CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – (CLARKSVILLENOW) The Horseshoe Tour, formerly known as the Horseshoe Pitching Pro Tour took place over the weekend at St. Bethlehem Civitan Park. Many local citizens may not be aware that the national tournament has been going on for the last five years in Clarksville-Montgomery County.
Ron Taylor, Director of Operations for the Horseshoe Tour said 55 players participated in the tournament and came from as far away as Texas, Louisiana, Arizona, Idaho, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Maryland. Along with Tennessee, nearby states of Kentucky, Georgia, South Carolina and Illinois were also represented.
Players qualified Saturday with the finals on Sunday. Horseshoes were thrown a distance of either 30 or 40 feet for prize money with every player receiving some amount of money ranging from $75-$500 based on how they pitch.
Taylor said he would like to see more young people involved in the sport. “Not very many young people play this game so the objective of every horseshoe association is to try and get younger players to come in and play,” said Taylor.
One of the top players at the tournament was Joan Elmore from Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, who is a nine-time world champion who will be going for her 10th championship later this year. “If I’m blessed enough to win this year I’ll tie the all-time record of ten wins by a woman,” Elmore said.
Local tournaments are actually held once a month from March through October at Montgomery County’s St. Bethlehem Civitan Park, 650 Bellamy Lane. The park features 23 nationally sanctioned horseshoe pitching courts with three available for use by the general public.