World Financial Group

A little more than two weeks have passed since the World Financial Group-sponsored Ferbey 4 took second place at the Casino Rama Skins Game without fourth thrower David Nedohin. Last weekend, however, David returned with his team as they competed at the BDO Canadian Open, another match in the “Grand Slam of Curling”.  Unfortunately, team skip Randy Ferbey had to sit out this tournament with a knee injury, so Paul Fleming of Halifax, NS, threw third for our curling rink as David took over the skipper role for the Open. 

On the first day of competition, Fri., Jan. 22, our “Kings of Canadian Curling” faced three teams.  First was the fellow Edmonton rink of Kevin Koe.  The Ferbey 4 had the hammer and used it to throw to a 7-3 victory in seven ends, and it was Paul Flemming who had the best accuracy during the match with 90%. 

Immediately after this win, our team took on Jason Gunnlaugson of Beausejour, MB.  And the guys in the WFG curling shirts used the hammer to score four rocks in the first end and won the second match 7-4 in seven ends.  Scott Pfeifer led all shooting with 92% accuracy.

The Ferbey 4’s third opponent was the rink of Thomas Ulsrud of Oslo, Norway.  While our rink had the hammer, Ulsrud’s rink ended victorious in eight ends by a 6-4 score.  But lead thrower Marcel Rocque, of the Ferbey 4, had the best accuracy among both teams with 84%.

The next day’s Round Robin started opposite the Edmonton rink of Ted Appelman.  Ted had the hammer and used it to win 10-7, but the Ferbey 4 did take the match to extra ends thanks to Marcel’s 91% throwing accuracy.  The Round Robin ended for our WFG-sponsored team with a game against Kerry Burtnyk from Winnipeg, in which David led the team to a 7-4 win, despite Kerry having the hammer.  Scott’s 85% accuracy was the best of this match.

The 3-2 record at the end of the Round Robin helped land the Ferbey 4 in the quarterfinals.  Their opponent was Thomas Ulsrud and although our guys gave the Oslo rink a run for its money, Ulsrud had the hammer and used it to win 6-5 in eight ends.  However, this match boasted another top accuracy rating from Scott with 89%.

Although our team lost the BDO, they are still in a good place to take the “Grand Slam of Curling”.  David tells us that “we are number two right now [in the “Grand Slam” standings] going into the final event, the Player’s Championship, in April.”  David also tells us that the Ferbey 4 is in a very good position and they are certainly in the running to win the title outright.  The next tournament our WFG-sponsored rink looks to win is the Alberta Provincial Championship being held February 3-7.  Keep reading here for all the latest on our favorite curling team!  

The World Financial Group-sponsored curling rink, the Ferbey 4, participated in The Swiss Chalet National tournament this past weekend in Guleph, ON.  Randy, David, Scott and Marcel were more than ready to throw rocks in this tournament, considered a part of the “Grand Slam of Curling”, after the Roar of the Rings.

Their first opponent was Sean Geall’s rink out of New Westminster, BC.  Although Sean had the hammer, the Ferbey 4 only needed six ends to take this match 8-3.  Later that day, our guys in the WFG curling shirts took on Kerry Burtnyk’s rink from Winnipeg.  Kerry had the hammer and used it to slide to a 9-3 win over the Ferbey rink.

This wasn’t the end for our team, however.  The next day, the Ferbey 4 faced David Murdoch from Scotland.  Randy, David, Scott and Marcel had the hammer and used it to win by a score of 7-2 in five ends.  On a roll, our rink later that day faced Jason Gunnlaugson’s rink from Beausejour, MB.  Once again, the Ferbey team had the hammer and only needed six ends to win 6-1.

In their last match of the Round Robin, our WFG-sponsored curling rink faced Brad Gushue from St. John’s, Newfoundland.  This match needed all eight ends, but Randy and the guys eked out a 6-5 win which landed them in the quarterfinals.

Their quarterfinal opponent was Wayne Middaugh out of Toronto.  Wayne’s rink had the hammer, but the Ferbey 4 only needed seven ends to win 7-5.  In this match, David scored the best accuracy with 83% among both teams.

The semifinals featured the fellow Edmonton rink of Kevin Koe as the Ferbey 4’s opponent.  In a back and forth affair, Randy led his rink to a 7-5 victory despite Kevin having the hammer.  David and Marcel tied for best accuracy with an impressive 96%!

This led to a final match, broadcast on CBC, opposite their former opponent Brad Gushue.  The match was very evenly based, with Randy holding the hammer.  However, Brad’s rink scored two rocks in the eighth end to win The National by a score of 6-4.  Among the Ferbey 4, Marcel had the best accuracy with 88%.

Take heart, Ferbey fans, as the World Financial Group-sponsored “Kings of Canadian Curling” will play the Casino Rama Skins Game.  Last year, the Ferbey 4 won this match outright and they hope to repeat as champions.  Look for more coverage of our favorite curling rink right here at wfgsports.com.

The World Financial Group-sponsored Ferbey 4 entered the last day of the round robin of the 2009 Roar of the Rings with a 3-2 record.  Randy, David, Scott and Marcel had two opponents left to determine who would go to the semi-finals to represent Canada for Olympic Gold. 

Their first match of the day was opposite the Coldwater, ON rink of Glenn Howard, who had yet to be defeated during the tournament.  Randy and his team had the hammer and used it early to take a 2-0 lead.  The match went back and forth until the eighth end, when Mr. Howard scored two rocks to force extra ends.  This proved beneficial to Howard’s rink as they emerged victorious with a score of 8-6.  Among the Ferbeys, Marcel had the best shooting with 95% accuracy.

The loss meant the guys with the WFG curling shirts would have to win against the fellow Edmonton rink of Kevin Koe, who had the hammer.  Koe used it to slide to a four rock score after the second end and did not look back to take the match 9-4.  Unfortunately, this defeat meant the Ferbey rink was knocked out of the tournament.

But take heart, Ferbey fans, as we’ll be seeing the boys at the National Grand Slam in Guleph, ON January 6-10 with coverage on CBC.  Good luck to our “Kings of Canadian Curling”.

The World Financial Group-sponsored Ferbey 4 are on a tear (or is that a roar?) at the 2009 “Roar of the Rings” in their hometown of Edmonton, AB.  A 3-1 record currently has our guys in a three way tie for second place among two other Edmonton rinks.  How would day four fare for our “Kings of Canadian Curling”?

The only match this day for Randy, David, Scott and Marcel was the fellow Edmonton rink Kevin Martin.  The first end resulted in a no-starter for either team.  But Martin’s rink, which had the hammer, jumped to a 3-0 lead in the second end and never looked back.  Our guys in the WFG curling shirts put up a good fight, but ended up losing 9-5.  Marcel was the best shooter among both teams at 97% accuracy. 

The last day of the round robin portion of the Roar has the tied for third Ferbey 4 starting the morning opposite current first place holder Glenn Howard out of Coldwater, ON.  Later in the afternoon, Randy and the guys take on the fellow Edmonton rink of Kevin Koe.  Should tie-breakers need to be played, they will begin in the evening.  Let’s keep cheering on our team to Olympic Gold! 

The World Financial Group-sponsored Ferbey 4, the “Kings of Canadian Curling”, entered the third day of the 2009 Roar of the Rings with a 1-1 record.  With two matches on day three, how would the rocks slide?

Up first for Randy, David, Scott and Marcel was Pat Simmons’s rink out of Moose Jaw, SK.  The Ferbey 4 had the hammer and used it early to win 9-4 in nine ends.  Our men in the WFG curling shirts had two 3-rock ends in the match and Marcel threw an accuracy rating of 94%.

Later that afternoon, our curling rink took on the rink of Jason Gunnlaugson from Beausejour, MB.  Jason’s rink had the hammer and used it to jump out to a 3-0 lead after two ends.  The Ferbey 4, however, kept the match close until the ninth end, when they scored five rocks to take the match 9-4!  Our rink averaged 88% shooting accuracy.

Currently, our WFG-sponsored curling rink is in a three way tie for second place with a 3-1 record.  Today, our team faces fellow Edmonton rink Kevin Martin at 1 PM MT.  Take the house, guys!

The World Financial Group-sponsored Ferbey 4 faced Jeff Stoughton’s rink out of Winnipeg on day two of the “Roar of the Rings”.  Would the rocks be good for Randy, David, Scott and Marcel after a great first day?

Stoughton’s rink had the hammer and used it early to slide to a 2 rock score in the first end.  However, the men in the WFG curling shirts kept it close until the fifth end, when Stoughton scored three rocks and never looked back.  The Ferbey 4, who threw for 81% accuracy, lost this match by a score of 9-5. 

But our team is still in the Roar.  Up next for Randy and the team is the rink of Pat Simmons from Saskatchewan and then the Ferbey 4 slide opposite Jason Gunnlaugson’s rink out of Manitoba.  Let’s cheer on the Ferbey 4 as they look to take on the “house” and Olympic gold! 

The Roar of the Rings, Canada’s Olympic Trials in Curling, got off to a “rocking” start (apologies for the bad pun) for the World Financial Group-sponsored Ferbey 4.  Randy Ferbey, David Nedohin, Scott Pfeifer and Marcel Rocque began their play late on Sunday opposite Wayne Middaugh’s rink out of Victoria, BC.

The World Financial Group-sponsored Ferbey 4 visited Clermont, Quebec as participants in the 2009 Challenge Casino de Charlevoix over the weekend.  This match would be the last for Randy Ferbey, Scott Pfeifer, Dave Nedohin and Marcel Rocque before taking part in the “Roar of the Rings” – the tournament that will determine what team will represent Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics.  Hopefully, this tournament would be a forbearer for things to come.

Their first match of the Challenge was Thursday opposite the rink of Pierre Charette from Etchemin, PQ.  Randy and the team had the hammer and used it to win 7-2 in seven ends.  Later in the day, their opponent was Greg Richardson’s rink from Ottawa, and, once again, the Ferbey 4 had the hammer and won in seven ends with a score of 6-3. 

Friday morning saw an early start for the four guys in the WFG curling shirts who were up against Martin Ferland from Quebec City.  Martin had the hammer, but the Ferbey 4 still won 5-3 in seven ends to qualify for the quarter finals without having to play any further games that day.

For their quarterfinal match on Saturday afternoon, Randy, Scott, Dave and Marcel faced off opposite the Quebec rink of Serge Reid and took the game to a win in six ends with a 5-3 score.  Sunday morning saw our “Kings of Canadian Curling” play opposite Pierre Charette again in the semifinals.  This match did not last long as the Ferbey 4 only needed five ends to take this one 7-2.

The final match on Sunday afternoon saw the WFG-sponsored Ferbey 4 up against Jean-Michel Menard out of Gatineau, PQ.  Although Jean-Michel’s team had the hammer, it did not matter as the Ferbey team took this match, and the championship, by a score of 6-1 in seven ends.

Now, Randy, David, Scott and Marcel are preparing to roar through the “Roar of the Rings”, which starts at the Rexall Centre in their home town of Edmonton on Sunday, Dec. 6.  Look for television coverage on TSN in Canada.  May the hammer be with the Ferbey 4 as they look to represent Canada in February.  Best of luck from all of us at World Financial Group!

O Give Me a Home, Where the Buffalo Roam, Where the Deer and Antelope Play… Curling!

Could the animals of the prairie actually play curling? The buffalo could slide rocks with their heads and the antelope hold their brooms with their teeth… okay, probably not. But Wainwright, AB held its annual Roaming Buffalo Classic last weekend. And among the teams seeking a “house” were the Ferbey 4, the World Financial Group-sponsored “Kings of Canadian Curling”.

Fri., Nov. 20 saw Randy Ferbey, Scott Pfeifer, David Nedohin and Marcel Rocque start with a game opposite the rink of John Regnier from Alberta. Randy and the guys threw three rocks in the first end and only needed five more ends to win 8-3.

The next morning, our men in the WFG curling shirts faced off against the fellow Edmonton rink of Colin Tanton. The Ferbeys had the hammer and needed it to win this game 6-3 in eight ends. The score does not really reflect how close this game was. Later on Saturday, our guys took on Warren Hassall out of Lloydminster, SK. And thanks to four two-rock ends in the match, Randy and the guys won this match 8-3 in six ends. With that win, the Ferbey 4 became the second team to make it to the quarterfinals and earned a Sunday off.

Their draw for that match with Warren Cross’s rink out of the Ferbeys home town of Edmonton. And, unfortunately, Randy and the guys were on the losing end of this one. But the match did go to eight ends in the 5-4 loss.

In two weeks, things in the curling world get really interesting. The Roar of the Rings, the Canadian Olympic Curling Trials, starts on Dec. 6 in the Rexall Centre in Edmonton, the Ferbeys hometown. We at World Financial Group are excited to see the Ferbey 4 play for the chance to represent Canada on the largest world stage there is for sports.

The World Financial Group-sponsored Ferbey 4 participated in the Red Deer (AB) Classic over the past weekend.  The curling team of Randy Ferbey, David Nedohin, Scott Pfeifer and Marcel Rocque continued their warm up for the Canadian “Roar of the Rings” in this triple knockout tournament. 

The curling action for the foursome started Friday evening opposite the rink of Jamie Koe of Yellowknife, NT.  The Ferbeys had the hammer and used it to slide to a sound 8-0 win in five ends.   

On Saturday afternoon, the men in the WFG curling shirts faced off opposite Calgary’s Dean Ross and his rink.  Dean’s team had the hammer, but the Ferbey 4 only needed seven ends to win 5-3.  Their next draw later that day, opposite Brad Heidt of Kindersley, SK, unfortunately resulted in an 8-3 loss for the Ferbeys in seven ends. 

Thankfully, it was only one loss and it did not result in elimination, which meant the Ferbey 4 had to wake up early on Sunday to take on Brent Bawel’s rink out of Calgary.  While Brent had the hammer, Randy and the guys were able to win 8-2 in seven ends.  Later on Sunday afternoon, our WFG curling team faced off against Dean Ross for a second time which, according to David, is “unusual [in a triple knockout tournament]”.  Only five ends were needed to for Randy and the team to win 7-2, placing the WFG-sponsored Ferbey 4 in the quarterfinals. 

Monday morning saw a 9 AM start for Randy, David, Scott and Marcel.  Their first opponent was opposite Claudio Pescia’s rink from St. Galler, Switzerland.  The Ferbey 4 had the hammer and used it slide to a 6-0 win in four ends.  Later in the day, the WFG-sponsored curling team took on Tyrel Griffith from Kelowna, BC in the semi-finals, and this time our guys only needed three ends to win 10-0! 

This win put the Ferbey 4 into the finals opposite Red Deer’s own Rob Armitage, whose rink also scored 10 rocks in their semi-final match.  And in an exciting final, the Ferbeys had the hammer and used it to slide to an 8-3 victory, with Randy and the team scoring four rocks in the fourth end -- something that doesn’t happen very often. 

The Ferbey 4 will next take “the house” at the Roaming Buffalo Classic in Wainwright, AB starting November 20.  We at World Financial Group can hear the roar, and it’s getting louder.  Keep reading here for all the latest on this dynamic curling team.