Two state champions, among others, land some ringers and leaners every Wednesday night
By Scott Thoma
Despite the number of participants dwindling, the clanging of metal on metal still reverberates through the Litchfield Horseshoe Court on Wednesday evenings.
The Litchfield Horseshoe League boasts two former state champions that still compete.
Mark Smith, 60, is a two-time Class A state champion from nearby Darwin. Bill Danielson, 82, of Atwater, has won five state championships in his career, the last four coming in the Elders Division for those 65 and over. Those two still compete weekly in Litchfield.
The Litchfield Horseshoe League began in the early 1980s and is one of the few remaining leagues from the once-popular sport. Much like bowling, golf and slow-pitch softball leagues, horseshoe participation has steadily declined over the last two decades.
“Most of the younger people just aren’t interested in playing horseshoes,” said Smith, who is the president of the Litchfield Horseshoe League. “There used to be two men’s leagues and one women’s league in Litchfield and we played three nights a week. But when the numbers started to drop, we combined the men and women in the same league. Today, we have seven men and three women playing. We’d like to get more people involved.”
The league’s eight courts are well maintained and are located next to Optimist Park, a baseball park that hosted the Class C state amateur baseball tournament last year.
“Litchfield hosted the state tournament in 1996,” Danielson noted.
Smith started pitching horseshoes as a boy and joined the Litchfield league in the early 2000s.
“I threw with my dad when we used to have a horseshoe league at the Darwin Gun Club,” said Smith, who has owned and operated Precast Systems in Darwin for 26 years. “My dad was pretty good.”
Smith, who won Class A state titles in 2017 and 2018 and has placed second three times, has a ringer percentage of around 52 percent, which puts him among the elite in the state. He has finished in the top six in the state for 17 straight years.
Smith and Danielson have both attended and/or competed in the World Horseshoe Tournament, which is held in a different location each year.
“They come from all over to play in that,” Smith said. “They’ve had guys from Canada and a few from overseas compete. Allen Francis from Ohio has won 24 world titles and his ringer percentage is around 90 percent.”
Smith noted that the best he’s ever thrown, percentage-wise, was during a practice when he had 36 ringers in 40 throws; 90 percent. While most horseshoe pitchers throw what is referred to as a “flip,” Smith has become prolific in the “turn and a quarter” throw where there is less of a chance of the horseshoes bouncing straight off the stake.
Smith tried to pass along his love for the sport to his three daughters, Sarah, Kim and Emily; all who live in Darwin. His wife, Jennifer, “is not a thrower,” Smith said.
Sarah Kotila joined the Litchfield Horseshoe League 12 or so years ago with her sister, Kim.
“We started as a team, but she only played for a couple of years and now I’m dad’s partner when we play,” said Sarah. “I play mainly for him, but I don’t mind it.”
Danielson and those competing in the Elders Division (65 and over) throw from 30 feet, while the younger classes throw from 40 feet.
Danielson didn’t start pitching horseshoes until he was in his early 60s. He caught on quickly and captured the Class B state title in 2006, then won four Elders Class A & B titles. He was third in Class B in Genola last summer. His ringer percentage is around 56 percent now from 30 feet.
“A friend of mine talked me into playing,” he said. “We used to play in a league in Eden Valley, but that isn’t going anymore so I just play in Litchfield now. I really enjoy the camaraderie and meeting the guys each week.”
Despite a decline in the sport, the Minnesota Gopher State Horseshoe Pitchers Association (MGSHPA) still boats over 30 sanctioned clubs across the state. The MGSHPA has an established constitution, a board of directors, and several assistant officers and regional directors.
The association hosts open tournaments throughout the year, both indoors during the winter and outdoors from April through August. Leagues and tournaments use handicapped scoring to level the playing field, allowing beginners and experienced players to compete on an equal footing.
Horseshoe pitching has a history as far back as the second century when Grecian soldiers would use discarded horseshoes to throw at a stake.
The sport has minimal cost, is relatively easy to learn, and any age and gender can play.
“I play in a few tournaments each summer,” said Danielson. “Each one is a little different. Bertha has an indoor court, and Rice has a sand court.”
Tournaments held in this state are in Alexandria, Becker, Bertha, Brooklyn Park, Donnelly, Forest Lake, Hibbing, Montgomery, North Mankato, Rice, Santiago and West St. Paul.
Smith also takes in a few tournaments each summer.
“It’s a blast,” Smith said. “I love throwing horseshoes.”
To learn more about the Litchfield Horseshoe League, call Smith at 320-241-2389.
Comments