On any day of the week, you can walk down Grove street west of St. Vincent and take in the quiet serenity of the area. Away from the hustle and bustle of the main streets in town, it’s a peaceful place to live and visit — except on Monday nights.
On Monday nights, the clangs can be heard all through MacMorrisson Park.
The Barrie Horseshoe Club is located in the Grove street park and has been since the late seventies. The 30 person-plus organization is a member of Horseshoe Ontario, the provincial governing body of the leisure game. While no one is exactly sure when the club formed, what is known is that it’s been around for a long time.
Long-standing member Charlie Hastings will celebrate his 81st birthday in October and has been a member of the club since the late seventies.
“The club started around 1959, 1960,” said Hastings. “It use to be located up in Midhurst where a lot of farmers and their families would go and picnic while the men played the games. They moved down here around when I started and they’ve been here ever since. It’s a great game to play, it’s leisurely but we have a league and rules and scores apply.”
League night is Monday at 7:00 PM until approximately 9:30 PM and all 15 pits are in use as 30 players compete. There are six teams, with five individuals on a team and you play everyone on the other team once that night. At 40 shoes per game, one would throw 200 horseshoes a night in the league that starts in the middle of May and ends in August in time to start the playoffs. Hastings believes that as relaxing as it is, sometimes to play the game is a great workout.
“I’m getting older but I’ll keep playing until my health won’t allow me to,” said Hastings. “I’ve had a knee replaced, a hip replaced and open heart surgery so that tends to slow one down. But I’m still throwing 'shoes' and will until I can’t.”
Despite the assumption that only the older crowd play the game, the BHC has started to see some younger folks join the club.
Katie Schramm and her boyfriend were out doing some softball practice a few weeks ago and saw everyone playing. A couple questions later, they were in and have loved every minute since.
"I had no previous experience, though my boyfriend played a little at backyard get togethers, I think,” said the 35-year old Schramm. “It’s not that intimidating being new, although here’s a handicap system for newer players. It’s all based on how good you to start and that’s who you mainly compete with. Everybody is friendly. We don’t have our own horseshoes yet but everybody offers up theirs until we get ours.”
BHC President Dave Fralick has been playing the game for about 60 years. He has been with the club for the last six. Fralick admits that he’d like to see more kids playing and young adults but knows it’s a game that catches on later in life.
“It would be nice to have a division for kids so they could learn at a young age, but we’re doing all right,” said Fralick. “Every year we add a few more folks in the 30 to 40 age range, sometimes younger. The game gets played all over the country at family get togethers and outdoor functions. It’s a case of folks not knowing there’s a club in town."
There is a club in towns in Ontario. 33 clubs make up the provincial organization. The BHC has had its fair share of successful champions that have reached the national level and even those that have played in the world championships.
Fralick is proud of the big success of those in the club but still enjoys the small-town aspects of the game.
“We are extremely happy with the commitment of the City of Barrie to maintain this area. They do a great job every year,” said Fralick. “It’s all about community and making friends mainly. We head over to the Legion after and have a few laughs and the year-end banquet is something we all look forward too as well. It’s a great club and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
For more info on the Barrie Horseshoe Club (for fees and how to join), you can call Fralick at (705) 322-1786.
If you’ve never played the game and want to know how, check out Horseshoe Ontario online for everything you need to know.
