8/8/2012:
The 1967 World Tournament of Horseshoe Pitching concluded on this date in Fargo. Considered one of the most exciting tournaments in the history of the sport, the games were attended by 26,000 spectators. Will Gullickson, a sports writer for the Fargo Forum, helped to organize and promote the ten-day event. For his efforts, he was awarded the Arch Stokes Memorial trophy, an annual award honoring the person who is believed to contribute the most to the sport of horseshoe pitching.
Organized by the National Horseshoe Pitching Association each year, the World Tournament invites pitchers from all over the globe to participate in a championship, crowning the top pitcher in the categories of men, women, boys, and girls.
The organization has held the tournament every year since 1908, although the history of the sport has much deeper roots. Roman soldiers, believed to be the oldest pitchers, competitively tossed the shoes of their horses that would fall off while pulling their chariots. American colonists tossed shoes in Boston Commons during the Revolutionary War, and were later referred to by the Duke of Wellington as ‘pitchers of the steel’. Today, “…upwards of fifteen million enthusiasts enjoy pitching horseshoes in the United States and Canada,” and nearly thirty countries recognize pitching as an organized sport.
When the 1967 tournament came to Fargo, the city was transformed by pitching mania. The Fargo Forum featured both morning and evening coverage of the event; six television and radio stations covered the entire tournament; and WDAY featured an afternoon television special on Vicki Winston, the tournament’s Women’s Champion. Even Jack Horner, the famous Minneapolis sportscaster, “…came to see the excitement.”
On August 8th, the tournament’s final day, the Men’s Championship game was held. One of the division’s youngest players, Danny Kuchcinski from Pennsylvania, played off against veteran Ray Martin. After throwing 112 shoes, the game was tied 49 to 49. “Martin pitched first and threw but one ringer. Danny's first shoe was also on the stake. In what Danny describes as the heaviest shoe of his life, shoe number two was tossed. This landed in the box and rolled near the stake to give young Kuchcinski the World Championship.” Will Gullickson, the Forum reporter, would later write a book on the career of Danny ‘the Kid’ Kuchcinski.
Dakota Datebook written by Jayme Job
Sources:
http://www.horseshoepitching.com/gameinfo/aboutus.html http://www.horseshoepitching.com/kline/kline67.html