National Horseshoe Pitchers Association (NHPA)

About National Horseshoe Pitchers Association (NHPA)

A Family Sport
Horseshoe pitching boasts of being one of the few sports that has a national champion for men, women, boys and girls and can still be played in one’s backyard. It can be played by one or more and by the young as well as the old.

Physical Fitness
In this day of weight-watching, what better way to exercise than walking, bending and reaching? These are integral parts of this great sport. Game-related injuries are rare, and doctors have repeatedly stressed the beneficial aspects of this sport.

Join the Millions of Participants
It was recently estimated that upwards of fifteen (15) million enthusiasts enjoy pitching horseshoes in the United States and Canada, in tournaments, leagues, recreation areas and backyards. What sport offers so much for so little?

Sports Origin
The origin of this sport goes back to the days of the Roman Empire. Roman soldiers pitched horseshoes discarded from the horses used to drive their chariots.
Soldiers in the American Revolutionary War pitched horseshoes for recreation on the Boston Common. The Duke of Wellington in history said that the war was won by the pitchers of the steel (horseshoes).

An International Sport
The sport has been introduced in South Africa, Italy, Japan, Grand Bahama Islands, Togo, West Africa, Australia, New Zealand, West Germany, Nigeria, Honduras, Canada, South America, Israel, Norway, Switzerland, Poland, Phillipine Islands, England, Sweden, Finland and Russia.

Mission statement

The NHPA strives to promote and organize the sport and to standardize the rules, equipment and
playing procedures. The top priority is to serve as a unifying agent between state associations, local
clubs, unorganized groups and individual players. The NHPA sanctions the Annual World Championship
Tournament along with state association tournaments, regional and open events and a league program.
The NHPA also manages a player rating system, and publishes the sport’s online magazine Newsline .
For more information, visit our website at www.horseshoepitching.com.

Typical Event Information

Event Types

Locations Interested In