Persistence in fiddling paid off for Greg Henry of Sombra at Shelburne Rotary's 63rd Canadian Open Championship Old Time Fiddle contest Saturday night, as he finally captured top prize after several years appearing in the championship finals. Going back to 2010, Greg finished in 4th spot. He dropped to 6th in 2011; went back to 4th in 2012, and then emerged as the champ this year by edging out Kyle Charron of Barrie, who had been the champ in 2011. For his win, Greg received Shelburne Kinette's $1,500 plus the Laura McGaw Fiddler print that depicts Kyle Charron as a child taking fiddle lessons. Kyle, the 2011 champion, finished in 2nd place for Rotary's trophy plus $1,000. In addition to the $1,500, Greg won the Canadian Tune of Choice for a $500 cash award and Rotary trophy. He also shared the Bell Canada trophy and $300 award with Tom Fitzgerald for the duet class champion in 2010 – picked up 3rd prize of a Rotary trophy and Dufferin Windows $750 award. She also won the Invincible Vince Mountford Memorial Trophy and shared 2nd place Bell Canada trophy and $200 with sister Kerry. Julie and Kerry also won the Rev. Bruce Besley Memorial Trophy and Kinsmen $300 for Gospel, and shared the Royal Bank McIntosh trophy and $200 with their father, Paddy, for Novelty. Second place in Novelty went to their brother, Tom, who got the memorial trophy and $150. Paul Jacob Lemelin of Van Therese got a memorial trophy and $50 for 3rd place in Novelty. In Gospel, Kinsmen's $200 for 2nd place went to Philip and Eric Provencher of Oshawa, and Kinsmen's $100 for 3rd to Andrew and Diana Dawydchak of Etobicoke. The Provenchers also picked up the Bell trophy and $100 for 3rd in Duet; 4th award of $50 went to Kyle Burghout and Emily Yarascavitch. Back in the Championship class, Aynsley Porchak of Woodstock was 4th for Rotary's $500 award. Tom Fitzgerald got Rotary's $300 for 5th while sister Kerry got the $300 Gladys and Harold McGhee Memorial for 6th place. The Marion Waite award of $50 each for 7th and 8th spots went, respectively, to Paul Lemelin and Emily Yarascavitch. In the 18-and-under class, Celine Murray of Dorchester played like a champion to come away with the 1st place Ray Hardick Memorial trophy and Rotary $500. Emma March of Pembroke came 2nd for a Hardick trophy and Ostic Group's $400. Alanna Jenish of Oshawa was 3rd for a Hardick trophy and the Stan and Doris Smith $300 memorial award. The 4th place Mark and Kathy Williams and Shelburne Rotary $200 award went to Ashley Giles of St. Mary's. Shelburne Eye Care $100, Broken Boards $50 and Marion Waite $50 for 5th, 6th and 7th went, respectively, to Andrew Dawydchak of Etobicoke, Tessa Bangs of Ottawa, and Philip Provencher of Oshawa. Only three prizes were awarded in the 19-55 age category. In order of finish, Cassandra Swan of St. Catharines got the Shelburne Rotary trophy and $300 cash; Jeremy Audette of Gravenhurst won the Rotary trophy and Holmes Agro $200; and Jonathan Kofman of Waterloo got the Rotary trophy and award of $100. The five winners in the Age 10-12 category were: 1. Duncan McDougall of Uxbridge (Grant Bell Memorial trophy and Lions $300); 2. Adele Leahy of Lakefield (Elmer Campbell Memorial plaque and Rotary $200); 3. Charlotte Van Barr of Kinburn (Rotary trophy and Morrison Memorial $100 award); 4. Joelle Crigger of Toronto (Bill and Marg Dougherty trophy and $50 award); 5. Xavier Leahy of Orangeville ($50 Marion Waite award). Xavier also got Shelburne Primary Eye Care's $100 as Best Fiddler from Dufferin County. In the Age 9 and Under class, all competitors received a Ward Allen Memorial and Rotary award of $25. The top three finishers all received a Royal Canadian Legion Branch 220 trophy and award. Top award of $150 went to Mary Frances Leahy of Douro; 2nd award of $100 to Gregory Leahy of Lakefield; and 3rd of $75 to Lucas Candelino of Barrie. The 4th and 5th place Harold Morby Memorial awards of $50 each went to Angus Leahy of Lakefield and Michael Leahy of Douro. Bailey Lemelin of Van Therese received the Fred McDougall memorial plaque as youngest competitor at Age 4. In the 56 and older class, Gerry Smith of Exeter won the McDowell Memorial trophy and Crewson Insurance $300 award. Second prize of Bob & Evelyn Hicks trophy and Caravaggio Pharmacy $200 award went to Webb Acheson of Bancroft. Bruce Armitage of Guyon, PQ, captured third place and Bristol and Ivy Barber Memorial trophy and Rotary $100. Real Levesque of Burlington got Rotary's $75 award for 4th spot, and Bob Arbuckle of Newmarket got a Marion Waite $50 award for 5th place. The oldest contestant was Leon Stachnyk, 83, of Guelph. His prize was the Albert Mews Memorial trophy. By Wes Keller
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- FINALLY THE CHAMP: Greg Henry of Sombra, right, receives the Town of Shelburne Laura McGaw Fiddler print from Shelburne Deputy Mayor Ken Bennington as the 63rd Open Old Time Fiddle Champion. Greg had appeared for several years in the Championship finals prior to this years win. In addition to the portrait, he received Kinette’s $1,500. Kyle Charron of Barrie came second, and Julie Fitzgerald of Bancroft third.
