Below [Attached] is my response to my induction into the NYSHPA Hall of Fame. Tri-County’s Sue Laughlin was also inducted on the 31st. The 3rd inductee is not a club member (Gary Dawley) and will be inducted at the Doubles Championships on September 20th. Bill
On August 3, 2025 I was one of three individuals inducted into the NYSHPA Hall of Fame {HOF} at the NYS Championships in Camden, NY. I was sincerely humbled by this honor, which was shared with pitcher Sue Laughlin and promoter Gary Dawley. Having my daughter Samantha assist with my ‘coating’ was wonderful. My heartfelt gratitude is extended to the HOF Committee chaired by Jack Stenberg. When I was informed that four sanctioned players affiliated with the Tri-County Horseshoe Club1 had sponsored my nomination as a promoter of horseshoes, I was surprised by their confidence in my qualifications. As it stands, I am grateful for their support and that of others within the horseshoes community. For more than 3 decades I have supported the Game of shoes as a courtside fan, player, and score keeper, as well as a participant in tournament work crews and the documentation of competition. Essential to my involvement in horseshoes has been my wife Mary’s encouragement, computer assistance and editorial advice.
I was introduced to the game of horseshoes in 1965 when I was on summer break from school studies. At the time, I was employed as a short order cook in a restaurant in Grand Lake, Colorado. Conveniently located next to the restaurant was a regulation horseshoe court. I was coached to pitch a turn shoe by my boss, who happened to be a fan of the legendary Ted Allen. When the summer ended, my bonus was a gift of 2 pairs of Ted Allen horseshoes.
With the exception of competing in informal picnic or pickup matches, I didn’t participate in real time or sanctioned competitive horseshoes until 1993, when I became a member of the Tri-County Horseshoe Club in Groton, NY. Try as I might, my pitching skills fall short of talented. Even so, my fascination with the likeability of horseshoe players -on and off the court- motivated me to write profiles about individuals, teams, or groups of players and document the outcome of competitive events. Much of what I wrote appeared in a periodic club newsletter (2002-2023) started by the late Luke Luther who was a cofounder of the Tri-County Club (1993) and Hall of Fame promoter {Class of 2003}. With the eventual establishment of an online web site, my coverage of tournaments, leagues, and players was enhanced by the collaboration of Ken Fraser, Dan Ough, Robin Eberhardt, and others.
On a closing note, I extend my congratulations to Sue and Gary for their respective inductions into the NYSHPA HOF. lt is a pleasure to be included with them in the Class of 2025.
- Ken Fraser, Charles E. Reigles, Daniel Ough and Douglas Kannus. ↩︎