It’s true… It’s really happening! Horseshoes in Ft. Tryon are now on Wednesdays in June.

aerial view of our deluxe playing field (flowers not shown, since they haven’t grown yet)

Show up about 7:00ish at the horseshow pits in Ft. Tryon Park near the A train station at 190^th St.

It might rain, but Hey, this is a Rain or Shine event.

BE THERE OR BE (SOME OTHER SHAPE THAN HORSESHOE SHAPED)

DID YOU KNOW?

Experts can pitch ringers when the stake is under a blanket or when they are blindfolded. You too, can do this, but only if you practice. 

GOOD TO KNOW: Our very own Ron Gustav Müller Jacobson (who has joined in at least twice) was able to make ringers when blindfolded. In his native Mississippi, he used to do blindfolded exhibition games. He had quite a following and was known as the “shoe pitching’ Swede” which was kind of strange since Ron is really Norwegian.

One bag of sand each was added to two of the pits. Ultimately it was spread around a bit.

Two bags of sand were added to the pits last Thursday. It would seem advisable that an additional 6-8 bags should be added to complete a top-notch job. The sand bags cost about $5 each and they weigh about 50 lbs. making for a decent exercise bringing them down the hill. It could be part of your summer body-building routine. What do you think? Donations are always welcome.

This sand was made for planting and it’s a bit too fine grained. So it got a little messy in the rain.

The combination of the new sand and the rain made for a bit of a muddy mess. I called it “mud shoes.” It would be good to find some sand that’s a bit heavier grained. Probably it’d be cheaper too.

This vine is so long that it can’t fit in one picture

These vines have very deep and hardy roots

There is currently very little weeding to be done on the pits, but many of the “weeds” are very hardy and thrive in bad soil.

Pictured above is the type of vine that had overgrown the whole area last year. Now little remains, but some runners and the roots. I don’t know what this plant is called, but  it has very strong and hardy roots which make raking almost impossible since the rake gets stuck on the roots. So ultimately the roots have to be cut. Not a hard task in itself, but since there are hundreds of these plants in the pit, it needs to be kept up with.

DID YOU KNOW?

Humans are the only primates that play horseshoes. This is true even though, humans share a majority of the physical traits shown in other primates. It is possible that non-human primates just don’t care about horseshoes, but also just as likely that they have trouble acquiring the necessary equipment. {REFERENCE}

GOOD TO KNOW: Non-human primates, also don’t read web sites about horseshoes, so if you are reading this, there is a good chance that you are human and could play horseshoes. That is, you could, if you wanted to.

Thursday’s turnout for horseshoes was less than overwhelming. However, this is understandable, since we all have so many things to do.

That being said, horseshoe pitching will be an ongoing event throughout most of the summer. RIGHT NOW, TWO MORE THURSDAYS IN MAY. (that day may change in June).

No one should feel limited to Thursdays as the pit is open to anyone on any day. That is, if you have your own horseshoes. Horseshoes can be bought HERE and HERE. And I can almost guarantee that owning your own horseshoes will motivate you to get out there and play.

ROUND 2 RECAP

Despite the poor turnout a few positive things did happen last Thursday

• The ecology initiative of treating vegetation with a live and let live policy, unless trampled by players, was momentarily suspended, as there were not enough players for sufficient trampling. Instead the machetes came out and weeds were mercilessly chopped down.
• When there was a question of whether to give a particular plant protected status, the usual ruling was to chop it off and ask questions later.
• However some plants indeed were spared, at least for now.
• Planting tulip bulbs along the border to be ready for next spring was a matter put up for further discussion.
• A new player named Ron Gustav Müller Jacobson joined in the play and he is quite a character. Ron is of mixed Dutch/German/Norwegian descent but most recently hails from Mississippi where horse shoes are king. He speaks in a southern drawl and it’s fun to hear him swear in all four languages. More about Ron later.

SEE YOU NEXT THURSDAY?

DID YOU KNOW?

40 Feet is the regulation distance between horseshoe stakes. The stakes themselves should be made of iron or soft steel and protrude 15 inches from the ground, leaning approximately 3 inches (12 degrees) from vertical toward the opposite stake. {REFERENCE}

GOOD TO KNOW: The horseshoe pit at Ft. Tryon park satisfies all of these requirements, so it’s all set for regulation play.