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Stakes Are Raised
The game of horseshoes underwent several
modifications in the early 1900s. Most notably,
the stakes were raised and the shape of
the horseshoe was modified. In 1911, the
height of the stake increased from two to
six inches. Stakes continued to inch up
until 1950 when they reached the current
regulation height of between 14 and 15 inches.
Early tournaments had no
rule regarding the weight, size or even
shape of the horseshoe. A competitor in
a 1911 tournament used a shoe that was four
inches longer on one side. When the Grand
League of American Horseshoe Pitchers Association
(now that’s a name) formed in 1919,
it determined that a competition horseshoe
should weigh between two pounds and two
pounds, two ounces. Today’s competition
shoes can weigh up to two pounds, 10 ounces.
In 1919, a second governing
body for horseshoe pitching formed. The
National League of Horseshoe and Quoit Pitchers
(NLHPQ) merged with the GLAHPA in 1921.
The new organization wisely shortened its
acronym to the NHPA—the National Horseshoe
Pitchers Association.
Barnyard Golf
In the roaring twenties, horseshoe pitching
was a popular spectator sport regularly
covered on the sports pages. During this
period, both winter and summer world championship
tournaments were held every year. An Akron,
Ohio, sportswriter named Doc Kerr dubbed
the game “barnyard golf,” an
apparent reference to the games popularity
in rural areas. The moniker stuck and for
more than a decade it was a common name
for horseshoe pitching.
The Game for Town
Bragging Rights
The longest game of horseshoes ever recorded
lasted five months and four days. Okay,
so it was actually a series of games between
the postmaster and the train station agent
in Hayward, Minnesota. On March 6, 1930,
the two set out to determine who was the
best horseshoe pitcher in Hayward. They
originally agreed to play to 5,000 points.
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