Northern Wyoming News - Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years

Worland's Joyce Desmond won her sixth state title in horseshoes last Sunday in Lovell.

Desmond won her first title in 2008, winning five straight. After three years of domination by Newcastle horseshoe pitcher Connie Filley, Desmond won her sixth last weekend in the women's Class A division, the top division for horseshoe tournaments.

There were six competitors, Desmond said, and they played a round robin on Saturday and Sunday. After losing her first match Saturday, Desmond won nine straight to capture the title with a 9-1 record.

She noted that each game is to a score of 40, and if a ringer lands on another ringer there is no one scores any points so games can take a while. One game 68 shoes were pitched she said.

Desmond said this state champion is special because "I hadn't expected to win too many more times." She said Filley is "very, very good."

Desmond has been throwing shoes for 22 years, starting in Wisconsin. She said she would bowl in the winter and throw shoes in the summer.

She and her husband Dick moved to Worland in 1998. They are members of the local club, which will host next year's state tournament at the sanctioned pits at the Washakie County Fairgrounds. Worland's pits were sanctioned in 2008 and since then they have been able to rotate in to host the state tournament. There are only four sanctioned pits in the state that host - Lovell, Worland, Rock Springs and Gillette.

Desmond said there are other sanctioned pits in the state, but the communities don't have enough horseshoe pitchers to volunteer to host the state tournament.

Desmond said she would like to see more people involved but noted horseshoes is a sport that is yard to get the younger people involved.

There are about 20-25 active horseshoe players in the local club, including two that come from Shoshoni. They host three sanctioned tournaments a year, one in May, one in early July and one during the Washakie County Fair, Desmond said.

She said they don't have a set league night but occasionally they will gather on a Thursday night. She said it's hard to pick a time because people are so busy in the summer.

Desmond enjoys horseshoes for many reasons but one main reason, "I've made such good friends traveling around the state to tournaments."

Desmond has competed at the national tournament in previous years, earning second in Class C three years ago when the tournament was in St. George, Utah. The national tournament returns to St. George next July and Desmond said she plans on competing.

You can also plan on catching her at the county fair competition and of course next August here in Worland defending her state title.