by Kay D. Sadell

Created on: May 28, 2009

Where I reside in the Midwest most backyard barbeque's and family get togethers are not complete without a game of Horseshoes. Since pitching horseshoes is normally associated as a " Redneck Activity", most people don't give much thought to were the games origins began.

In ancient Grecian times there the was the sport of discus toss. It consisted of a circular shape metal plate that was thrown as an Olympic sport. It is thought that in poor communities the discs were hard to come by so instead they were replaced by horseshoes that were tossed at steaks. Another close relative to both games is the game of Quoits, in which a disc with a hole in it is tossed onto a pin (or a hob as its known in the game). Activity of this game is recorded as far back as the 1300's. Historians believe that variations of each game were introduced to the English by Roman's during times of occupation centuries before. In a way making the Horseshoes game we play today a cousin to both games.

Believed to be brought to America by English settlers, horseshoes became a favorite pastime for soldiers during most wars. Throughout the Civil War soldiers mostly used the castaway shoes of Mules on a court set up in their camps. As the war moved along so did the soldiers passing on this game along to others as they traveled. From the battlefield men took this game home to countless cities and farm communities alike where they continued to play long after the fighting was done making it a family friendly backyard tradition.

In Bronson, KS the first "world championship tournament" took place in 1909 at a horse show. An excerpt from a local newspaper in 1910 stated: " The horse shoe game attracted much attention. For several days Bronson pitchers have been putting in their spare time casting the symbol of good luck in the hope that they might become expert by the bid day. But Bronson lost out." It goes on to state that the winners even took home $2.50 each! By 1914 The Grand League of the American Horseshoe Pitchers Association (GLAHPA) was started in Kansas City, KS on May 16. In a courtroom rules were made and officers elected. By 1919 another group had emerged out of Florida called The National League of Horseshoe and Quoit Pitchers (NLHQP) becoming sort of a rival to the GLAHPA. At the National Convention at Lake Worth, Florida in February of 1925, the leagues finally merged into one simply calling themselves the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association (NHPA) which still exists today where membership holds about 15,000 men and women.

Horseshoes was never really thought of as a competitive sport but it has in fact become a favorite summer activity much like Croquet

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