Pitchers play for a cause in Patterson: MDA

Just as sure as there will be blazing summer heat in south Louisiana, people pitch a horseshoe or two in Patterson.

This month, they’ll be slingin’ ringers for a good cause, and they want you to be a part of the fun.

The Bayou Horseshoe Pitcher’s Association hosts its bi-annual MDA Benefit Horseshoe Pitching Tournament on Aug. 27 at Kemper Williams Park in Patterson.

BHPA president Tim Hayles said he wants everyone to come out and be a part of every ringer, point and leaner during this weekend of horseshoe pitching fun.

“I would tell anyone to come and enjoy the warm environment and make a few new friends,” Hayles said. “If you are wanting to start playing horseshoes, this would be a good time to come out and start … to be able to look and see how we play it.”

To take part in the event, one must first become a member of the National Horseshoe Association, which carries a $22 annual fee.

With it, you’ll be eligible to play in any NHA-sanctioned tournament.

“I can go play anywhere in the country,” Hayles said. “Let’s say I’ve got family in Georgia. If I want to go visit my family for two weeks, if there’s a tournament going on anywhere in Georgia, I can call them up and I’m eligible to go play.”

Once a member of the NHA, a person must also pay a $20 entry fee to take place in this particular event.

But that money isn’t lacing pockets within the BHPA. The entire $20 goes to the MDA.

“All of the entry money we get goes 100 percent to the MDA,” Hayles said. “For instance, in a tournament like this, say we get 50 people, that’s $1,000 right there.”

Hayles said he doesn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea about the competition at the event, saying that anyone is welcome to participate once entry fees are paid.

He added that everyone who pitches will be given a handicap, which means that the playing field will be level for all, regardless of one’s skill or experience level.

“Anyone can participate,” he added.

But if tossin’ shoes still isn’t your cup of tea, that doesn’t mean you should stay home, you’d still be missing out on some fun.

Kemper Park’s concession stands will feature tons of delicious treats to please the palates of anyone who is interested in just watching the event from afar.

Guess what? Concession revenues also go to the MDA.

“We’ll have plenty of food and we’ll have plenty of drinks,” Hayles said. “We’ll be sure no one is hungry and no one is thirsty, that’s for sure. There’s enough hamburgers and hot dogs to go around.”

With the pitchers competing for first-place bragging rights, a raffle and a 50/50 pull will also take place during the duration of the tournament.

“On average, for an MDA event, we might have $300 or $400 in a half-and-half drawing,” Hayles said. “Usually, the people who win give that money right back to MDA, which is a pretty awesome thing to see.”

Hayles said he couldn’t confirm exactly what items would be up for bids, but added that the prizes would be worth a bidder’s while.

“They always are,” the BHPA president boasted.

This month’s event is one of two MDA benefits the local pitching association does in a year.

The BHPA started in 1994 and was originally called the LA-70 Ringers. It adopted its current name in 1999.

“And it’s been this way ever since,” Hayles said.

The president said the Patterson association’s MDA event isn’t the only one across the state each year. A similar event exists in New Orleans and some pitchers from the Tri-parish area support both events.

He added that they usually draw “about $2,500 on average per year,” in donations for the MDA.

“It’s just a good thing,” Hayles said. “This is what we are. We love to do things to help give back.”

So whether you’re a horseshoe pitching pro, a novice looking to learn or just someone wanting to meet some friends and donate to a good cause, head on out to Kemper Williams Park in Patterson this month.

Hayles said he hopes to see you there.

“Come on out,” he said. “You’ll have plenty of fun with some good people. … This is just a cool little thing we do. And it’s just a neat little sport we play.

“And every dollar you spend is going to a very good cause. What more could you ask for?”

The in’s and out’s of horseshoes

A beginner’s guide to one of the Tri-parish’s hottest hobbies:

• A ringer, The gold mine of the sport. This is the apple of any horseshoe pitcher’s eye. To toss a ringer, one must wrap the points of the horseshoe around the stake, completely encircling it. A ringer is the most valuable score in the game. Toss a ringer at the BHPA and one will score three points.

• A point, A ringer isn’t an all-or-nothing proposition. After all, they’ve always said that close actually does count in horseshoes and hand grenades, right? That’s because if you toss a shoe that lands inside of six inches from the stake, you are rewarded with one point for your team. If opponents each have one shoe in the six-inch radius, both competitors aren’t given points. For that situation, the closest AND ONLY THE CLOSEST shoe is awarded one point. If one player has the two closest points, however, he/she may be rewarded with two points in a round.

• How many points does it take to win?, It varies from area to area or from league to league with some organizations playing up to 15, 21 or even 25 points to determine a winner. Other leagues set a “pitch count” and determine a winner after a predetermined amount of horseshoes have been thrown. When that method is used, 40 shoes or 50 shoes are the most common pitch counts used.

• What surface do most leagues throw on, In the BHPA and across the state, most leagues throw in sand pits. At the national and world levels, the game is played on clay. Some backyard games are even played on the lawn or in dirt. At competitive levels, the softer surfaces are preferred to take the element of “bounce” out of a toss.

• How do you make that big metal horseshoe get stuck around that short and stubby pole?, Every pitcher would tell you that he/she has a different technique. About the only thing universal about the technique is the grip. Almost every player holds the shoe at its base. From there, most pitchers thrust the bulky piece of metal underhanded. Some pitchers opt to generate a lot of wrist action to create a lot of flips for the horseshoe while it’s in the air. Others put more air under their toss, which means less flips. No technique is perfect and every player will develop his/her own style with practice.

• Do I have to play alone?, No. There are both singles and doubles competitions available for anyone wanting to participate.

• What is the distance from post to post?, The standard distance from stake to stake is 40 feet.