Horseshoe Play Popular with Locals

By John Hobbs

Tulare - Horseshoe pitching: Is it a sport or simply a leisure time activity?

The answer to this not-so-perplexing question seems to depend upon who one asks.

Ask Jaymie Nunes, co-chair of the 24th Annual St. Aloysius Invitational Horseshoe Tournament, and you'll be told: “It's a little of both, with some taking the competition very seriously and others approaching it as no more than an enjoyable way to pass the time.”

Jaymie's husband, Eric Nunes, another co-chair of the August 8 tournament to benefit Tulare's St. Aloysius Parochial School, is more emphatic and firmly-convicted in his answer: “It's a sport; definitely a sport.”

In any event, the St. Al's tournament is one which horseshoe pitching enthusiasts have looked forward to every summer for nearly a quarter-century. In fact, it has become a generational thing with families now being represented in the competition by sons and daughters whose parents “threw shoes” in the late 1980s.

As an invitational tournament, St. Al's organizers extend invitations to about 125 potential participants with a view toward building a field of players consisting of 88 men and 36 women.

Not everyone receiving an invitation is able to accept, but that's not a problem because the tournament is so popular that it has developed a long waiting list of players eager to fill openings created for whatever reason.

In addition to Eric and Jaymie Nunes, Danny Tristao and his wife, Karen, also serve as co-chairs of the tournament's 2010 edition. Together, the foursome has planned an event which also will include a deep pit pork barbecue with salad, bread and a beverage for $7.

Cold beverages, ice cream and T-shirts also will be available for purchase.

The event is supported through sponsorships with a full-pit sponsorship pricing out at $200 and a half-pit at $100. Businesses and individuals interested in sponsorship or tickets are asked to call Eric and Jaymie Nunes at 686-6109 or Danny and Karen Tristao at 684-0970.

Local Legend

The Nuneses and the Tristaos are anticipating the presence of local horseshoe pitching legend Donald Henry, as well as nationally-renowned competitors such as Robert and Diane Cocagne to be among the field of players on Sunday.

Affirming horseshoe pitching's claim to bona fide sport status is Tularean Robert Cocagne, who currently is fourth vice president of the Northern California affiliate to the National Horseshoe Pitching Association (NHPA) and president of the Tulare Horseshoe Pitching Club.

Cocagne's passion for the sport has prompted him to focus his efforts on renewing local interest and participation in horseshoe pitching.

To that end and with considerable assistance from the Tulare Parks and Recreation Department, Cocagne and the Tulare club will be forming a fall league, which plans to “throw shoes” in Centennial Park every Wednesday evening from Sept. 22 through Oct. 27.

It just so happens that with the Cocagnes horseshoe pitching is a family affair. In fact, Robert, his wife, Diane, and 13 year-old daughter, Baylee, each have excelled in regional and state competitions.

On any given weekend, they can be found anywhere from Madera to San Jose and from Turlock to Exeter pitching horseshoes and winning trophies.

To reach the level of play maintained by the Cocagne family, Robert estimates “at least 30 minutes of practice at least three days a week” is required. On average, Robert and Diane participate in 10 to 12 tournaments a year, while Baylee throws in five or six.

Cocagne is quick to provide assurance that getting started in the sport is not at all difficult or complicated.

“All you have to do is come up with $27 for your NHPA membership and then set aside enough time to throw 100 shoes in order to set your (the player's) handicap.” This is something with which Cocagne said he is more than happy to help prospective players.

Moreover, Cocagne swears by his claim “the best players are almost always the most friendly players in a tournament and they're known to be glad to offer coaching, critiquing or encouragement to anyone who asks.”

Fertile Ground

California's San Joaquin Valley is apparently fertile ground for growing championship caliber horseshoe pitchers. Three-time state champion Rick Birmingham hails from Sacramento. Bakersfield's Danny Kyle is also one who has obtained superstar status and Cocagne's recent trip to San Jose yielded a first place finish in “Class A” competition with a field of competitors from all over the Golden State.

It is the nature of the endeavor – throwing a horseshoe in the direction of a stake, with a bale of straw as a backstop, in an effort to ring the stake with the shoe – which leads it to be considered quaint, “country” and even bucolic.

Spend a day with someone who knows what they're doing in a horseshoe pitching pit and you'll learn that it requires a steady hand, a knack for concentration, a touch of rhythm to go with a modicum of coordination, a certain amount of self-confidence and – most importantly – patience in order to excel in the time-honored sport of horseshoe pitching.

The above story is the property of The Valley Voice Newspaper and may not be reprinted without explicit permission in writing from the publisher.