Jenny's Rink Will Look A Little Different Next Year

From: The National Post

One of curling's most successful back-end partnerships is coming to an end.

Winnipeg's Jennifer Jones and Cathy Overton-Clapham have parted ways after six years together, a run that produced four Scotties Tournament of Hearts championships, including the past three in succession, a world title and five Grand Slam victories.

The team, rounded out by second Jill Officer and lead Dawn Askin, made the announcement official with a news release late Thursday.

"Our goal is to represent Canada at the world women's curling championship and the Olympics," said Jones in the release. "To do that, we need to take steps now to ensure we will have a complete set of skills and strengths come 2014.

"Cathy is one the top thirds in Canada and has been a huge component of the team's success. More importantly, she is passionate about the game. We have been fortunate to count her as a team member and friend. This will be an emotional time for all of us, but we will always have the benefit of what we have learned from Cathy over the years."

The move, however, came as a surprise to Overton-Clapham, who was summoned to a team meeting on Wednesday and informed by Jones that her services were no longer required.

"I had absolutely no idea. When we were talking, I wasn't really even listening because I was blown away," Overton-Clapham told the Winnipeg Free Press. "But then they sent me an e-mail later saying they were looking for someone with more energy, more excitement, more vision."

Overton-Clapham said she attended the team meeting Wednesday thinking her teammates were going to discuss the team's schedule for the upcoming season.

"I was thinking people were going to say they wanted a lighter schedule, maybe have some babies. And instead they told me I was gone... That's why I was so surprised. And now I'm wondering: How long has this been going on?"

It's expected that Jones, Officer and Askin will name a new player for Overton-Clapham soon, but according to sources, the highly speculated move of Canadian junior women's champ Rachel Homan from her home in Ottawa to take up a position on the new-look Jones team is extremely unlikely.

The move, made by the team as a whole, will take many by surprise considering the team was coming off another Canadian title and a bronze medal at the Ford world championship in Swift Current, Sask.

As well, Overton-Clapham was the all-star third at the 2010 Scotties in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., and also led all thirds in shooting percentage at both the Scotties and the world championship.

But the timing makes sense; many teams will make similar moves in the coming weeks and months in order to put together what they consider the ideal lineup to take a run at the 2013 Olympic Trials.