... stay tuned for 2008 details!"A Cup of Durham"Durham Central Park |  |
Congratulations to Sioux and Crag who took home "A Cup of Durham" on Sunday, Sept. 30th! |
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• A wrap-up of 2007's final• See who played• 2007 Acknowledgments• More about the cup• History• Sign up for 2008 |
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Sunday, Sept. 30th in the Park... "lovely weather for croquet"
It truly was lovely weather for croquet in Durham Central Park, and a suitably dashing crowd and festive atmosphere quickly grew around a modest but classy arrangement of white chairs, covered tables (one featuring the much ballyhooed trophy prize, "A Cup of Durham"), and scrumptious food prepared and donated by Piedmont Restaurant.
Co-organizers Ellen Cassilly, Frank Konhaus, and Tom Transue with help from competitor Sioux Watson and officiator Bill Transue had everything including the course prepared well in advance of the 4:00 p.m. start time. The grass was trimmed low, raked, and set with posts, wickets, and boundary string in time for the three two-person teams to get used to a "fast" surface and slightly uneven terrain.
Bill clarified details of the printed rule set and established a couple of subtle omissions so that all competitors were clear before the start. The teams were: team 1, Jeff Burdette and Tom Transue, representing Old North Durham; team 3, Randy Pickle and Casey Herbert, representing Forest Hills; and team 5, Sioux Watson and Crag Perry, also representing Forest Hills. These three teams had won the right to compete on Sunday by defeating in play-off games: team 2, Grayson Bauer and Tammy Nuechterlein, team 4, Cris Rivera and Beth Stringfield; and team 6, Greg Palmer and Julie Curd.
One player from each team lagged from the center line to the edge with the closest ball determining choice of position. Tom won the lag and chose black and orange balls going 3rd and 6th (respectively). Team 5 chose red (2nd) and green (5th), and team 3 accepted blue (1st) and yellow (4th). During the next two hours, each player experienced tragedies and triumphs alike, and luck favored no single player above the others. M.C. John Parton provided respectful and light commentary to keep spectators updated and add an edge of drama for those who did not grasp the gravity of the situation. At the turning post, team 1 seemed to have a lead, but team 5 quickly made up ground to pass them. Team 3 got back in the game and passed team 1, but not in time to prevent team 5 from winning after more than 3 hours of play.
Twilight had passed, the food, tables, and chairs were packed away, and most spectators found their way to their cars, but second place had not yet been determined. Teams 1 and 3 sought to resolve the issue as dusk turned to night. Tom had a lot of ground to make up and it seemed hopeless, but thanks to his partner, Jeff's rover status, and a final push, Tom and Jeff pegged out on consecutive turns to take 2nd place and leave Randy's the only ball left on the course sadly inches from the post that had eluded him.
It was an "anything can happen" game until the final minutes, but Sioux Watson and Crag Perry took home "A Cup of Durham", a trophy to be engraved with their names for them to keep until next year's second annual Durham Central Park Croquet tournament, which is now open sign-up.
Who competed in the 2007 tourney?"
| Team Number/Name | Players | Neighborhood(s) represented | Final Standing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeff Burdette Tom Transue |
Old North Durham | 1st in playoff 2nd in final |
| 2 Mystery Team |
Grayson Baur Tammy "Tamerama Nectarline" Nuechterlein |
Old North Durham ?? |
3rd in playoff (not in final) |
| 3 "KICK SOME grASS" |
RW Pickle Casey Herbert |
Forest Hills | 1st in playoff 3rd in final |
| 4 | Cris Rivera Beth Stringfield |
Turnage Heights | 3rd in playoff (not in final) |
| 5 | Sioux Watson Crag Perry |
Forest Hills | 2nd in playoff 1st in tie-break "A Cup of Durham" Champions! |
| 6 "Wicked Wickets" |
Greg Palmer Julie Curd |
Forest Hills | 2nd in playoff 2nd in tie-break (not in final) |
Thanks to all that made the 2007 event possible
Organizers Ellen Cassilly, Frank Konhaus, and Tom Transue would like to thank the following for their generous support and donations to this wonderful event:
• Wonderful finger food prepared and donated by Piedmont Restaurant
• Officiating by Bill Transue
• A key component of "A Cup of Durham" (the cup) donated by Randy Pickle
• Restoration work for "A Cup of Durham" donated Jewelsmith
• Fast and friendly service in providing an engraved base for the cup by Roy Alston of:
Triangle Trophy & Tours, Inc.
2112 Angier Ave.
Durham, NC 27703
919-596-6328
• Polishing the cup by Virginia Transue
What is "A Cup of Durham?"
This popular 9-wicket game takes on a new role in the lives of Durhamites who wish to support our lovely Durham Central Park as part of an annual fund-raiser and/or want to dominate their fellow competitors and take home the glory for a year. "A Cup of Durham" was dreamed up by Central Park president, Ellen Cassilly, and croquet enthusiast, Tom Transue, during the summer of 2007.
Competitors and spectators pay a nominal fee ($15/adult in 2007) to attend a gala surrounding the final game in the tournament. Competitors must sign-up and organize early enough to arrange and complete play off games to determine which three teams will compete at the final. Teams consist of two people, and games will generally feature three teams except when a tie-breaker is needed between the two teams. Players in playoff games and the final will follow official rules established for "A Cup of Durham".
All proceeds from sales of tickets (for spectators and competitors) will benefit Durham Central Park. Even if you do not feel up to being a competitor, sign up to watch and you will not be disappointed. Of course, if you find yourself in the unfortunate position of being a competitor who does not advance to the final game, you are most welcome to attend the gala and pose as a spectator.
A History of Croquet Cups in Durham
Before discussing "A Cup of Durham", one must consider "The Durham Cup". The origins of the Durham Cup stretch back to the dawn of the millennium. In those early years, it is rumored that the Forest Hills Neighborhood was host to a croquet club with legendary skill and following. A tattered e-mail message has been recovered indicating that the president and head course mower, Randy Pickle, received a challenge from Tom Transue, who intended to lead his newly adopted neighborhood, Old North Durham, to a victory that would shake the foundation of Durham Croquet. In the years that followed, Old North Durham bided its time, keeping its strategy tightly under wraps, and waiting until skills were honed for a strike. So mysterious was the plan, that even OND resident and croquet enthusiast, Hannah Knott, had to inquire on the newly formed Old North Durham e-mail list-serve to learn anything about how Old North Durham might forge the effort.
It was not until October 1, 2005, that a brave few came forward to represent Old North Durham in an attempt to unseat the cup from Forest Hills. Leslie Frost (who took her battle experience on to the ONDNA Presidential Office), David Scheidt (who appears mild-mannered despite his competitive edge), and Tom Transue (whose father traveled for days to lend his advice) were well-prepared after months of practice and detailed study of how many of the great croquet matches throughout history were won. They mounted an heroic effort, and took an early lead, but at the turning post, home court advantage for the Forest Hills triumvirate, Joe Chambliss, Casey Herbert, Randy Pickle, proved too much. According to a Forest Hills website, this represented the first "Durham Cup" event (however, issues concerning a late start due to a Forest Hills challenger not being present and the failure of the committee to collect player fees call into question the legitimacy of this tournament and therefore the title).
Perhaps one of the most remarkable aspects of the Durham Cup is the cup itself. What is it, and what does it look like? Is the photo on the Forest Hills web-site the actual cup, or is there another? Is the name "Durham Cup" itself at issue? To avoid a costly legal embroilment, Durham Central Park as opted not to challenge Forest Hills for rights to the name, and so has initiated, "A Cup of Durham".
Whatever may be said about the Durham Cup past, present, and future, it is clear that the intrigue, mystery, and controversy is far from over. For years to come, we expect that croquet challenges for Cups in Durham will keep our neighborhoods jockeying for position and a chance to enjoy a title for a year or more. Sportsmanship and non-violent means of victory will be promoted, but espionage and under-handed tactics are tacky and will not be tolerated.
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