Last weekend the Winnemucca Events Complex hosted a third year of an open event on Saturday.
Then, a National Horseshoe Pitching Association (NHPA) sanctioned horseshoe pitching contest was held on Sunday in preparation for next weeks big show.
Twenty pitchers on Saturday warmed up with a $10 buy in, which was matched by Kim Petersen from the Winnemucca Community Business Authority.
They took half of each team’s money that they beat during the round-robin tournament on the way to the finish.
“We had a goal of getting the World Horseshoe Pitching Tournament here when we started doing this event, and we have successfully gotten that secured for 2021," Petersen said. "It will be for 18 days during the last couple of weeks of July, 2021. We expect at least a thousand pitchers, plus the two or three people that they will bring with them, so we are excited and depending on the community to help us pull it off, because it is going to be a big deal. It is about a 3.5 million dollar impact on the community.”
On Aug. 17-18, the National Horseshoe Tour comes to town. Pitchers will play for over $6,500 in added prize money.
Chad Yowell from Winnemucca was at the contest on Saturday.
“I started pitching when I was 13 and my dad and I played in the World Tournament that year in Pocatello, Idaho," Yowell said. "I like everything about horseshoes. I am very competitive and my dad is also, but when it comes down to it we just like to have fun. We play in the league here once or twice a week.”
More information about horseshoes can be found at thehorseshoetour.com, winnemuccahorseshoes.com.
