Horseshoe-pitching matches in Sonoma County offer friendly, old-fashioned fun

Horseshoe-pitching aficionado Casey Sluys likes to recite a quote common among his fellow sportsmen: “Our shoes fit everyone.”

It’s a saying that welcomes people of all ages and abilities to pick up a horseshoe, pitch it down a court and possibly make a ringer by encircling a stake 40 feet away.

Ringers may come with time and practice, but the sense of camaraderie among players is immediate.

Sluys, 72, is president of the Sonoma County Horseshoe Pitchers Club that meets weekly in Santa Rosa’s Doyle Park. Its 26 members include retirees, baby boomers and a pair of nationally-ranked juniors-division teens ­- people from all backgrounds and walks of life. The oldest member, at 86, still holds his own at the pits.

Although players hope to perform their best - and win - whenever they toss a horseshoe, competition is friendly and supportive.

“Before games you shake hands, after games you shake hands. There’s none of this macho stuff,” said Sluys, a retired machinist who was inducted into the sport’s National Hall of Fame and Museum in Missouri for his longtime efforts promoting horseshoe pitching.

He and his wife, Gail Sluys, 70, have been members of the local club for 30 years. Dating to 1936, it is one of 23 horseshoe pitching chapters in Northern California affiliated with a national governing organization.

The parent association estimates some 15 million enthusiasts pitch horseshoes in the U.S. and Canada.

Although health issues sideline the Santa Rosa couple from playing, they serve on various boards and show up to help out at Doyle Park every week. They still travel to pitching tournaments across the country, as they’ve done for years and years.

They say there’s no better way to get some exercise, meet fun-loving people and participate in something rooted in America’s farming history. They credit one U.S. president in recent memory with drawing attention to the sport they love - the senior George Bush installed horseshoe pits at the White House during his term in office.

At Doyle Park, no experience is necessary. Newcomers can just show up wearing closed-toe shoes and comfortable clothing. Horseshoes and instruction are provided, from methods for proper posture, swing and release to focus and rhythm.

“People don’t know the ability it takes for these games. It’s a great challenge and it’s so satisfying,” said Gail Sluys, a retired bank manager and renowned pitcher with six Sonoma County championship titles.

The club’s youngest member, 9-year-old Connor Hawkins, recently was soaking up the tips and techniques offered by experienced pitchers, including his grandfather, Carmen Cavallero of Graton.

Just a few weeks into summer vacation, Connor already had some bragging rights. The Santa Rosa fifth-grader beat his grandfather with a solid horseshoe-pitching victory.

“He’s getting a lot better in a short amount of time,” said Cavallero, 72. “Today he beat the snot out of me.”

The two enjoy the bonding time, even if Connor occasionally shows up his grandfather. Plus, the activity is portable, something the family can do at picnics or barbecues.

“It’s a sport you can play just about any place you go,” said Cavallero, an Army veteran and retired automotive technician. “You just need a small space and a couple of rods. You can’t haul around a pool table with you.”

In many cases, learning to pitch horseshoes is something passed down through the generations.

According to the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association, a form of the game traces to discus throwing in Rome and Greece during the second century. Peasants and soldiers used stray horseshoes to mimic the quoits that were used by wealthier players; as the game evolved, it eventually was introduced in this country by English colonists.

“It came to the U.S. as a farm game. They pitched (real) horseshoes,” Casey Sluys said. “We were all farmers initially before technology came along.”

Today, horseshoes larger than those worn by horses are manufactured specifically for pitching, typically weighing 2.5 pounds. The jarring metal-on-metal clanking of horseshoes hitting stakes is a sound not easily forgotten.

Sluys and his wife say most adult players have memories of tossing horseshoes with parents, grandparents and friends at family gatherings. “You hear that continually,” he said.

“They’d all get together for big dances or hoedowns and they’d be pitching horseshoes,” Gail Sluys said.

The couple introduced the sport to their grandson, 18-year-old Travis Sluys, a recent graduate of Maria Carrillo High School. He pitched his first horseshoe as a toddler and grew up immersed in the sport, with numerous accolades to his credit.

The sport has taken him to 42 states, South Africa and Lithuania. Last year, Travis and his friend, fellow pitcher Hayden Lee, 17, participated in more than two dozen tournaments. They will compete in the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association World Horseshoe Pitching Championships next month in Montgomery, Ala.

Hayden and Travis enter the junior boys-division championships ranked second and third, respectively. Hayden, a recent graduate of Montgomery High School, took the world title in the division in 2014, on his 16th birthday. Travis was the cadet world champion at 9.

The aces attribute their success to disciplined practice, enjoyment of the sport and the support of fellow horseshoe pitchers. High school athletes - Travis was a wrestler, Hayden played basketball - the two often find themselves explaining the sport to their peers.

With 16 courts with clay pits at Doyle Park, there’s room for additional horseshoe pitchers, including those with little understanding of the game.

Friendly competition and old-fashioned fun are a ringer away for all ages.

Contact Towns Correspondent Dianne Reber Hart at sonomatowns@gmail.com.