Pitching for Perfection

Pitching for Perfection

Alan Francis, of Defiance, Ohio, stares intently 40 feet across a concrete floor at his target, a metal stake driven into a clay-filled pit. With a single, poised step, he tosses a 2-pound, 8-ounce horseshoe and, as with most of his throws, the shoe clangs on the stake . . . another dead ringer.

By the end of the game, Francis has soundly defeated his opponent, landing 39 ringers out of 40 tosses—a 97.5 percent average—and he goes on to win first place in last month's Volunteer State Open Horseshoe Tournament in Crossville, Tenn.

"One of the secrets to Alan's success is his focus on the game," says Paul Stewart, president of the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association (NHPA). "Nothing seems to rattle him. He's got the mind game mastered when it comes to horseshoe pitching."

Concentration and confidence make Francis, 36, the top in his sport. He lands an average of 90 percent ringers, has won a record-setting 11 Men's World Horseshoe Champion titles since 1989 and gone undefeated in tournament play for nearly two years. During one tournament, he threw 64 consecutive ringers.

Despite his extraordinary ability and achievements, Francis is a modest champ who shakes hands and chats with each challenger. "Even his opponents like him," Stewart says. "He's a polite and humble winner."

Francis attributes his success to regular practice, perfecting a precision throwing technique and staying mentally focused in the heat of competition.

"I like competing against people who are similar in ability," he says. "But not only that, I like competing against myself to see if I can get better."

When pitching horseshoes, Francis is a wonder to watch. Spectators often shake their heads in amazement as he lands ringer after ringer. His consistency is so extraordinary that it appears his iron horseshoes are magnetically attracted to the metal stake.

His pitching prowess isn't magic, however; it's in his blood. Francis learned the game from his father while growing up in Blythedale, Mo. (pop. 233). He began competing in tournaments at age 9 and won his first men's world championship at 19.

In 1995, Francis met his wife, Amy, an accomplished horseshoe pitcher in her own right, at the world tournament in Perry, Ga. They were married a year later, and began practicing and attending tournaments together. In 2000, both placed second in their respective division during the world championships in Bismarck, N.D.

"That's when I felt I didn't need to compete with him anymore," says Amy, 38, a three-time runner-up in the women's division.

During spring and summer, the couple pitch horseshoes three or four days a week in their back yard in Defiance (pop. 16,465). They travel to 10 tournaments around the country each year with their son, Alex, 2.

While Francis estimates he's won $60,000 during his 27-year horseshoe career, it's not money that motivates him. His constant desire is to pitch the perfect game of 100 percent ringers.

"I saw a sign the other day that said 'If you're through improving, you're through,'" says Francis, who works as a salesman for a commercial printing company.

He adds: "I have a God-given talent that I shouldn't waste. I want to be as good as I can be, because I know people enjoy watching people throw ringers."

The NHPA's World Horseshoe Pitching Tournament is scheduled July 10-22. For more information, visit www.horseshoepitching.com

Stuart Englert is a Senior Editor at American Profile.

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