New horseshoe league will be throwing ringers outside bowling alley

With a little luck, horseshoes will fly outside Collingwood’s bowling alley this summer and for many to come. 

Garry Coulter and Paul Hewitt are pinning their hopes on a ringer of an inaugural season for the Collingwood Horseshoe League. 

Hewitt and Coulter, backyard horseshoe champs, co-founded the new league together and are warming up their tossing arms for a six-week season on the new pits being put in at the Georgian Bowl property. 

“I’m excited,” said Coulter. 

He has been playing horseshoes since he was a child learning from his father. Coulter taught his four children and started the Coulter’s Cup tournament nine years ago. 

League nights will be Tuesday and Thursday evenings with three games per night and a $5 drop-in fee. Those who join the league will also be asked to pay a $30 registration fee, which gets them membership with Horseshoe Ontario. 

League play in Collingwood will allow participants an official tournament ringer percentage (similar to golf or bowling handicaps). 

In addition to a weekend tournament hosted by the Collingwood Horseshoe League, members will be eligible to enter any Horseshoe Ontario tournament.

The league accepts anyone over the age of 16, and that includes people who have never thrown a horseshoe. No equipment is required. 

Anyone under 18 years old must have guardian permission, and the pit area will be licensed for liquor consumption.

The pits can accommodate a league of about 70 members, and Coulter expects to get around 50 for the first season.

The league is non-profit, with proceeds going back into the players in the form of end-of-year prizes. The league will also pay Georgian Bowl for use of the pits.

There’s one more registration night tonight (July 15) at Georgian Bowl from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Registration can also be done during a league night. 

Though this season is only six weeks long, Coulter said they’re using it to work out the kinks and plan a 16-20 week season next year.

For more information about the Collingwood Horseshoe League, visit their Facebook page or their website.