It's a chance to not only compete against the best,but also to do it in a more relaxed,enjoyable atmosphere than the pressure-packed World Tournament later this summer.
"That's more like the World Series"said David Loucks,president of the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association(NHPA),which sanctions both events.
"For me this is a real fun tournament,"he said.It's an opportunity to come and play against the top pitchers in the country.Basically,you have the four best pitchers a state can come up with on each team.
"You'll see the same pitchers in the World Tournament,but you're seeded into groups there and you may not get the chance to play against them.Here you do."
Besides when the games over,sometimes the fun is just beginning.
"This is also a chance to renew old acquaintances and friendships and just have a good time,"Loucks said.
The tournament is in it's seventh year overall and second hosted by the Beloit Horseshoe Club on 24 portable courts at the Telfer Activity and Sports Center.Competion began Friday,continues today and concludes Sunday with teams representing 20 states.Admission is $2.50.
When he isn't competing for the California team,Loucks campaigns for the NHPA and horseshoes in general.His association has approximatly 16,000 members in the United States and around the world and is steadily gaining in popularity.
"We have pitchers in England,South Africa,Italy,Phillipines and many other countries where there are US military bases,"he said,noting that horseshoes was popular among servicemen in Saudi Arabia during Desert Shield.
The NHPA has friends in high places.The associations most influential card-carrying member boasts only about a 25 percent accuracy-one ringer in four attemps.That pales by comparison to former World ChampionWalter Ray Williams Jr's 85,but Loucks says George Bush's accuracy would improve if he weren't president.He probably doesn't get much time to practice,"Loucks said.
One of the fringe benefits of winning the Team World this year will be an expense-paid visit to Washington to meet the President.That would be old hat for Loucks,who along with nine former champions attended the opening ceremony for the President's courts at the White House last year.
"We all pitched with the President,"Loucks said."His throw is a little unorthodox,but it works for him."
Having the President's support helps,but Loucks would also like to see the presidents of some major corporations step forward.The only thing holding horseshoes back is money,he says.
"What we're faced with now is that there is so much competion for sponsorship dollars our sport doesn't have a great deal of money in it,"he said."Without money,we really have to fight to get TV and magazine coverage and in a lot of areas,even local coverage.Most people just don't realize how many people are pitching horseshoes."
He said the NHPA membership is a mere drop in the bucket.
"We just happen to play in the organized portion of horseshoes"he said."There are probable another 12-15 million people who play horseshoes in some form of organized play,whether it be a church league,industrial league,senior league,parks league or whatever.Bar leagues and club leagues are very popular too."Now if you're interested in seeing the sport's elite,this is the weekend to do so.
"Horseshoes for the average pitcher is more like a streak game"Loucks said."You can be hot for 10 games and suddenly lose it.That generally doesn't happen with your upper echelon of pitchers and we've got seven or eight like that here.They're always consistant.
"At a regional tournament last weekend Walter Ray Williams threw 114 consecutive ringers."
*Williams is entered in Team World but a pro bowling engagement will keep him from competing.The next highest scorer is Cliff Baker of the Illinios team at 82.7 percent.
