Dumfries and Galloway curling Olympians recognised in Queen's birthday honours list

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Curling Olympians Vicky Wright and David Murdoch have been given MBEs by the Queen in her birthday honours this week.Dumfries-born Vicky and Lockerbie’s David have both become Members of the British Empire for their services to the sport.Vicky, 28, was the vice skip of Eve Muirhead’s rink which won gold at the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February.She said: “I found out at the end of April – the letter came through to my mum and dad’s house.“Fortunately I was catching up with family that weekend in Stranraer so I had the letter sitting there.

My papa and granny were there at the time.“It was unbelievable. It’s such an amazing honour and a massive surprise. You don’t expect it at all.“Getting the gold medal and everything that has come after it is just overwhelming.

It’s what you get recognised for and the hard work you’ve put into the sport that makes everything even more special.“It’s been a crazy four months.”Nurse Vicky announced her decision to retire from full-time curling last month and is due to marry fiancée Greg Drummond in the summer.She added: “It was just my mum and dad, papa and granny and Greg that knew.

It’s been really hard to not tell people.”David Murdoch, the British curling team’s head coach, helped to oversee Team GB’s gold and silver medal success in February.As a player, the 44-year-old won a silver medal in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and won two gold medals in the 2006 and 2009 World Championships and three European Championship gold medals in 2003, 2007 and 2008.On being awarded the MBE, he said: “It’s not something you ever think about, is it?“For me you’re so busy with your curling career as an athlete, and for me now as a head coach, that you’re focussed on doing the job at hand.“These