Community Spotlight: Brainerd Woman Wins First In Class At World Horseshoe Tournament

Connie Bachman has only been playing horseshoe competitively for five years, and she already has a world class championship under her belt by taking first place in her class at the 2018 National Horseshoe Pitchers Association World Horseshoe Tournament.

“It was pretty exciting because there was three tied for first place, so we had to have a playoff and I won the playoff,” said Bachman. “So that was really exciting.”

She got her start in horseshoe when she was 66 playing with a group of friends in Arizona, where her and her husband would spend their winters.

“I started the group up not knowing anything about horseshoes, and it turned out to be a very big, successful group,” Bachman explained.

During a game of horseshoe, you can either play with four people or two people. A ringer, where you throw the horseshoe around the peg, is three points, and when the horseshoe lands within six inches of the peg, it is worth one point.

Since Connie got her start in horseshoes, she has traveled across the country competing against and beating players much younger than her.

“Buffalo, New York, and then Topeka, Kansas, Alabama, Utah, and South Carolina was the last one,” added Bachman.

Her family has been there to support her along the way, traveling to tournaments and being her number one fans.

“She’s very successful because she definitely practices. She does her due diligence so she should be winning because she’s practicing every day,” said Cynthia Bachman, Connie’s daughter in law.

“If I would have started when I was young, I could do a lot better. But because I started at the age of 66 I’m still doing quite well,” added Bachman. “I’m pretty pleased with how I do.”

Connie hopes to continue her success at next year’s horseshoe world championships in Texas where she will continue to surprise people with her horseshoe pitching skills.

More than a thousand horseshoe pitchers from around the world took part in this year’s World Horseshoe Tournament, which ended on July 21.