The Becker curling dynasty reached another milestone yesterday, when 8-day-old Jessica attended her first game, at the Dunedin Ice Stadium.
She is the fifth generation of the prominent Maniototo family.
It was a special moment for Peter Becker to meet his granddaughter for the first time after skipping the New Zealand team at the world senior championships.
Jessica's parents, Cassie and Sean Becker, are New Zealand representatives.
"I didn't know they were here today until I'd finished playing," Peter said.
Wendy Becker, the skip of the New Zealand senior women's team, had visited her granddaughter at Dunedin Hospital when she was born last week.
Sean and Cassie do not intend to push their daughter into curling.
"We will have to wait to see if she enjoys the sport," Sean said. "But we will take her to the rink to watch games. Kids love the sound of rocks crashing together."
The family has had a huge influence on the development of New Zealand curling from their sheep-farming base in the Maniototo which, for more than a century, has been the heartland of the sport.
It started on the outdoor ice rinks on the Idaburn dam but has now been taken indoors to the Maniototo International Curling Rink at Naseby.
Sean, a regular in New Zealand teams from 1995, has been the long-term skip of the men's team.
Peter was skip of the New Zealand team at the Pacific championships from 1991-95 and has led the New Zealand seniors for five years.
He has also been a national selector, men's coach and delegate to the World Curling Federation and the New Zealand Olympic Committee.
Wendy also played for New Zealand in the 1990s.
The Becker heritage goes back further, with Wendy's father and Jessica's great-grandfather, Digger Creighton, being a keen curler.
Peter's father, Jim Becker, toured Scotland with the New Zealand team in 1973.
The Becker curling dynasty started with Sean's great-grandfather, William Becker.
