Last weekend, more than 160 horseshoe pitchers from around the state converged on the Benson Center for the Missouri Horseshoe Pitchers State Tournament. It is the first time the state tournament has been held in Clinton in the 103 years of the horseshoe pitchers’ association.
Clinton Mayor Carla Moberly threw out the first two horseshoes to officially open the tournament, and acquitted herself admirably.
“I practiced the other night,” the Mayor said, joking that if she hit the floor, they could bill her for the damage. “Do you have a plastic horseshoe?”
The weekend-long event drew 56 pitchers for doubles on Friday, divided into 3 sections of the exhibit hall, and 110 singles, who pitched on Saturday and Sunday, according to Ron Highley, state MOHPA president. Ron, who is from Harrisonville, and Jim Kinney, Jr., of Drexel, organized the event. Jim reorganized the Golden Valley Horseshoe Club last spring, which met in Artesian Park.
Before the Mayor opened the Labor Day weekend tournament, Ron thanked Paula Huffman, Parks and Recreation office manager. Paula said the horseshoe pitchers were a pleasure to work with, and wished them all ringers. The mayor also welcomed the pitchers to Clinton, and said she was happy to have new people visit Clinton and to be sure to try the hot rolls from Dietz Family Buffet. Dietz catered the MOHPA awards dinner Saturday night. The pitchers also went across to Elite Billiards after their business meeting Friday evening for a horseshoe pitchers-only billiards tournament, beverages and buffalo wings.
At Saturday night’s awards banquet, James Driver and Laura Johnson were inducted into the Missouri Horseshoe Pitchers Hall of Fame by Dee McIntire, Hall of Fame chairman. James, from Jefferson City, belongs to the Capital City Horseshoe Club, Dee said, where he helps organize events and helps the other pitchers. Laura, who is from Independence and belongs to the Liberty Horseshoe Club, promotes MOPHA as the editor of Shoe Biz, the online newsletter.
MOHPA rented the indoor pool at the Clinton Aquatic Center for a pool party Saturday night, and invited all Clinton youth to attend.
At the opening ceremony of the tournament last Friday, Ron also thanked David Lee and Joyce Carr from the Clinton Chamber of Commerce. Joyce presented Lachelle Cook with a $50 Chamber gift certificate for coming the farthest. Lachelle is from Oran, south of Cape Girardeau in southeast Missouri.
Ron also thanked C-Squared Embroidery for making the Clinton MOPHA State Tournament shirts, and Tim Komer and KDKD Radio for helping get the word out about the tournament.
Keith Johnson led a prayer, and Jim Kinney sang the national anthem.
Ron said that the Hampton Inn, the host hotel for the event, was happy to have 40 rooms booked for the weekend. People competing in the tournament also stayed at the Westridge Inn and the Parkfield Inn, he said.
Ron said MOHPA rented the Benson Convention Center for five days. The horseshoe pitchers brought 16 portable horseshoe pits filled with clay, rolling in at 9 a.m. Thursday morning to set up, he said, and were finished by 5 p.m.
Pitchers must pre-qualify for the state tournament, which they do by traveling around the state all year participating in weekend tournaments. Many communities have indoor venues which are heated during the winter and air-conditioned in the summer. Dues in MOPHA and the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association entitle the pitchers to enter their scores on the MOPHA website, based on the number of ringers they get in each tournament game.
“Ringers and Dingers” means the horseshoe either completely surrounds the stake, or hits it. For more information, go to mohpa.us.
