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Falling Leaves tournament: Great competition, greater camaraderie
The September, 2026 edition of the Toronto Cricket Club’s annual Falling Leaves croquet tournament for novices and intermediates was a spectacular success, with a wide mix of skill levels competing novices and intermediates playing for the beautiful Falling Leaves trophy.
 
This year’s champion, Mike Tevlin, from North Toronto Croquet, not only turned in a top-notch performance, he – like the other more experienced players – also was generous in his time and focus on helping a few of our newer croquet players learn the game and gain a feel for tournament play. Rookie Mary Thomas of the Cricket, playing in her first Croquet Canada-sanctioned event, spoke about the tips and help she received from Mike, not just between games but during their own match: “[he reminded me] to take my time [and offered] some set-up tips. It was done in the spirit of true sportsmanship, which is what our club [and the sport of croquet] is all about.”

Mike wasn’t unique in his generosity – all of the intermediate players seemed to have as much fun helping the newbies and novices as they did competing for the trophy. And the rookies unanimously relished the opportunity to mix it up with more experienced players in a tournament setting. As one player new to competition commented, “Of course I like competing with players the same level as me, but what better way to learn than to play against players a notch or two above.”
 
In the Championship flight, both the final and the consolation featured a player each from North Toronto and Cricket. Mike defeated Cricket’s Aldo Forgione in the final while Cricket’s Ellie Longhurst defeated last year’s Falling Leaves champion John Miles (North Toronto).
 
Taking home prizes in the first event were Nicole Tevlin (North Toronto), along with first-year player Maura McQueen (Cricket) and Martin Block (Cricket). Prize winners in the second event were three first-year players, Jackie Henry, Roger Higgin and Ron Schwartz, all from Cricket.
 
If you build it, they will come: Falling Leaves is a showcase event for the Toronto Cricket Club’s croquet activity, with several players and guests from other clubs attending the tournament. Even though the croquet at the club is played on its cricket pitch as opposed to the more standard lawn bowling-style greens, participants knew they were in for great playing conditions when, as they arrived early morning, they saw that the grounds-crew’s final preparations included a complete pass over the swards with a turf roller. Judging by the many positive comments from guests as well Cricket’s own members, Groundskeeper Chris Chappell and his crew provided ideal playing conditions, as they have done throughout the year.
 
As good as the conditions were, however, the success of Falling Leaves 2026 was reflected in the wonderful mix of newbies, novices and intermediates who blended together as one big Croquet Family for the best of reasons – to play well and have fun. It was a joy to behold!


Jim Wright
jdepwright@gmail.com
Quebec Open 2026 …  a tradition continues.
As the Labour Day haze fades and autumn begins its descent, the Canadian croquet calendar turns to one of its most predictable and polished traditions: the Quebec Open Croquet Championships. From September 10th to 13th, the verdant lawns of Montreal’s Westmount Lawn Bowling and Croquet Club played host to a weekend of high stakes and higher style.

The event is effectively a double-feature, blending the timeless elegance of the Association tournament with the fast-paced energy of Golf Croquet. The draw was truly international, pulling talent from the host club, their neighbors at Mount Royal, various Ontario clubs, and several stalwarts from across the border in the USA. For three days, the players battled under a flawless autumn sky on courts that were as fast and green as they were unforgiving.

The AC division culminated in a heavyweight clash between Brian Cumming of Elora, Ontario, and his rival, Stuart Lawrence of The Lenox Club in Massachusetts. The two are no strangers to one another, having shared a US 6-wicket doubles title in the past. The final was a nail-biting affair.  With Brian having already pegged out one of Stuart’s balls, the best 2 of 3 match swung wildly. Brian won the first game, and in a game where a single slip meant certain defeat, Stuart eventually seized control in game two with a breathtaking hit-in, and pegged out. After five hours on court Sunday morning, and wanting to get on the road home, Brian conceded the final game to Stuart.  This was Stuart’s 7th victory at the Quebec Open; a fine way to mark his birthday!

Doug Grimsley, a seasoned veteran making his Montreal debut claimed third in a match against Jim Wright of North Toronto, while the winner of the bottom of the barrel was Patrick Little of the Royal St. Catherine’s Croquet Club.
Over in the Golf Croquet arena, the competition was equally fierce. Chris Olsen and Liliana Saliba emerged victorious in a tightly contested High-Low Doubles final. 

In the singles draw, there was a rematch of last year’s final between reigning champion KS Tsang of North Toronto and Chris Olsen of the USA.  In marathon game that lasted 3 hours Chris clinched the title with a score of 10-7.
Linda Kemerer of the Westmount and Mount-Royal clubs won the second flight singles.
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Of course, the Quebec Open is as much a culinary pilgrimage as it is a sporting one. The weekend's menu was a masterclass in indulgence, ranging from casual midday feasts of pizza and sausages, Friday barbecue of filet mignon, to the savory luxury of Montreal smoked meat sandwiches. The festivities peaked at the Saturday evening banquet held at a local tennis club, where the drinks flowed generously—perhaps a bit too generously for some, as the resulting "morning-after" effects were subtly evident on the courts. The feast was a lavish spread of lamb shank, fresh salads, baked potatoes, and a zesty lemon tart that left no guest wanting.

Heartfelt thanks are due to the tournament director Andrew de Courcy-Ireland for his unwavering hospitality, and to the army of volunteers who ensured the tournament was a seamless and spirited success.​
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The beautiful Westmount clubhouse, host of the 2026 Quebec Open
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Brian Cumming playing at the Quebec Open
2026 Falling Leaves Tournament
Announcing the 2026 Falling Leaves Tournament (for move and intermediate players).
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  • The Falling Leaves Tournament is on Saturday, Sept. 26, starting at 10 am.
  • It will take place over four swards at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club, Wilson Avenue, Toronto, Ontario.
  • The registration deadline is Sept. 17 (registrations to Graeme McCarrel at gmccarrel@torontocricketclub.com).
  • The entry fee (includes lunch and the Croquet Canada $5 fee) is $85.
  • It is an open Singles event.
  • At least 25% (4 or more of the available 16) spots are open to non-Cricket Club members
  • Games will be 13-point games, and if a time limit is required, it will be either 40, 45 or 50 minutes.
  • Our courts are full-sized.
  • Cricket Club will provide all the game results of the event to the appropriate bodies in order to update official player rankings.
Alain Giraud wins again at the Aboyne Association Croquet Tournament
It was a rain soaked weekend in Elora Ontario for the annual Aboyne Association Croquet Tournament which was held on August 21st-23rd and was hosted by Brian Cumming, President of the Aboyne Club and longtime winner of this and many other tournaments in Canada and the US.

This time, he was to meet his match in British Champion Alain Giraud, living temporarily in Canada with wife Caroline, and showing us how croquet is played. For the second year, Alain won the tournament handily, defeating all competitors in the opening block and finals, remaining undefeated the entire tournament.

Runner up was Stuart Lawrence from Massachusetts. Other competitors from the US and playing in the top block were Doug Grimsley and Michael Albert. Donna Dixon and Bill Sullivan from the US competed in the 3rd block.

The Bayfield Club was well represented this year including Mike Sully who won the second block moving up to the top block for the finals. Patrick Little from St. Catherine’s won all his games in block 3 to move up in the last round.

Our thanks go to Brian for organizing the event, and partner Tammy Rutherford, who presented a wonderful feast on Saturday evening at their home.

More tournament results are available on croquetscores.com.
2026 Western Canada Open Golf Croquet Championship
​We did it!
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The inaugural Western Canada Open Golf Croquet Championship has concluded successfully, and what an outstanding achievement it has been. This event was truly a collective effort, and I extend my heartfelt thanks to all the players, volunteers, supporters, officials, and organizers who helped make it such a success.

The final day featured playoff action throughout, with both the Championship Flight and First Flight contesting their quarterfinals and semifinals during the morning.

Championship Flight
In the semifinals:
  • Adam Barr defeated Mike Tevlin.
  • Chris Percival-Smith defeated Jorn Soegaard.

First Flight
In the semifinals:
  • Gopal Gowda defeated Bruce Gillespie.
  • Pierre Dunn defeated Tim Pilon.

The First Flight Final was played first in a 13-point format. Veteran competitor Pierre Dunn prevailed over Gopal Gowda to claim the First Flight title.

Championship Final
The Grand Final featured Adam Barr of Ontario against Chris Percival-Smith of British Columbia in a 19-point contest. The match was intense, highly competitive, and filled with pressure from start to finish. In the end, Chris Percival-Smith emerged victorious with a 10–8 victory, becoming the inaugural Western Canada Open Champion.

Beyond the competition, one of the highlights of the week was the exceptional hospitality enjoyed by all participants. My sincere thanks go to the hospitality teams at Oak Bay Lawn Bowling Club and the Victoria Bowls & Croquet Club, who kept players well fed, refreshed, and energized throughout the event.

Special recognition goes to Angela Adamek, who led the catering efforts at Oak Bay, and to Kathi Moi and her team, who organized and delivered an outstanding championship dinner on Friday evening.

Friday also featured a fun and spirited One-Hoop Championship, won by Graham Garlick, adding another memorable chapter to an already remarkable week of croquet.

I would also like to thank both Oak Bay Club and Victoria Club for their partnership, hospitality, facilities, and commitment to making this inaugural championship a success. Their collaboration helped create an event experience that players from across the country will remember for years to come.

I do not mind repeating this recognition because it is so well deserved: Adam Barr's website development expertise, digital acumen, and tireless efforts were a driving force behind the planning and execution of this championship. His work became the engine behind many aspects of the event, from organization and communication to administration and delivery. Simply put, this championship would not have run as smoothly or achieved the same level of success without his extraordinary contribution.

As we close this chapter, thank you once again for your support in making this inaugural event a resounding success. Together, we have laid a strong foundation for the future of competitive croquet in Western Canada, and that future looks exceptionally bright.

I will share access to the event photo gallery in due course so everyone can relive the many memorable moments from the week.  Gloria Brown from OakBay is gratefully acknowledged for her photography at OakBay.

Congratulations to all competitors, flight winners, finalists, and especially our inaugural champions!

Complete details including final scores can be seen on:
Western Canada Open Golf Croquet
croquetscores.com

and here: 
Western Canada Open Golf Croquet
croquettools.com

A detailed report on the championship will appear in the next issue of The Mallet, Croquet Canada's national newsletter, scheduled for publication at the end of October.

Cheers,

Gopal Gowda
Tournament Director
Western Canada Open Golf Croquet Championship
Click here to view photos of this event