H
orseshoes is a game that’s been played
everywhere, from backyards to custom-made
courts, for as long as we can remember. All
it takes is a good eye and a solid pitch to hit
the mark. With these two simple elements,
clubs all around southwestern PA and beyond
have year-round games, tournaments and
championships to name the best horseshoe pitcher in
the land.
Cathy Ireland, current president of the Western
Pennsylvania Horseshoe Pitchers Association, can attest
to the love of the sport as she manages eight clubs in the
region. “There’s never a dull moment in any of the clubs,”
says Ireland. “Anyone can learn and it’s open to all ages. Just
stop in and sign up. It’s as easy as that.”
The game of horseshoes descended from the ancient
Greek sport of the discus thrower. As the story goes, Greeks
developed a sport where the discus was thrown at a stake.
But many of the poorer people could not afford the discus
so they used cast-off horseshoes instead.
Horseshoes was probably brought to the United States
by early English settlers. The first World Championships of
horseshoe pitching took place in 1910 in Bronson, Kansas,
and the first horseshoe pitchers organization was also
established in Kansas in 1914, making it the home state of
American horseshoe pitching.
The Western Pennsylvania Horseshoe Pitchers
Association (WPHPA) was established in 1927. “We have
eight nationally sanctioned clubs including two in the South
Hills—H.O.P.E. in Carnegie, and Dormont Horseshoe
Club in Dormont,” says Ireland. Additional clubs in western
PA are located in DuBois, Erie, Beaver Falls, Mt. Pleasant,
New Castle and Warren.
“Of the eight locations, only Beaver Falls has indoor
courts, however Mt. Pleasant, New Castle and Warren have
outdoor courts, and DuBois, Erie and H.O.P.E. have both,”
she notes. “It makes this sport accessible and perfect for
year-round fun.”
The game itself is easy to learn. It’s played between two
people, or two teams of two people, using four horseshoes
and two throwing targets or stakes. Players alternate turns
tossing horseshoes at stakes in the ground or pit area,
which are traditionally placed 40 feet apart.
Points are earned two different ways—either by
throwing “ringers” or by throwing the horseshoe nearest to
the stake. A ringer is a horseshoe that has been thrown in
such a way as to completely encircle the stake.
“The way games are scored depends on the league
or tournament,” explains Ireland. “Some clubs use the
point cancellation system and others use the first-to-40-
points system. Standards regulate the size and weight of
horseshoes, between two and three pounds per shoe, and
the stake sticks out of the ground at 15 inches high.”
But what Ireland emphasizes are the fun and friendships
made when people join in and start learning the game.
“We have members in the WPHPA between 9 and 90
[years old],” she says. “Everyone helps each other and
teaches them better techniques and tips for improving their
pitching percentage. This is what keeps players coming
back year after year.”
Ireland has been playing for five years and is lucky to
get advice and encouragement from her husband, Pat. She
also works directly with Cindy Hoffman, WPHPA Vice
President and World Horseshoe Champion.
“Cindy holds the most Pennsylvania Championship
titles and won the World Championship Women’s Class in
2013,” notes Ireland.
“Her current ringer
percentage is 72.51.
She is just fantastic
and a true lover of
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Today, the game is popular throughout the
United States. It’s estimated that more than 10
million people play horseshoes every year.
KEYSTONE OAKS
❘
SUMMER 2019
15