Words from Sam Payne, CCHPA President: In 2004, I finished first out of 8 pitchers in the Curt Day Classic Tournament in class B with a 38.9% ringer average. Also received high ringer patch for pitching two games above 44% in this tournament. I was the 7th man in the 8-man class with a 29% ringer average entering the tournament. The # 1 pitcher had a 42% ringer average. After finishing 2nd in class C in 2002 and 2nd in class B in 2003, I set a goal to win my class in the Curt Day Classic in 2004. Shoes Pitched I started out pitching Gordon shoes in 1964; I found them hard to turn the way I wanted. I then went to the Ted Allen shoe, this shoe turned out to be the shoe I stayed with until 1996 when I bought a pair of Cal Flips, I use these a lot to practice with because I have found that they need more arch in order to make them open, this helps when pitching the Allen shoes as well. This summer, Kenny Wolf and Roger Impson showed me a pair of Clydesdales DF shoes and I must say I like them better than the Ted Allen shoes. Frankfort Times Photo of Sam Payne taken by Allen Santy Style of Pitching I started pitching horseshoes in 1964 through the 1970 Clinton County League Seasons. I started out trying to pitch Curt Day's reverse 3/4 turn. I could not control the shoe or make it turn in a reverse direction. After several attempts to throw a flip shoe I noticed my shoe wanted to turn clock wise, I talked with several of the League pitchers who advised me not to change the turn, let the shoe turn clock wise, move your fingers up and down the shoe until you find where the shoe opens. Ironically this was the same style shoe that my dad threw, so with his help and several pointers from Curt and others I was able to get the 3/4 clock wise turn to open. In 1970 I entered the service and did not throw a horseshoe for about 6 years. I now throw the clock wise 3/4 turn, once in awhile I will throw a 1 3/4-turn shoe that I used to watch Al Quebe throw at Dorner Park, I do this to warm up my arm and to get the arch needed to throw my 3/4 turn, I sometimes get frustrated with the alignment of my shoe. This past summer I was at the park working on alignment when Curt Day stopped by and was watching, Curt suggested that I pick a spot on the stake and concentrate on that spot until the shoe was released and to follow through with the shoe. Tourney Experiences In the late 60s & 70s the CCHPA held several tourneys at Dorner Park that I pitched in as a junior pitcher.  In 1978 through 1993, I  traveled to Marion, Kokomo, Lafayette, Logansport, Crawfordsville, Frankfort and Muncie to pitch in Tourneys. I also pitched in the 2001, 2002, and 2004 Curt Day Classic held at Curt Day Courts. Clinton County Horseshoe League Information The CCHL is open for anyone to join and pitch. You do not have to be a league member to pitch shoes at the Curt Day Courts. Everyone is welcome. Even if you just want to watch and enjoy the park. In 2004 the Frankfort Curt Day Courts were ranked as being one of the best in the state, if not THE best. This complement came from the NHPA President and Secretary.  This is a tradition that the Charter members of this league established in the 50's & 60's.  A lot of thanks goes out to Frank Adams, Kenny Wolf, Randy Akers, Pete Smart, and Roger Impson for their efforts to help keep the Curt Day Courts in great shape. I would like to personally thank Mayor Don Stock and Bill Moudy for their support in 2004. The 2005 season will start in late April or Early May. Although there may be some of us early birds out there pitching in early April. Note from Kenny Wolf Of late, Sam has been pitching the 1-1/4 turn with Deadeye Clydesdale DF horseshoes.  His goal, as well as mine and a few others in our club, is to become a consistent 50% pitcher in the next couple of years.  Sam often throws between 40% and 50% in some games on league night.

Kenny Wolf (website editor) finished 4th out of 4 pitchers with 0-6 and 25.4% ringer average in the 2004 Max Gunyon Classic Class A tournament.  I entered the NHPA with 100 shoes tossed for 148 points and 36% ringers (it was a good night!).  At one point hitting 13 ringers out of 26 shoes thrown (something I can't do consistently,...yet).  One evening, in the summer of 2004, I pitched 14 ringers out of my last 24 shoes (58%).  Of course I had no witnesses!  I throw a 1-1/4 turn with Deadeye Clydesdale DF shoes.  Like all horseshoe pitchers, I have my stories of success while pitching alone in my backyard (in sand pits).  Early in the summer of 2005, I hit eight ringers in a row, missed with the ninth shoe and hit the tenth shoe onto the stake for a total of nine ringers out of ten shoes (my new current 2006 consecutive ringers high is mentioned below).  I hit 8 in a row on at least 3 or 4 other occasions, always missing on the pressure 9th shoe.  I also hit 12 out of 16 shoes pitched while doing a ringer count in mid-June, again with no witnesses, but one pitcher was a couple of courts over at the Curt Day Horseshoe Courts.  My current problem is getting into this kind of rhythm when competing; which is a problem I'm sure is shared by many other pitchers.

I pitch Deadeye Clydesdale DF shoes (as thrown by Walter Ray "Deadeye" Williams who is a 6 times World Champion horseshoe pitcher and one of professional bowlings top bowlers).  The Deadeye Clydesdale DF is fast becoming my favorite pair of shoes.  My son Doug and four of our other league pitchers like pitching with their Clydesdale DF shoes as well..  Thanks Walter Ray!  I now have three pairs of the Clydesdale horseshoes in weights of 2-7.2, 2-7.8, & 2-8.6.  I pitch the 2-7.2 shoes with my partner Sam Payne on Thursday night league.  He also pitches a pair of 2-7.2 Clydesdale horseshoes.  I have a pair of Deadeye E-Z Grip shoes (which are easy comfortable shoes to throw with a knurled finish body).

I also have a pair of Imperial Classic (the old Ohio 'O' design that was once pitched by Mark Seibold-two times world champion--Mark is now pitching Ted Allen horseshoes).  I have a pair of Imperial Steinfeldt (the old Steinfeldt shoe designed and pitched by world champion Carl Steinfeldt-with the added Imperial hooked heel cleats).  The Classics have the weight pretty evenly distributed throughout the shoe, so they turn nicely and spin on very well.  The weakness is that a shoe hitting dead center on the steak in a level position or points up with a wobble throw may flip off because the body of the shoe is square and the heel caulks are light weight..  The Steinfeldt shoes turn great and hug up to the steak because of the V design of the blades of the shoes.  My two original pairs of shoes from 1975 are a pair of Ted Allen one step and a pair of Ohio Pros.

On May 9th, 2006 on our Court #4 I was pitching my Alan Francis horseshoes and hit my current consecutive ringers record of 11 straight with the 12th shoe leaning up against the stake.  Fortunately there were four other pitchers playing a league make-up game on court #2, so I was able to set my own personal record with others on the courts.  I just wasn't able to accomplish it in competition.  There is a big difference between relaxing and getting into rhythm by yourself versus doing the same thing in competition.  The Alan Francis shoes felt awfully good on that night!

On June 18, 2005, I had the privagege of pitching in the "A Class" in the Curt Day Memorial Tournament in Frankfort, Indiana.  I got to pitch against Curt Day's son, Paul Day.  INHPA 1st Vice President Ron Womack was an opponent, Gary Pearman, our club president Sam Payne took me to the cleaners with one of his good games, 2004 State Elders Champion Carl Sizemore (30 foot pitcher) cleaned my whistle, Bob Sheppard (30 foot pitcher) held me almost to a standstill (Bob went on to win the tournament), and I got a chance to pitch against 2 times World Horseshoe Pitching Champion Mark Seibold.  Mark is one of the real gentlemen of the sport and I was fortunate enough to pitch my best game of the tournament against Mark by pitching 40% (16 out of 40 shoes).  Nonetheless, Mark managed to beat me 40-11, only because I was on enough a few times to hit two or three double ringers.  I always wanted to pitch against Paul Day and Mark Seibold, after reading of their accomplishments in their own careers; and with both of them coming to Frankfort, I was excited to get to pitch against both of them in the same tournament.  Of course, I ended with a 0-7 record for this tournament, but it was a good experience pitching against so many pitchers above my regular class.

I picked up the game of horseshoe pitching in the 1976 thu 1977 Clinton County League seasons.  Of course I started out trying to pitch Curt's reverse 3/4 turn.  I couldn't control it, so after watching Mark Seibold effortlessly throw his line-drive left-handed 1-1/4 turn, that is what I throw today.  After a couple of summer's of pitching back in 1977, I got frustrated with my lack of progress and I dropped out of pitching for nearly 30 years; taking it up again in the summer of 2003.  Now, I still get frustrated at times with my own game, but I love the sport and I will figure it out in time and watch my accuracy go up once I put it all together.  I've attended the last two Indiana State Tournaments at Camp Atterbury in Edinburgh in 2003 and 2004 and had the pleasure of meeting Mark Seibold.  See pictures of me pitching against Mark in the 2005 Curt Day Memorial Tournament.