Moscow Parks and Rec Summer Horseshoe League:
In the summer of 2004, the Moscow Parks and Recreation Department began hosting a horseshoe league. That first year included both singles and doubles play, and I was lucky enough to win the singles league and, with my doubles partner Lon Pedersen, the doubles league.
Starting in 2005, the summer league dropped singles play and only had a doubles league. From 2005 through 2011 my doubles partner Lon and I (our team name now is "Flip and Flop") won the doubles league.
NHPA Tournaments:
On August 17, 2008 I entered my first NHPA sanctioned tournament, the
Inland Empire Memorial held in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Placed in Class A with five men, I won all five of my matches with an average ringer percentage of 56.01% (121 ringers in 216 shoes), winning class A and taking home a nice tournament champion patch. The 56.01% ringer percentage put me in the
top 100 women pitchers in the USA.
On June 20, 2009 I pitched in the NHPA-sanctioned Elmer Currie Classic tournament in Coeur d'Alene, winning all five of my A Class games (152 out of my 250 shoes pitched were ringers), thus winning the tournament and getting another nice tournament patch. Note that the other five pitchers in Class A were males. This tournament raised my NATSTATS ringer percentage to 58.58% (273/466).
On August 16, 2009 I pitched in the NHPA-sanctioned Inland Empire Memorial tournament in Coeur d'Alene, winning all five of my A Class games (128 out of my 200 shoes pitched were ringers, 64%), thus winning the tournament and getting another nice tournament patch. Note that the other five pitchers in Class A were males. This tournament raised my NATSTATS ringer percentage to 60.21% (401/666).
On June 26, 2010 I pitched in the "Elmer Currie Classic" hosted by the Kootenai Horseshoe Club in Cd'A. In this NHPA-sanctioned tournament I pitched in Class A and won the Class and was named tournament champion. My ringer percentage for that tourney was 61.33% (184/300 shoes). There were seven of us in Class A, six men and me; I won 5 and lost 1 game.
On August 15, 2010 I pitched in Class A in the NHPA-sanctioned Inland Empire Memorial tourney in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. I pitched 113 ringers (113/200 = 56.5%), but couldn't win the last game, so I came in second.
On May 21, 2011 I pitched in the NHPA-sanctioned North Idaho Jamboree tournament in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. I had finished 2010 with a 59% ringer percentage, and that average carried into 2011. But I had barely practiced before entering this tournament, so I finished third in Class A (ringer pct of 48.40, sigh...practice, practice, practice...).
On June 25, 2011 I pitched in the NHPA-sanctioned Elmer Currie Classic tournament in Coeur d'Alene, winning Class A (142 out of my 250 shoes pitched were ringers, 56.8%), thus winning the tournament and getting another nice tournament patch.
On August 14, 2011 I pitched in the NHPA-sanctioned Inland Empire Memorial tournament in Coeur d'Alene, winning Class A (6 wins, 0 losses, 177 out of my 300 shoes pitched were ringers, 59.0%), thus winning the tournament and getting another nice tournament patch.
On August 27-28, 2011 I pitched in the Idaho State Horseshoe Pitching Association (ISHPA) state singles tournament held in Coeur d'Alene. What an opportunity to meet top horseshoe pitchers from around Idaho. I was placed in Women's Class A with three other women. Our class pitched with the four men in Elder's Class A to give us more games, though only play against those in our class counted towards the class championship. We each played one another both days, seven games on Sat and seven games on Sun.
I went 6-0 in Women's Class A to become the ISHPA 2011 Women's Champion. In games against the men, I went 6-2, losing once to the top seed and once to the second seed.
What an opportunity to pitch against the best in the state!
North Idaho Senior Games:
Annually during the month of June, Lewiston hosts the
North Idaho Senior Games for people 50 and older. In 2009 I participated in the horseshoe singles event and had a great time; I was the overall winner with a record of 5-0. Then in 2010 I participated and also won my age group and was the overall winner. I participated in the 2011 Senior Games horseshoes event and won the women's singles event. My only loss was to the man who won the men's singles and was the overall winner of the event.