Elite horseshoe pitchers this side of Ontario will be in Prince George this summer, aiming for championship titles at the Western Canada Classic.
The tournament, June 22-23, will be held at the Prince George Horseshoe Club and is expected to attract close to 100 players from B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and possibly Manitoba.
The sound of iron on steel will fill the air at the club, located beside the Family YMCA in Carrie Jane Gray Park.
"You're going to see ringer averages in the 50 to 60 per cent range," said club member Vic Vallee, one of the top horseshoe pitchers in the city.
Prince George last hosted the Classic in 2004, the year the club moved from its Recreation Place location into Carrie Jane Gray Park.
"The guy who won the 'A' class last time is a guy named Buddy Dyrda," Vallee said. "He was just out of juniors at the time and he won the Canadian championship last year. He's very good and I believe he's in Alberta right now. [For ringer percentage], he's probably in the 70s."
Players do not have to qualify for the western tournament. It's an open event that caters to all age groups.
However, one of the big problems horseshoe pitching is facing these days is related to the age of its players. Few juniors are taking up the game, so the general population of players keeps growing older. As a result, overall participation numbers are in steady decline, a situation that's true all across the United States and Canada. Here in Prince George, the only junior pitcher is Ameryllis Braun, whose grandmother, Maureen Braun, is still active in the local club.
Currently, the P.G. Horseshoe Club has just 14 members. Ten to 15 years ago, it boasted a membership of more than 50.
Vallee said no special initiatives have been undertaken locally to try to improve the health of the sport.
"We haven't actively pursued anything," he said. "We've just kind of let [the decline in membership] happen. We've had [high school students] come out and do a horseshoe session in the spring a few times but nobody ever came back from that."
The 63-year-old Vallee, a lifelong Prince George resident, was introduced to horseshoe pitching when he was just 10. His father, Ray, was an accomplished player and showed his boy the finer points of the game. More than five decades later, Vallee enjoys horseshoe pitching as much as ever.
"I like making ringers -- it's kind of a good feeling," he said with a smile. "It's a skill that you spend a lifetime perfecting, but you never perfect it."
Vallee said newcomers are always welcome at the P.G. club. Game nights are Tuesdays and Thursdays, starting at 7. A handicapping system is implemented to ensure that participants are on a level playing field, regardless of ability. There is a $2 drop-in fee. Season memberships are $25.
