Back when the Missouri State Horseshoe Pitchers Association was founded in 1921, every small town had a horseshoe tournament. Ron Highley said his grandfather, Bill Highley, pitched horseshoes in Adrian in Bates County. Jim Kinney, Jr.’s great-grandfather, John Dewey, and his grandfather, John Kinney, also played horseshoes.
“All the horseshoe players knew everyone else,” Ron said.
Jim, who lives in Drexel, has revived the Golden Valley Horseshoe Club that meets in Artesian Park. Ron, who lives in Harrisonville, is the president of MOHPA, the Missouri State Horseshoe Pitchers Association. Together they are bringing the MOHPA state tournament to Clinton over Labor Day weekend.
It is the first time in its 103-year history that the state tournament will be held in Clinton.
“We are anticipating about 200 pitchers and their families,” Ron said.
Ron and Jim pitched the idea of holding the tournament in Clinton, and after getting the approval of the membership, have been visiting Clinton regularly to set up the details. They have rented the Benson Center for five days and reserved motel rooms and arranged for Dietz Family Buffet to cater their annual awards dinner on Saturday night. They have also rented the Clinton Aquatic Center for a youth pool party on Saturday night, Aug. 31, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
“We are inviting youth from Clinton to come and enjoy the pool,” Ron said. “It’s part of giving back to the community.”
Jim re-started the Golden Valley Horseshoe Club in the spring of 2023 with 10 members. It was originally started by Eugene Loyd, who built the horseshoe pits in Artesian Park and ran the club for 15 years. Eugene had to go into a nursing home, and passed away two years ago. The horseshoe club starts up this spring on Monday, May 6, at 6 p.m. and runs for nine weeks.
“People can come out and watch and join us,” Jim said.
The public is also invited to the state tournament, which starts at 10 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 29, with an opening flag ceremony by a color guard. The mayor has been asked to throw out the first pitch, Ron said. Doubles pitch on Friday, then singles the rest of the weekend — men’s, women’s, elder men and youth.
“The women’s division is quite competitive,” Jim said.
The state tournament was held in Sedalia the first 50 years, but now moves around the state, Ron said.
“People like to go to someplace different,” he said, “and the same people don’t have to do all the work.”
How they turn the Benson Center into a horseshoe pitching venue: MOHPA owns portable horseshoe pits, which are boxes with clay around a stake. They plan to truck the portable pits over to Clinton earlier in the week, he said, then install them in the Benson Center with the help of members of the Clinton High School football team.
“We’ll have 16 courts inside,” Ron said.
Pitchers must pre-qualify for the tournament. Horseshoe pitchers travel around the state all year participating in tournaments at indoor horseshoe clubs. Dues in MOHPA and the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association entitles the pitcher to enter their scores on the MOPHA website, based on the number of ringers they get in each tournament game.
“We have both backyard pitchers and competitive pitchers in MOHPA,” Ron said. “Some get one ringer a game. Others get 70 percent ringers.”
Players who want to hone their skills year-round build indoor horseshoe courts on their property. There are three in Missouri — near Glen Allen in southeast Missouri, near Aurora west of Springfield, and north of Bucyrus in central Missouri. Other indoor venues grew out of community outdoor courts in parks. The horseshoe club in Festus plays in a converted dairy barn that is heated in the winter and air-conditioned in summer.
Horseshoe pitchers in the Kansas City area play at the Don Harris Arena and Stockdale Park, both in Liberty.
“There are a lot of people coming from Liberty,” Ron said, referring to the state tournament.
The largest horseshoe pitching club in Missouri is the Quail Ridge Club in Wentzville, west of St. Louis, It’s adjacent to the National Horseshoe Pitchers Museum and Hall of Fame. Lake of the Ozarks used to have an indoor horseshoe club that ran leagues in the winter, but it no longer exists. Peculiar has an outdoor club that meets at the Lions Club Park.
Horseshoes may have originated during the Civil War as a way to pass the time at camps. It is still a popular sport, especially in the Midwest, where horseshoe clubs provide a place to socialize and get some exercise. There are 45 state horseshoe associations in the United States, with Missouri having the largest number of members.
Because it involves traveling to tournaments throughout the year, horseshoe pitching is often a family sport. Jim’s wife, daughter, grandchildren and his father are horseshoe pitchers. Ron’s daughter and her son, 7, also participate. Jim and Ron’s grandsons sometimes team up to compete in doubles tournaments, they said.
Whether they’re playing for a trophy and prizes, or just enjoying a game in the backyard, the boys are always excited when they get a ringer, Jim said.
For more information about the Golden Valley Horseshoe Club, call Jim Kinney, Jr., at 816-738-0869. For more information about MOHPA, go to the mohpa.org website.
