Horseshoe games at the End
of the Pavement
1978 - 2009
By Janice Boling
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Horseshoe games at the End of the Pavement were held every weekend.
We did not need a crowd to play horseshoes.
Three or four people could get a game started. In some ways, those were the most fun.
Alan, Grapell, and the horseshoe pits
I loved this picture of Grapell. She looked so young and energetic.
Gomer and Hambone with horseshoes
Gomer and Hambone were regulars at the End of the Pavement. These brothers both loved a good game of horseshoes.
Diane prepares to throw a horseshoe
A horseshoe player took her time. She did not get up there and rush the process. It took concentration and the right frame of mind.
Women were offered the option of moving up a few feet in front of the stob but most of us were too proud to do that. We wanted to play like the big boys. The only women to take advantage of that courtesy, were newcomers. They soon learned that to fit in, they had to throw the whole distance of 40 feet.
Darrell was fixing to throw horseshoes.
Darrell had good form when throwing shoes. I bet he threw a ringer or at least got the point.
Jill took her turn
Jill always gave it her best and was often a winner. She took her time, aimed, and flipped her shoe like the best of them.
Sometimes we set up two sets of pits, side by side. With two games going at once, we could get through games twice as fast. It didn't happen often, but every now and then someone would run over a stob with their vehicle. Old trucks and cars were pretty much immune to damage, but a horseshoe stob could tear off a plastic bumper.
Look at Jill's mom jeans! We all wore them back in the 1980s. No other styles were available unless we dug out our our bell bottoms.
Who got the points?
Sometimes it was hard to see what was what. With ringers and leaners all piled up, it took a trained eye to sort it out. Gary's eye was good. I bet the points were his.
Jerry and Nathan watched the horseshoe game.
That was Vickie in the background -- no one else had hair that long.
I bet Vickie, a quiet girl around the EOP, could take care of herself, She had that confident look.
Tammy was ready to throw.
Women played lots of horseshoe games at the End of the Pavement. Tammy, Marie, Diane, Brenda, Jill, Grapell, myself, and lots of other female participants kept up with the men. We might not have had the same strength in our arms, but we made up for it with determination. What drove us to play? We wanted to win!
Gomer with two horseshoes
Gomer with a pair of horseshoes was a familiar sight at the End of the Pavement.
I think this is the only picture I have of someone actually holding up a pair of horseshoes.
Funny what we choose to shoot -- I have always liked to take portraits. Many have been posted to Facebook, some are on my computer, but most of the old ones are in photo albums sitting on a shelf beside my desk. Right now, I am thankful for my scanner so I can save them to digital format. The originals are not going back into the old albums. They are going in envelopes.
Susan throws a horseshoe
This picture was taken in 1984. Susan was with Jimmy Totherow, JC's brother.
Shortly after this picture was taken, Billy and I rode with Jimmy to pick up Susan in Fort Knox, Kentucky. What a trip. We went up in a small car which was no problem. Then we arrived and Susan started packing stuff around us. We came back with Susan, a baby, a car seat, a diaper bag, a large dog, and a parakeet in a big cage -- not to mention suitcases and boxes. Needless to say, I was happy to get home.
Horseshoe game underway
Tammy and Tony are in the middle of a horseshoe game. I wonder who was winning.
Timmy and Michelle
Timmy and Michelle were keeping a tally -- crossing off losers from the board. They might have been doing some kind of Fantasy Football game. I don't really remember exactly but I am sure money and gambling were involved.
Gary worked on the pits.
Horseshoe pits required some work to stay in good shape. That was where a shovel or rake came in handy.
We also liked to keep the dirt around the pits moist which helped cut down on dust. No one liked a mouthful of grit.
If you want to know how to build a backyard horseshoe pit, visit the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association.
Picking up horseshoes
Of course Raymond's face is familiar to everyone at the End of the Pavement -- but this man's butt is not. I have no idea who is picking up those shoes.
The End of the Pavement in black and white
Tammy threw a horseshoe while waiting on enough people to show up for a game.
Sometimes black and white film could set a mood -- it worked in these two photos.
Getting ready for a game
More players arrived and Brenda helped draw up the teams. We put names in a hat and drew partners. Later on we used a shaker with numbered pills.
The Poker Palace was in the background. The woods were a mess -- Hurricane Opal had wiped out a lot of trees.
Night games
We did not play as many horseshoe games at night as we did in the light of day but they were just as fun.
I loved the End of the Pavement after dark. Things were more relaxed. People let go of inhibitions. I guess by then most of us were drunk or stoned and didn't care what anyone thought. In that atmosphere, we really got to know each other.
Jeff entertained us with a few songs.
Usually we listened to car radios and stereo systems but sometimes a musician would bring a guitar.