By the second half of the 19th century, Sudbury was holding competitions and bonspiels.  Early prizes for these competitions were the Sheppard Cup (a silver cup donated by T.H. Sheppard to be awarded to the best local team) and the Beath Medal (a gold medal donated by jeweler, Alex Beath, and awarded to the town's top curler).

Often, teams would take a train from neighbouring towns and cities to compete with each other.  During an early match in which Sudbury hosted North Bay's curling team, Sudbury lost their games to the visitors.  However, they made up for it when they visited North Bay and returned the favour.

At the end of the first curling season in April, James Orr had been fittingly awarded both the Sheppard Cup and the Beath Medal.

Early curling matches were at the mercy of the elements.  When the warm weather would come the ice rinks would melt, leaving a slushy surface on which to attempt to play.  This would spell the end of another curling season.

• Becoming a Competitor