Donald Louis Charles
May 7, 2009Gerald A. Guidry
May 9, 2009
Tim Gilmore had never been a huge fan of horseshoes.
But when his brother invited him to Kemper Williams Park in Patterson for a day of horseshoe competition, he decided to tag along.
What surmounted was Gilmore growing a love for the sport and eventually winning a gold medal in the Senior Olympics.
Today, Gilmore is one of many to participate in the Bayou Horseshoe Pitchers Association League, a league from St. Mary Parish which plays friendly competition at the park’s horseshoe pits every Tuesday.
He is the defending singles champion and has competed in and won various tournaments across the state and even in Texas.
SportsNet caught up with the horseshoe thrower to discuss how he got so involved with what is generally a recreational sport.
SportsNet: So Tim, how did horseshoes become such a big part of your life?
Tim Gilmore: My brother played in the league and he invited me to come play. Then he quit. I stuck with it, picked up on the game and have been doing it ever since.
SN: What makes horseshoes such a great sport to play?
TG: It’s just a lot of fun and very competitive. It’s a chance to be outdoors and meet people. It’s not a real physical sport so it doesn’t take its toll on your body and it’s real easy to learn.
SN: What is a common misconception about horseshoes?
TG: A lot of people think they can just go out and throw horseshoes, but it’s more than that. Once you get into competitions, it’s a whole different story. There are really great players out there who know every inch and bend of the horseshoe. It’s not like going in the backyard and throwing. We all take it seriously. We all want to win.
SN: What was it like winning the singles city championship last year?
TG: It was an honor. We have great competitors here, so to be able to win that was something special. It won’t be easy for me to defend the title, but we’ll see what happens.
SN: What is the Bayou Horseshoe Pitchers Association?
TG: It’s based here in Patterson. In 1997 the Atchafalaya Horseshoe Pitchers and the LA 70 ringers united to become the Bayou Horseshoe Pitchers Association. Since then we’ve been going strong.
SN: What changes have you noticed in the game?
TG: It’s become pretty popular statewide. Here, we built 16 40-foot cemented sanctioned horseshoe pits and are able to host the state tournament every three years. It’s become a little more popular statewide. Other than that, not much has changed about it.
SN: What are the basic rules to horseshoes?
TG: Rules are really typical. Forty shoes are thrown and the highest score wins.
A ringer is worth three points. Anything within a shoe distance of the pole is worth one. But an opposing player can cover a ringer.
They really are pretty easy to catch on to.
SN: Around what time did things start developing locally?
TG: Sometime around 1994 was when we started seeing things develop. In 1996, things really took off and that’s when the work began making the concrete slabs.
SN: I heard you had a chance to participate in the Senior Olympics. What was that experience like?
TG: That was around 2001 or 2002, but it was great. I was able to win the gold medal. I wanted to see how good I was against some of the top horseshoe throwers. I never could have expected I would have won.
SN: What advice do you give people who might be interested in playing horseshoes or maybe doing it for the first time?
TG: Give it a try. It’s a great sport to play, a great way to meet new people. We may be based in Patterson but we encourage people from all over to come out and join the league. It really is a good time. If you’re not that good we have handicaps to make it fair so right off the bat you could be starting with as much as a 60 or 70 point lead based on your handicap.
Tim Gilmore tries for a ringer last Tuesday at Kemper Williams Park in Patterson. Gilmore, a member of the Bayou Horseshoe Pitchers Association, is the defending city singles champion and even won a gold medal in the Senior Olympics in 2001 game. * Photo by KYLE CARRIER
