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.

1. Ken Fraser, Charles E. Reigles, Daniel Ough and Douglas Kannus. ↩︎

Four members of the Tri-County Horseshoe Club will be competing in the NHPA World Tournament in Sandy, Utah (July 21 – August 2).  They are Ken Fraser, Karen Graham, Leroy Mast and Don Middendorf.  Refer to attachment for details.  Wishing them an enjoyable experience. 

At Tri-County Horseshoe Club, we offer National Horseshoe Pitching Association (NHPA) sanctioned tournaments from October through May and non-sanctioned standing doubles tournaments from October through April. We also have several evening leagues beginning in October of each year.

Centrally located in Groton, New York, the Tri-County Horseshoe Club is the premier indoor horseshoe pitching facility for New York State, drawing competitors from not only all areas of New York, but also from other states in the northeast region. Our eight spacious pits are well lit and heated for your pitching enjoyment, and our lounge invites you to partake of some home cooked food or just sit a spell among friends.

The following is a historical article which was written by John Martin.

Long before indoor horseshoe courts in New York were even imagined, Melvin “Luke” Luther knew that someday a first class indoor facility would occupy part of the land he owned in Groton. He didn’t know how or when, but he knew for sure it would happen. He was willing to donate the land and participate in the formation of something no one in N.Y. had any expertise in. His reasoning was, with the short summer season, the indoor concept was really needed, and Groton is centrally located.

At first his enthusiasm inspired just a few, but gradually more and more joined in and eventually the Tri-County Horseshoe Club was formed. About that time, Ed Barrett started “The Pits” in the Binghamton area. Luke heard about it and along with several others from the Groton area participated in league play and tournaments. Consulting with Ed he learned the financial aspect would be the toughest obstacle to hurdle. “If you ever want to make money, you won’t make it with indoor Horseshoes.” Ed said. In spite of these words of caution, Ed and others, including George Lovel, and Charlie Reigles, encouraged Luke to go forward with the Groton courts.

He realized it would be crucial to have a membership willing to participate and be wholly devoted to the success of the club. Key players like Gary Mandino, Bill Peterson, Greg Wiley, Gary McKay, Harry and Bonnie Lukasavitch, and Alan Overbaugh, to name a few, came on board. No stone was left unturned to meet the money requirements, all members had a voice, all ideas were considered and to this day, this philosophy remains the key ingredient.

Current President, Tom Sheffler, financial guru, Rich Andrews, Vice President Jim Toolan, Secretary Bill Hornbuckle, Tournament Director Eric Conrad, Editor April Scheffler, Bud Devlen, Dan Ough, Starry Sherwood, Gregg Wiley, Phil Woodin Jesse Wilki, Fred Shelton, Shirley Frost, and many others are influencial. Dual members like The Reigles family, Glen Addicott, Cliff Bidwell, Dick Kenney, and Tino Deangelo, to name a few, “pitch in” with Groton regulars for work details, and to help with leagues and tournaments.

Pitchers and guests from near and far attend fall and winter tournaments, in addition to the large Dallas Pa. contingent; there are others from several Pennsylvania towns. In NY, they come from Binghamton, Buffalo, Rochester, Corning, Syracuse, Deposit, Walton, New Berlin, many towns in between, and a hard-core group in the Groton area.

What a great organization has evolved… it’s obvious that Lukes Vision has been realized, and it is the horseshoe enthusiasts of today who are enjoying the fruits of his and the original founders, labor of love.  jm

The Tri-County Horseshoe Club is located at
359 Locke Road (St. Rt. 38) in
Groton, New York

This post was recreated from the original done by John Martin.

Picture story of the construction of the Tri-County Indoor Pits. What you might not know about something you know something about . . . Luke Luther donated this land.

The building starts to take shape. Many hands make light work. Every day there is great progress, excitement builds, more and more members volunteer to help.

It won’t be long now ! Just put on the roof, then the sides, windows and doors and we are ready to go inside and start laying out the courts.

Oops – Where did that wind come from? Imagine how everyone felt when they saw this. What do we do now? Luke’s dream may never happen. ! !

Now stay up this time, and it did. We now have a great place to pitch. Luke was smart enough to have insurance on the construction of the building. There was no way his dream would not be fulfilled ! ! ! There is an album in the lounge with many more pictures of the construction. You are welcome to view them.  jm