How to Throw a Ringer Every Time | Ask the Expert

In the 118-year history of the world championship of horseshoe pitching, only one New Englander has ever won the crown. Brian Simmons of Vermont was recognized as the best in the world in 2000, 2002, and 2011. In throwing the 2½-pound horseshoes, he notches a ringer more than 80 percent of the time, one of the highest degrees of accuracy in the sport. At 56, he’s hoping he has one more title run in him. Here, he shares some of the secrets of his success.

Be Eager to Learn

“My father was a Class A horseshoe pitcher,” Simmons says, “and I grew up watching him and his friends play. I wanted to be like them. He died in 1996, but I remember everything he taught me.”

Make It Fun

Growing up, Simmons practiced every day. As a youngster he started out closer to the pin, then moved farther away as he improved. He credits his father with finding ways of keeping it fun. “Sometimes he’d put cones or a tire around the pin, so I’d have to drop the horseshoe in without disturbing anything. He’d sit in front of the pin and I’d throw over him. It was like a job to me, but he always made it fun.”

Take One Step at a Time

“I encourage new players not to focus on throwing ringers,” Simmons says. “Start by consistently getting it in the pit. You can score for being close to the pin. Play for points, and let the ringers come.”

Consistency Is Key

The one thing all good players have in common is consistency. “People stand differently and have different grips, but none of that really matters if your technique is good,” Simmons says. “A common tendency is to focus on the stake when you throw. I look at the stake at the start of the motion, but for me the goal is to bring the stake and the horseshoe into alignment at the moment of release. It’s like sighting a gun. When I release the shoe, my focus is on my hand. I want the same height, the same release point, every time.”

Keep Your Focus

When he’s competing, Simmons blocks out everything around him. “Horseshoes is a mind game,” he says. In tournament play, ringers score three points but can be canceled out if your opponent also throws a ringer. At the championship level, this makes for some long games. “You have to focus on what you can control and let everything else go. I focus on being consistent and having fun. There’s no sense getting mad. The more worked up you get, the worse you’ll play.”

Love What You Do

“Money can’t be my motivation,” Simmons says, and laughs. “There isn’t any.” Instead, he’s motivated by the pride of accomplishment and by the love of his extended “horseshoe family.” He met his wife through the game, and several other members of his family play at a high level. “It’s become my social life. I’ve met so many great people.”

Don’t Give In

The high level of success that Simmons has maintained is a testament to his ability to overcome obstacles. When he was a young man, his Crohn’s disease was so severe that he couldn’t compete. At 29 he was diagnosed with and treated for cancer. In 2003, he needed angioplasty for a heart condition. He’s had two strokes, including one just weeks before the world tournament in 2008. He still participated—and finished in second place with an 18-1 record.

Share the Wealth

Years ago, Simmons decided that his accumulated trophies—many of them quite large—were just collecting dust, so he donated most of the hardware to Special Olympics for distribution to participants in that year’s games. “The trophies meant so much to them,” he says, beaming. “That was definitely one of the coolest things I’ve done.”

Joe Bills

Former associate editor Joe Bills is the co-owner of Escape Hatch Books in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. After nearly a decade of fact-checking, responding to readers, and writing several articles for Yankee, he now brings his expertise to our sister publication The Old Farmer's Almanac.

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