Over the Family Day long weekend a large pool tournament was held at the River Cree Resort near Edmonton.
This tournament was the Western Canadian VNEA event that is the largest pool tournament in Canada and in the top 10 in the world. Ralph Veenhuis from Big Country Amusements who charters pool leagues in Drumheller, shares the details on the tournament. “This was the first year we were a part of it from the Drumheller charter. One hundred and twenty pool tables, 2500 participants, and we had a team that represented Drumheller.”
For years players in Drumheller were part of a different pool charter, the BCA, but now according to Veenhuis, players belong to a larger charter. “We are part of the Valley National Eight-ball Association and they have the bigger, better, and harder tournaments.”
The team from Drumheller did the unthinkable as they went to the tournament and won the Intermediate Open division. Veenhuis shares that the team did exceptional. “There are 367 teams registered and 1,200 singles and they had to stop the entries because there were too many people responding. They dominated. They started at 8 AM on Saturday morning and played until 8 PM on Monday night, 40 hours of pool, and they were undefeated.” The team won $5,000 cash, event shirts, and trophies.
What this team did helps to show that no matter where your from or play out of, you can win, confirms Veenhuis. “This shows all the other teams that didn’t participate this year, that were able to go, that even the smaller charters can take the event over and they can win it. It’s amazing what they did.”
The results surprised everyone at the tournament. The players on the team, “The Busboys”, consists of Ed McCune, Jorden Bulechowsky, Chris Bulechowsky, Rick Bulechowsky, and captain Curtis Cartwright. The Busboys play out of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #22 in Drumheller.
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