Last Saturday, the “good-old” horseshoe pits at Vets Park were brought to life by 20 community enthusiasts who came to play in the 4th Annual CITYTALK Horseshow Tournament.
Starting at 8:00am with two preliminary rounds, the 16 bracket players were paired up pitting people who were even in experience and knowledge about the game. As the players’ names were called, the players met and talked briefly about the scoring and decided who was going to start first.
All of the players live in the community and included Carlos Araiza, Albert Campos, Elaine Chavez, Christopher Gomez, Javier Gomez, Mel Hanson, Evelyn Jaaurigue, Dan Kincaid, Mason Maestas, Dino Martinez, Michael Martinez, Rosalie Martinez, Sandra Marintez, Marcos Meza, Edward Pedroza, Marycarmen Ruiz, and Nick Zupkofska. Dr.G served as the host and is the founder and coordinator of the Annual Community event.
The rules were simple…”DrG rules.” Each pair of players scored their own match with 1 point given to the closest horseshoe (to the post), 3 points were given if the horseshoe was touching, and 5 points were given for a “ringer.” The winner was the first person to reach 10 points and subsequently was moved on to the next round. According to DrG, there were eleven ringers during the tournament; Carlos Araiza (2 ringers), Mel Hanson (1 ringer), Dino Martinez (2 ringers), Michael Martinez (1 ringer), Sandra Martinez (1 ringer), Edward Pedroza (3 ringers), and Nick Zupkofska (1 ringer). Second year player Sandra Martinez, exclaimed, “I actually got a ringer…I prayed to Jesus and it just happened,” and went on to say, “Win or lose, its was fun to share the fun with people.”
Dr.G kept track of the matches, called out the players for each round, and marked down the winners on the official bracket board. The two players for the final round were Dino Martinez, a three-time tournament winner, versus Edward Pedroza, a first time player who won this year’s tournament. The winning prize was a $50 gift certificate for dinner at Woody’s Restaurant.
“This was a great event,” smiled Ed Pedroza, who continued, “I had a blast participating in the tournament. It was a great way to spend a few hours having fun with the community.” Another player Marycarmen Ruiz, played for her second year and reflected, “I’m a young person, but liked playing with the older people because they have fun being part of the community.”
For those who know Dr.G, which are many in the community, know that he maintains close contact with the residents. He is available, likes to create interesting community activities, and is always willing to help them as much as possible, including “rolling up his sleeves” on work projects. The purpose of this gathering was not only to play horseshoes but to enjoy the company of good friends, good food, and good vibes where everything is positive for the community.