Children’s Korean exploits are on Perthshire farmer’s mind

Father of three GB Olympians finding it difficult to stay up at night to cheer them on in Pyeongchang

For Perthshire farmer Gordon Muirhead, the demands of his job have an unusual added problem at the moment – the time difference between Scotland and South Korea.

When the farm allows, he is keeping up with the exploits of children – Eve, Thomas and Glen – as they represent Great Britain at curling at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

“I am finding it hard to stay up all night watching and then work during the day,” said Mr Muirhead, speaking from a tractor in the middle of a field at his farm near Killiecrankie.

In one interview Eve joked that her father was so intent on watching the action on the ice that he had installed a television in the lambing shed.

“We haven’t gone that far,” said Mr Muirhead, who has tasted considerable success at curling himself.

He competed internationally, going to the Albertville 1992 Winter Olympics when curling was a demonstration sport, and winning four world championship medals – one of them gold.

His passion for the sport rubbed off on his children, with 27-year-old Eve taking up curling when she was nine years old.

She credited her father’s influence, saying in an interview from South Korea: “He still tries to give me advice.

“But I’ve really learned most of the things I know from my dad.

“He was the one who was coaching me all those years ago.”

Mr Muirhead would love to have gone out to South Korea but the demands of farming really did mean his presence at home was essential, with sheep belonging to his son Thomas due to start lambing any day now.

His wife Lin, however, is managing to head out to the Olympics on Sunday and will catch the remainder of the curling action.

Mr Muirhead has faith in the family but says the end result is in the lap of the gods.

“If they play to their potential they will do well, but it is like any sport on any given day.

“I will just have to keep my fingers crossed,” he said.

rburdge@thecourier.co.uk

“Iamfindingit hard to stay up all night watching and then work during the day. GORDON MUIRHEAD

It’s going to be a busy few days for Perthshire farmer Gordon Muirhead. The nature of his job means he is used to working long hours, but now Mr Muirhead is having to cope on even less sleep as he is glued to the winter Olympics coverage.

For the dad to no fewer than three stars of the GB curling team, the time difference between Scotland and South Korea means there is precious little time for 40 winks.

It is a truly Olympian effort.

Pictures: Kim Cessford/ PA. Top: Gordon Muirhead has not gone so far as to install a television in the lambing shed. Above: his daughter Eve credits her father for teaching her almost everything she knows about the sport.