MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
The first-ever USA National Horseshoe Pitching Tournament is coming to Hutchinson later this week, bringing competitors from across the country to Rice Park for three days of competition and community events.
According to officials with Visit Hutch, the tournament will begin on Friday and continue through Sunday at Rice Park and is expected to draw around 300 people, including pitchers and spectators. Organizers say competitors will be working to earn points and improve their standings ahead of this summer’s World Tournament in Wisconsin.
Visit Hutch representative Holly Leicher said the event marks the first time the USA Nationals have been held in Hutchinson.
“We are so excited to welcome these pitchers from all across the country,” Leicher said. “This is the first time the U.S. Nationals have been held in Hutchinson.”
Admission to the tournament will be free for spectators. Organizers said food vendors, including Wooten Sweet Cakes and Bubbles and Brew, will be on site throughout the weekend.
The event is being co-hosted locally by the Rice Park Ringers horseshoe club. Jim Nobles, who leads the group and serves as secretary-treasurer for the Kansas charter of the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association, said competitive horseshoe pitching has a long-standing national structure with tournaments held across the country.
Nobles said championship games are typically played to 40 points and explained that scoring includes ringers worth three points and “leaners” or close shoes worth one point.
The tournament will feature competition across 18 pits at Rice Park, with matches taking place simultaneously throughout the weekend.
Opening ceremonies are scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday. Competition on Friday is expected to begin at 10 a.m. and continue until approximately 5 p.m. Saturday events are expected to run into the evening under the park’s lights, while Sunday competition will continue from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Leicher said Visit Hutch first connected with the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association several years ago at a national sports show and has spent years building relationships to bring the event to Hutchinson.
Nobles said Kansas has a strong horseshoe pitching community, with players regularly traveling around the country for national tournaments.
“We’ve got a good group that travels all over the United States pitching horseshoes,” Nobles said.