JIM WILTSE Charlotte, MI Jim started pitching horseshoes as a kid on the farm near West Branch. He pitched horseshoes on clay courts the first time in Lansing in 1982 with the Capitol City Horseshoe Club.The Capitol City Club provided him a network of support and his enthusiasm for horseshoe soon became a vibrant part of his life. Jim received huge amounts of encouragement from the memberships and mentoring of Oscar Hope, John Decker, and Paul "Dewey" Howard. Jim served four years as Treasurer of the Capitol City Horseshoe Club. When the Tri-State (Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois) tournament was held at Kalamazoo, Mi., Jim participated and won Class B. He pitched in this tournament several more times and appreciates the opportunity to have been involved with pitchers from these states. For approximately 12 years, Jim has participated in the annual Michigan-Ontario Friendship Tournaments and is very respectful of tile Canadian pitching skills. He also admires their hospitality and friendliness. Jim's first World Tournament pitching was at Wisconsin; since then be has enjoyed pitching in the "World" at Ohio, Georgia and Ontario. He placed 10" in the Senior Division of tile 1996 World Tournament at Georgia. Jim has won the Michigan State Championship three times. He was State Champion in 1994, 1996 and in 1997. Jim was runner up to the State Champion in 1991, 1993 and 1995. Intense 
Jim has since moved up to the Elders division and has won the Elders State Championship in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005 and 2006. He was runner up to the State Champion in 2002 and 2004.Jim established a new Elders division High Game record of 95.45% in the 2005 State Championships. Jim has been Michigan Senior State Champion for the years of 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 In the fall of 1994, he helped in the meetings with the City of Charlotte to get horseshoe courts built in Bennet City Park. When the six courts were ready in the spring of 1994, fun helped organize Charlotte Horseshoe Club. He served as president of Charlotte Horseshoe Club in 1994, 1995, and 1996. Horseshoe means a lot to Jim and he very much wants to be a source of encouragement to anyone who may want to know more about the game. 
During some of the winter months, Jim attended many of the sanctioned Florida tournaments. Some of his greatest moments there were to spend pitching time with Karl Van Sant and Carl Steinfeldt.
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