Just three years into the sport, Charlie Whatley has become a national champ. During the Canadian Horseshoe Pitching Championships July 11 to 14 in Saskatoon, Whatley placed first in the Elders D division.
“I was hoping to win but wasn't sure it would happen,” said Whatley of his expectations heading into the tournament.
“There was some tough competition. A couple of times I was brought down but I managed to bring it up again.”
He attributes some of his slip-ups on the first day of competition to the warm weather.
That first day Whatley heard on the Weather Network it was 38 degrees with the humidity and he made the mistake of wearing full-length pants to compete outside. Things picked up for him the rest of the week however, and he took home the trophy having beaten out seven other competitors for top score.
Whatley took up horseshoe pitching three years ago when he first moved to Innisfail with his wife.
Joking, he said he placed fourth in a local tournament in his first year. “But I was fourth of four,” he said, laughing.
Since then he's taken up practising and getting advice from the ace players on the local team and this year was his first time trying out the national level competition.
He said he went into the competition with a 35 per cent shot and averaged at the game a 40 per cent. The percentage is based on how many times in 40 throws a player can ring a horseshoe.
His highest score in Saskatoon was 23 ringers, or 56 per cent.
“I'm pretty happy,” he said of the results.
Whatley is already planning for next year's national event which will be held in Ontario.
“I like the competition and the people you meet. It's a very good game too,” he said, adding that it's an inexpensive game that almost anybody can take up.
