My Biggest Thrill
Playing Horseshoes

By Paul Wishon

About 20 years ago, a few horseshoe pitching friends and I set out on our way to the Friendship Tournament in Wellesley, Ontario; Charlie Frazier, class B champion once, Doc Maison, class A champion seven times, Ed Schultz, class A champion one time and me (Paul Wishon), class B champ one time.

It was a hot summer morning and Ed was driving. Doc Maison and I were sitting in the back seat. Ed would turn the air on for a few minutes, then off. Doc would ask Ed to turn the air back on. This happened several times as Doc and Ed argued back and forth in a jovial manner. Doc told Ed he couldn't hold a light against him playing horseshoes.

Many miles later we finally got a room. Doc took a shower and was shaking so bad; we had to put blankets around him to warm him up. Doc told me many things about horseshoe pitching. One if you are just trying to beat your opponent, you are not a horseshoe pitcher, think about it. He said count your ringers in 10 shoes. If you know you can get three ringers out of 10 shoes, try to get four out of 10, and so on. If you can get 50% or over, the rest is mental.

I didn't think I would be pitching in Canada, as my ringer percentage was the lowest of us four.
Good friend Bill Dalby and I were sitting in the stands having a "large" drink that he mixed up. (He had his motor van.) And here comes Casey Mobray, who was running the group from Michigan, telling me to warm up on court 15. I was trying to throw ringers and who should appear, Elmer Hohl. Now I had met Elmer at the Greenville, Ohio World Tournament in 1977. Seen him play in the tour. I sat with him in the stands when his son was playing juniors. I know he was mad at some interference when his son, Steve Hohl, was pitching and he ran down the stands to quiet someone down.

All three of these players, I rode with, are now dead. Many people will remember them as being good horseshoe pitchers. Also, good friend Bill Dalby has passed away and of course Elmer Hohl. I am now 83 years old and I wonder why I'm still here and trying to throw ringers, I hope.

I sure didn't know that I would ever get a chance to play a man as great as Elmer Hohl. He walks up to me and asked, "Are you about ready sonny?" I think I was in shock when he said that. Anyway, we started and I believe he gave me first pitch. I got a ringer and a close point. He topped my ringer, but I got the closest point. I hollered to the score keeper and said, "Ringer each, one point." I looked at Elmer and said, "Let's quit!" I don't know what happened after that, but I've been told years later that I didn't get another point. But, I sure remember that one point and getting a chance to play against a player of that caliber, of many, many records, in horseshoe pitching.

He sold me a pair of his horseshoes for $15. I remember him telling me, I would improve my ringer percentage by 10 percent if I pitched those shoes. I traded those shoes to Andy Mathews. From there I don't know what happened to them. But to this day I wish I had saved them.

Playing Elmer Hohl was my greatest and best remembrance in my horseshoe pitching days and I have some dandies.

Dean's Note: Paul Wishon, an original MCIHPC member, turned 83 on March 6. He started the Berkley Horseshoe Pitchers Club and is a WSHPA Hall of Fame member. He has promoted horseshoe pitching in the Detroit area and in Michigan for many years.

Elmer Hohl Highlights
1968: highest average 88.5%; highest single game percentage 100%; highest qualifying score 572 points; perfect 35-0 won-lost record.

1964: 15 consecutive "4 deads" with Carl Steinfeldt
Threw 69 ringers in succession (2nd only to Ted Allen's 72).

Once with his score at 46 points Elmer threw 54 consecutive ringers to count the final 4 points . His opponent, Sam Sutton of Pennsylvania threw 52 of 54.

From 1960 through 1977 (the 60's and 70's were the toughest years to win a world tournament), Elmer had 6 firsts, 6 seconds and never finished lower than 5th.

In those 18 years he never dropped below 80%.


Everyone has more than one good horseshoe pitching story. Please write it down as Paul has done, and I'll take care of the rest. Send by e-mail to deanMschmitz@cs.com or mail to me at the address on the Ringer Report cover. Also, send me copies of articles about horseshoe pitching that appear or have been in your local newspaper.