To mark 60 years of operation, Club Dubbo waived the entry fee for all participants over the three days of competition as an extra incentive.

Teams came from Orange, Molong, Coonamble, Trangie, Bathurst, Gulgong, Young, Lightning Ridge, Goodooga, Canberra and Forster, as well as Dubbo clubs.

Orange Country Club marked an anniversary of their own with their 21^st year as part of the competition.

Home teams did well with West Dubbo’s Josh Andriske and Warwick Sullivan winning the men’s pair on Good Friday and Andriske teaming up with Matt Thompson and Darren Connolly to take out the men’s triples on Saturday.

Lightning Ridge’s Darren and Heidi Richards claimed one for the visitors when they took out the open medley 3-bowls pair on Sunday.

Club Dubbo’s bowls manager Anthony Brown expressed his sincere thanks to the catering, bar and greens staff, as well as the many volunteers from the men’s and ladies’ committees, who made the weekend such a huge success.

A total of 36 teams took part in Friday’s men’s pairs and eight of those teams progressed to the play-offs for a knock-out played over three ends.

Sullivan and Andriske progressed to the final against Greg McEwan and David Dalton from Dubbo City and the hosts were able to come away with the win.

They picked up a winners cheque of $1400 while McEwan and Dalton walked away with $800 as runners-up. 

The play-off for third and fourth saw Cec Leabeater and Tom Leonard edge out Darren Connolly and Matt Thompson. Fifth money went to Cooper Pike and Richard Clarke.

Twenty-two teams competed in the men’s triples event on Saturday, with first prize-money of $2100 up for grabs.

After the three rounds of play, only two teams remained undefeated. In the play-off, Thompson, Connolly and Andriske defeated the trio of Harold Baker (West Dubbo), Cooper Pike (Canberra) and Richard Clarke (Dubbo City).

Third money went to Digger Gray, Mike Williams and Ben Gray from Dubbo Railway.

Sunday was the first time the open medley 3-bowl pairs was part of the Easter carnival and 24 teams took part. After the three rounds, only three teams had achieved three wins.

The Richards’ took out the $600 first prize with three wins and plus 29 shots ahead of Dubbo Railway’s team of Greg and Mark Collin with three wins plus 11.

West Dubbo’s Bec McLellan and Tim Farrell finished just behind with three wins plus 10, in McLellan’s first game of competitive bowls. West Dubbo also finished fourth with Judy and Ted Cassidy.

Brown said the competition was strong across the weekend and he said teams had indicated they would be back next year.

“It was a highly successful weekend for the West Dubbo Men’s Bowling Club in conjunction with Club Dubbo,” Brown said.

“All the competitors had a great time, and the indication is they will all be back in 2018. Many new friends were made over the weekend.”