Local Horseshoe Pitcher To Compete In World Tournament: Local County League Prepares To Begin

Ben Webb prepares to pitch a horseshoe at Chalybeate Park during a practice session.

Darren Doyle, story and photo:
One local man is preparing his trip to Monroe, Louisiana on Monday to compete in the NHPA World Horseshoe Pitching Tournament, where he will go against some of the best in the nation.

The preliminaries will begin on Monday and the championship will be held on July 23rd. The top 16 in each division will advance into tournament play where the top prize is over $4000. There, he will compete against some of the biggest names in the sport that include Alan Francis from Ohio, a 26-time champion, as well as Dan Watson, Gary Bearpaw, and Gale Green.

Webb has a current world ranking of #3 and is hoping to increase interest in the Edmonson County Horseshoe Pitching Association league play that begins on Tuesday, July 12th at 6PM.

"It's only $5 to play for the whole 10-week season," he said. "Everyone has their own divisions and it's a handicapped league to make it fair for everyone. 18 and under are free and if you don't have any horseshoes we can provide you some."

Webb is a two-time state champion in the Jr. Boys division from 2013 and 2014 and currently serves as the Junior Director for the NHPA. In addition to Webb, another local also saw success in state competition. Ronnie Meredith won three state junior titles in '90, '91, and '92. Meredith also holds records for the highest junior boys' state game.

The league director is Robert Taylor, who has been involved in the ECHPA since 2007.

The horseshoe complex at Chalybeate Park is the location of the league, and the facility has hosted multiple sanctioned events over the years.

For more information on the local league, you can contact Ben at 270-597-7459 or visit the group's Facebook Page for more.