Horseshoe pitching had a rare moment in the national spotlight Saturday, and fans of the sport hope the exposure will grow their ranks.
ESPN’s “SportsCenter” program made a visit to Topeka on Saturday to broadcast from the World Horseshoe Pitching Tournament. Host Matt Barrie said they have covered unusual events as part of a summer series, including a three-on-three basketball tournament in Spokane, Wash.
“We wanted to have a fun summer and come out to these events that are important to communities,” he said.
The crew set up cameras around the Kansas Expocentre to cover the pitches, Barrie said, and they approached it much like the sports they normally cover.
“We prepared to call it like any other highlights,” he said.
Everett Glenn, of Meriden, said he hoped the TV coverage would encourage more young people to try pitching horseshoes. People can enjoy pitching horseshoes at any age or level of physical ability, he said.
“We need to get more younger people involved and this could be an inspiration for them, to get in a tournament and be on television,” he said.
Michael Bowman, of Archie, Mo., said a friend called him to say he had spotted Bowman on “SportsCenter.” He said he didn’t think the TV coverage would affect the participants much one way or another, but he hoped it would increase respect for horseshoe pitching. Many people don’t understand the concentration and hand-eye coordination required, he said.
“It’ll probably change how people view it,” he said. “People say horseshoes isn’t a real sport.”
Bob Bloss, of Plattsburg, Mo., said horseshoes hasn’t attracted attention like some sports because it doesn’t have a major sponsor. He said he hoped the TV coverage would be a step toward greater recognition.
“We want people to get to know this sport. Everyone should be out playing,” he said. “It’s not getting enough publicity.”
