SANDY SMITH / DAUBER Battle Creek, MISandy started pitching competitive horseshoes in 1976. Originally started pitching back in the 1960's when her Father introduced horseshoe pitching to her in their backyard in Manchester, Michigan. It was just a backyard pit with dirt and the horseshoes would bounce and just slide in the pits. They used regular horseshoes right off of the horses at that time. Her whole family pitched horseshoes pretty much every night.  It wasn't until she met Bob Wells and Bob "Ozzie" Williams in 1976 at Summit Lanes in Vandercook Lake while bowling. One evening after bowling they mentioned that they both pitched horseshoes and were members of the Jackson Horseshoe Club. she told them that she also pitched horseshoes, but not competitively. She did not know at that time that they even had competitive horseshoe pitching leagues. Bob invited me out one evening to the club to watch. She decided that it looked like a lot of fun and a way to meet people. Bob sponsored her and she started in league play in Jackson. She entered my first horseshoe tournament in Jackson. Using her old horseshoes from home. They were smaller and much narrower then the regulation shoes everyone else was using. She was pretty accurate with those old shoes. It wasn't until she won her first tournament that Bob Wells said she probably should purchase a regulation pair of horseshoes now. She bought a pair of Gordon shoes. What a change that made for her. They were a much wider shoe, so it made it much easier to throw more ringers. Throwing a flip shoe with just one turn on the shoe.Sandy told us: "I keep my shoes low when I pitch. The other difference I had to get used too was pitching in clay. When you throw the shoe there's no sliding, they stick in the clay. So you better be accurate and right on the stack. I loved pitching. I went on that 1st. year in 1976 to win my first State Championship in Women's Class "A". I was thrilled and so were my parents. I then went on to win a total of (7) State Women Championships. I competed in (1) World Tournament and many other horseshoe tournaments after that. I thoroughly enjoyed my years of pitching horseshoes. I would encourage anyone who likes the sport to go join a club near them. There are so many organizations now. You won't regret you did it." "What was so nice about playing horseshoes and going to tournaments. You get to meet so many very nice people. Everyone welcomed me and was so friendly. I pitched some great women horseshoe pitchers in my twelve years in the association. Among them was Jean Swartout, Judy Curtiss, Dorothy Falk and Ann Wedel and also some wonderful Canadian women pitchers. They were all super ladies that I truly enjoyed pitching against and talking with. They all had a lot of great stories about their pitching years." "In my experience of pitching horseshoes to be a winning horseshoe pitcher. You have to dedicate yourself to a lot of practice, have a steady hand and consistent follow through and delivery. It's like bowling, you have to have the same consistent follow through. I bowled for many years and carried a 185 average. Horseshoes takes a great amount of concentration to be accurate. You have to learn to block everything out around you and just concentrate on your target, that stack. I'm right handed, throw a Gordon shoe and throw the flip. My delivery is only one flip in the air, right to the stack. I throw a low shoe. Most of the ladies throw a high shoe in the air. For me, I found that I don't like to get the shoe up too high, because if you have a very windy day you loose the control of the shoe in the air." She have been married to my husband Stan for 25 years. She have two grown children Michelle and Cary with five grandchildren. "They think it's pretty cool that Mom and Nana was a Champion Horseshoe pitcher. I am very proud of my accomplishments and hope to continue to pitch horseshoes as long as I can. It's a wonderful sport." 
Sandy became a member of the W.S.H.P.A. in 1976. She was a member of the Jackson Horseshoe Club in Jackson, Michigan and later with the Raisin River Horseshoe Club in Adrian, Michigan. Sandy placed 2nd in the World Championship Tournament in Greenville, OH in the Class "C" Women's division. She is a seven (7) time Class "A" Women State Champion.Sandy throws Gordon horseshoes - 21b. 8oz, throws the flip and is right handed. Below is the list of her accomplishments: World Championship Tournament 2nd. Place, Class "C" Women 1977- Greenville, Ohio (7) State Championships, 1st. Place, Class "A" Women 1976,1977,1978,1979,1985,1986 and 1987 State Championship, 2nd. Place, Class A Women 1984 (3) Water Wonderland Tournament Championships, 1st. Place, Class "A" Women 1978 & 1985 in Jackson, Michigan at Jackson Horseshoe Club 1979 in Dimondale, Michigan at Chief Okemos Club (2) Capital City Open Tournament Championships, 1st. Place, Class "A" Women 1985 & 1988 Lansing, Michigan A) Midwest Tournament of Champions, 1st. Place, Class "A" Women River Raisin Horseshoe Club Tournaments - Adrian, Michigan 1984 - 1st. Place High Series, Class "A" Women 1984 - 2nd. Place in Class "A" Women 1985 - 1st. Place in Class "A" Women 
Jackson Horseshoe Club Tournaments - Jackson, Michigan 1979 - 1st. Place Class "A" Women 1984 - 1st. Place Class "A" Women
Placed 1st. and 2nd. in many other tournaments around the State in:Berkley Horseshoe Club Tournaments Brown City Horseshoe Club Tournaments Burr Oak Horseshoe Tournaments Kalamazoo Horseshoe Club Tournaments Lake Orion Horseshoe Club Tournaments Sturgis Horseshoe Club Tournaments Sandy held office and served as 2nd. Vice President of the W.S.H.P.A. for one year. See news clipping from The Saline Reporter, October 28, 1987 and varies pictures. |