went on to represent the Yukon/Northwest Territories at the 2011 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, this time playing lead, where the team finished round robin with a 3-8 record.[9]

For the 2011–12 curling season, Galusha, Barbour, and second Wendy Miller added Sharon Cormier and Megan Cormier to the team, creating a five-person team. Barbour, Miller and M. Cormier would alternate between lead, second and fifth. Barbour played lead with Miller at second, and second with M.Cormier at lead. With this combination, the team found early success during the 2011/2012 season. During the World Curling Tour, they defeated defending Canadian champion Amber Holland, and Olympic Silver Medalist Cheryl Bernard, and for the first time qualified for the playoffs during a tour event. They advanced to the playoffs at the 2011 Boundary Ford Curling Classic, however they lost the quarterfinal to Edmonton's Tiffany Odegard. The team qualified for the 2012 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. At the 2012 event, things started off well, with Galusha winning the 2012 Ford Hot Shots, and the team starting off with a 2-1 record in the first three games. After catching the flu, which was heavily circulating amongst all teams, Galusha missed two games, one of which found second Miller sitting out with the flu. This left three players on the ice. M.Cormier threw the first three stones, Barbour threw the next three stones, and S.Cormier threw the final two skip stones. The team could not recover from Galusha's absence and would finish round robin with a 4-7 record. Although the team finished with a disappointing record, it marked a second occasion for Barbour defeating the defending champions, Team Canada (Amber Holland) during round robin, marking the fourth time in history, a team from the Territories would achieve this. They also defeated the eventual champions, Team Alberta's Heather Nedohin.

2012–2016

Barbour did not curl competitively between 2012 and 2014, though she was the alternate for the Galusha-led Northwest Territories team at the 2013 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, where she played in just one game.[10] She was back on the team playing lead in 2014. The team played in two tour events in the 2014-15 curling season, the Crestwood Ladies Fall Classic, and the 2014 Curlers Corner Autumn Gold Curling Classic Grand Slam event, where they won just one game. The team won the 2015 Northwest Territories Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the first year the territory received its own berth into the national championship. At the 2015 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the team had to play in the pre-qualifying tournament, where they lost in the final.

For the 2015-16 curling season, the team played in two tour events, the Crestwood Ladies Fall Classic and the StuSells Toronto Tankard. The team won the 2016 Northwest Territories Scotties Tournament of Hearts, but again failed to get out of the prequalifying tournament at the 2016 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

2016–present

Barbour did not curl competitively with the Galusha rink in the 2016-17 season, but was the alternate on the team at the 2017 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. There, the team did make it out of the prequalifier, but Barbour did not play in any matches. Barbour was back on the team for the 2017-18 season. The team won the 2018 Northwest Territories Scotties Tournament of Hearts and represented the NWT at the 2018 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. This time, the prequalifer was removed from the event. The team finished with a 1-6 record in pool play, and then beat PEI in the 13th place game.

The next season, the team won their first World Curling Tour event, the 2018 Royal LePage Women's Fall Classic. Later that year, they easily won the 2019 Northwest Territories Scotties Tournament of Hearts. At the 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the team started off the week strong at 3-1 before losing their next three games and failing to qualify for the Championship Pool.

The Galusha rink added experienced player Jo-Ann Rizzo the following season. In their first event of the 2019-20 season, Team Galusha went 1-3 at the Stu Sells Oakville Tankard. They followed this up with a quarterfinal finish at the 2019 AMJ Campbell Shorty Jenkins Classic. They defended their provincial title by winning the 2020 Northwest Territories Scotties Tournament of Hearts in January 2020. At the Hearts, the team would not advance to the championship round after posting a 2-5 record in pool play.

Personal life

Barbour works as a programs advisor for the NWT Housing Corporation.[11]

References
  1. "World Curling Tour". World Curling Tour. 1979-07-04. Retrieved 2012-07-09.
  2. "1995 Canadian Junior Women Curling Championship" (PDF). Canadian Curling Association.
  3. "1996 Canadian Junior Women Curling Championship" (PDF). Canadian Curling Association.
  4. "1998 Kärcher Junior Women Curling Championship" (PDF). Canadian Curling Association.
  5. "2005 Scott Tournament of Hearts" (PDF). Canadian Curling Association.
  6. "2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts" (PDF). Canadian Curling Association.
  7. "HeartChart: February 19,2011" (PDF). Canadian Curling Association.
  8. "2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts" (PDF). Canadian Curling Association.
  9. "2011 Scotties Tournament of Hearts" (PDF). Canadian Curling Association.
  10. "Shona Barbour - Curling Canada Stats Archive".
  11. 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts Mead Guide: Team Northwest Territories
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