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Two Yukon teams are competing in the Everest Canadian Seniors Curling Championships in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario this week.

The Seniors runs from Dec. 6 to Dec. 11. The event features players 50 and older. The Yukon is sending a ladies' and mens' team to the event.

The ladies' team is skipped by Rhonda Horte. The third is Helen Strong, the second is Laura Wilson, and Corinne Delaire is throwing lead rocks.

The men are skipped by Terry Miller, fresh off playing in the Canadian Mixed Championships. Miller is joined by third Herb Balsam, second Doug Hamilton, and lead Don McPhee.

The Star sat down with the two skips prior to their games Thursday evening before they headed out to Sault St. Marie, Ontario.

How are they feeling before heading to the games?

鈥淕ood,鈥� stated Horte. 鈥淥ur ladies鈥� team, we鈥檝e been doing lots of practices the last few months, so just kind of getting 鈥� honing in, so we鈥檒l do the best that we can with the tools that we have. Looking forward to it.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檙e looking forward to representing the Yukon there and the boys were out throwin鈥� rocks while I was in Mixed (Championships),鈥� said Miller. 鈥淲e have one gentleman, our second (Doug Hamilton), he鈥檚 suffering a little bit from a knee injury, so he鈥檚 had to change his slide a bit, so he鈥檚 gonna go out there and do the best he can and hopefully we come out on top.

鈥淚nstead of playing a high-weight hit, he鈥檒l have to adjust the broom for a lower weight. We鈥檒l work around it.鈥�

The competition this year is looking strong.

For the ladies, 鈥渢here鈥檚 14 teams and they鈥檙e broken down into two pools,鈥� explained Horte. 鈥淚n our pool we have Cheryl Bernard, from Alberta, who鈥檚 a silver medalist Olympian, and then we have Sherry Middaugh, whose had a lot of success as well, out of Ontario, so there will be some good competition, but ... we鈥檒l just go out there, do the best we can, like Terry said, represent Yukon as best we can and see what happens.鈥�

Miller added, 鈥渋n our pool, we have the two latest senior champions ... we鈥檝e played both the teams before and had very good games against them ... there鈥檚 definitely a lot of stiff competition, with a lot of Canadian and world champions throughout the whole event. There鈥檚 no easy games. You鈥檝e gotta go out there and play your best every game.鈥�

The teams play six games in the preliminary round. If they make the championship round, they play four more games.

鈥淲e expect to curl well,鈥� stated Horte. 鈥淎s far as outcomes, we鈥檙e not really focused on those. We鈥檇 like to beat our previous record when we were there two years ago.

鈥淥ut of the pools, we had three wins, but if we would have had one more, we could have been in the championship round.鈥�

鈥淔or us, it鈥檚 obviously one game at a time, but the first goal is to make the championship round, and go from there,鈥� explained Miller.

鈥淭he last time we lost out on a measurement to make the championship round, so we鈥檙e close. It鈥檚 just one or two shots away each game. That鈥檚 all it is. It can go either way ... you always look back, there鈥檚 one or two shots. If they went the other way, the game could be completely different. It鈥檚 just a matter of being consistent out there and making the right shot at the right time.鈥�

Horte and Miller explained how they will be able to compete against strong competition.

鈥淛ust keeping the score close, and then, like Terry said, make the right shots at the right time. That鈥檚 really what it鈥檚 all about. Just making them 鈥� trying to keep the game simple and make them make tougher shots,鈥� related Horte.

鈥淏ecause we don鈥檛 get as many competitive games as a lot of teams do, it鈥檚 just a matter of limiting the mental mistakes. Everybody鈥檚 human, everybody鈥檚 gonna make mistakes, eliminating the mental mistakes is key,鈥� said Miller.

鈥淲hether a rock needs to be in front of the T-line, putting it behind the T-line and giving the other the team the out is definitely key to winning a lot of games. You can miss shots; you miss 鈥榚m the right way, you鈥檙e ok; you miss 鈥榚m the wrong way, that鈥檚 what kills you,鈥� added Miller.

鈥淲e鈥檝e all played enough 鈥� we don鈥檛 want to miss a shot, but there鈥檚 a right way to miss a shot and there鈥檚 a wrong way to miss a shot.鈥�

When asked if there鈥檚 any particular strategy that they use, Horte joked, 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to give away our secrets.鈥�

Miller responded, 鈥淵ou keep it as simple as possible, I think. If you need to be aggressive, we can be aggressive 鈥� we can play both styles of game, it just depends on the team you鈥檙e playing against, and the ice conditions. If it鈥檚 curling lots, you can be more aggressive, because there are a lot more shots that are available to make. If it鈥檚 very straight, you鈥檙e playing a lot of bumps and runbacks. A lot of it depends on the ice conditions.鈥�

Both agreed that the style of play can also depend on the score. If you鈥檙e ahead, you can play more conservatively, but if you鈥檙e behind, you have to take more chances. But, according to Miller, there are many factors involved.

鈥淭alking to the Northern Ontario team that was at the Mixed, they actually play in that club (in Sault Ste. Marie), and they told us it鈥檚 鈥� they explained what the ice is like there and it sounds like it鈥檚 very close to being the same as what we鈥檙e used to here: three and a half, four feet of curl, fairly quick and 鈥� which most clubs are. Some clubs are a lot straighter than others. Depends on the rocks and the ice surface.鈥�

It sounds like conditions Horte and Miller are used to.

鈥淭hat鈥檇 be perfect,鈥� exclaimed Miller.

鈥淥ur teams have quite a bit of experience so ... it depends on when we get there, what the ice condition and the rocks are doing, we will be able to adapt quicker than the opposition,鈥� said Horte.

Miller recalled 鈥渨e were at the Mixed. We were throwing practice rocks and it鈥檚 curling 10 feet. It鈥檚 like we鈥檙e wasting our time throwing practice rocks ... it did calm down. Because what they do normally before a big competition is they sharpen the rocks, which means they curl a bit more. So they鈥檒l obviously be doing that again. It calms down so it鈥檚 not curling 10 or 12 feet. If it鈥檚 curling six feet, we can work it all out.鈥�

The skips are no stranger to the seniors. Horte will be playing in her second Seniors. It was canceled in 2020 due to COVID.

Both Miller and Horte鈥檚 teams won the 2020 play downs, so would have represented the Yukon in 2020 had they been given the opportunity.

Miller says he will be throwin鈥� them in his fourth or fifth Seniors. He鈥檚 been in the event the last four years, not counting 2020.

Speaking of COVID, some social events at the Seniors have been cancelled, but it looks like the curling will be going ahead.

As for how they feel about representing the Yukon, 鈥渨e鈥檙e honoured to be able to do it, so we鈥檙e just really looking forward to it,鈥� said Horte.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a privilege every time to be able to put on the Yukon jacket, for sure,鈥� agreed Miller. 鈥淐oming from B.C., I tried for many many years 鈥� went once to a national. Coming up here, I appreciate it that we鈥檙e able to go, and it鈥檚 just a dream come true to be able to go to events like this. Not only for the curling, but to meet the people and see old friends from the years gone by where you played competitive, cash-spiels and whatnot.

鈥淚鈥檓 riding high every time I get on that plane. I try to keep myself calm and when I get on that plane is, like, when the adrenalin starts flowing.鈥�

Update: Team Horte (1-0) got off to a good start by beating Team New Brunswick (Comeau) 7-4 in a very early morning game that started at 6:30 am Eastern time. The Horte rink scored two in the second and three in the fourth to take a commanding 5-1 lead. They added two more in the sixth following a New Brunswick single in the fifth to extend their lead to 7-2. The Comeau rink scored two more in the seventh end to make the final score 7-4 in seven ends.

Team Miller (0-1), meanwhile, fell 7-4 to Team Alberta (White). Team Yukon was leading 4-3 going into the seventh end, but gave up three and the lead in the seventh. Team White added a single in the eighth to round out the scoring. Miller's rink has a chance to bounce back this afternoon against Team Nunavut (Mackey) at 2 p.m. Eastern time.