Richardson, Ernie (1931–)

Ernie Richardson (left) was the first to skip four Brier champions. Ernie, his brother Sam and cousin Arnold (second and third from right) won the 1959, 1960, 1962 and 1963 Canadian and world titles. Another cousin, Wes (far right), played lead for the first three of those years and was replaced by Mel Perry in 1963.

Turner Curling Museum

Born in Stoughton, Saskatchewan on August 4, 1931, Ernie Richardson skipped one of the best-known rinks in Canadian curling history. The Richardson rink included Ernie, his brother Garnet (Sam), and cousins Arnold and Wes Richardson. Mel Perry replaced Wes Richardson beginning in the 1963 season. Known for their aggressive, take-out style of play, the Richardson rink dominated provincial, national, and international events between 1959 and 1963. They won five Saskatchewan Men’s curling titles (1959–60, 1962–64) and competed in five Canadian championships. In 1959, they became the youngest team to win the Brier. The team repeated as Canadian champions in 1960, 1962, and 1963, becoming the only rink in Canadian curling history to have won four national championships. The Richardson team also won four Scotch Cup world championships in the same years as their Brier wins. The Richardson rink was inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame in 1973. Ernie Richardson received the Order of Canada in 1978.

Daria Coneghan, Holden Stoffel