Westlock-area resident Alvin Nanninga earned top honours in his category at this year’s Canadian Horseshoe Championships in Blainville, Que. last month, beating out competitors from across the country.
This is an improvement over his second-place finish last year in Victoria, B.C., when he lost out to fellow Westlock horseshoe player Larry Griffith. Griffith did not compete this year, and Nanninga said might have had something to do with his win. “It feels pretty good,” he said. “It would have been more difficult with him there, but there were still some very difficult people there,” he said.
He also attributes his improved performance to having more time to practice. Prior to last year’s tournament, he had only just switched from a 40-foot length to a 30-foot length, so had only about a month of practice.
Griffith said he was not at all surprised that Nanninga finished on top since he’s been playing so well all season. He wouldn’t say, however, if things might be different had he’d also been competing.
“We’ve competed so many years against one another and we’ve played doubles together. He beats me sometimes and I beat him sometimes,” Griffith said. “That’s just the way it goes; it’s the close.”
Nanninga and Griffith started playing together many years ago at the horseshoe tournament at the fairs in Barrhead and Westlock, and both said their close rivalry helps them to improve.
“It sure helps. I hope he comes back next year and it will get us both better yet,” Nanninga said.
In a game like horseshoes, like with any other game that requires immense concentration, Nanninga emphasized the importance of practice. “I practice quite a bit,” he said. “I like to do it every day but it doesn’t always work that well because I’m still on the farm.”
The national tournament took place Aug. 10-14, with hundreds of players from across the country vying for gold medals in eight categories. Nanninga won the “Elder’s A” championship, throwing an impressive 466 ringers for a percentage of 70.18.
“That’s a pretty good percentage,” he said.
The ringer percentage is used to seed the tournament into categories similar to flights in a golf tournament, where players of comparable skill level grouped together.
There used to be a bit more competition in the Westlock area, but interest in the sport has waned in recent years.
“They used to have a fairly good club here at one time,” Griffith said, adding Westlock used to host a provincially sanctioned tournament yearly.
Now, however, there are fewer and fewer younger players showing any interest.
“There isn’t a lot of juniors,” Griffith said. “There’s no money it in, and it takes a lot of practice. If you’re not really interested in it, then you just don’t worry about it.”
There is still a lot of local interest in the sport, however, with many competing in the small tournaments at the various fairs around the area, but few if any compete at the provincial and national levels.
“That’s the sad part. With the provincial association we have tournaments nearly every weekend,” but not much participation, Griffith said.
“This year, there were a lot of Quebec people there and Ontario was fairly strong. In Alberta, it’s really dropped off,” Nanninga said. “I always say we need money in the sport.”
Despite the lack of financial compensation, the social aspect of the sport is what keeps them coming back — tournaments are held all over the continent, giving players the opportunity to meet a wide range of people.
“It’s nice meet people, but of course I like to win, too. I wouldn’t be there if I didn’t,” Nanninga said.
