INNISFAIL – It never gets old for Myrna Kissick.
Innisfail's legendary horseshoe czar, a past Canadian and world champion, is still passionate for her sport at 88 years young.
She was the tournament director of this year’s Innisfail Legion Open, an annual horseshoe event in town for the past 38 years and now sponsored by the Innisfail Royal Canadian Legion Branch #104.
This year the annual event was held July 5 and 6 at the town’s still new horseshoe pit at the south end of Rotary Ann Park.
“It’s not hot but the wind is a pain though,” said Kissick, now a tournament non-player, but always busy at her table going over game results.
Kissick noted that attendance was down this year with 17 competitors from all parts of Alberta.
She noted the Innisfail tourney was the fourth major horseshoe competition in a month, with an Olds event on June 9, the Western Canada Classic in Calgary on June 10 and the provincial championship tourney in Calgary on June 15.
Nevertheless, Kissick was predicting a competitive local tournament right from the very start.
“We've got the top players of Alberta here,” she said.
Kissick noted Spruce Grove’s Cal Beaudoin, rated second nationally, and had a third place at the world championship last year, was out on the court pitching.
“Cal is phenomenal. He never strides. He just stands and he pitches 40 feet,” said Kissick. “For me the strides help you release the shoe, and it's good for your body because when you're pitching horseshoes you use every muscle in your body.”
Beaudoin told the Albertan he will be going to 2025 Canadian Horseshoe Pitching Championships being held at Quebec’s St-Joseph-de-Sorel from Aug. 14 to 17.
He is 37-year-old old and has been playing horseshoes since 2014 and competing in tournaments since 2017.
Noting that the competition in Innisfail was of high standard, Beaudoin was happy to compete as it would be the right preparation he needs for the upcoming national tournament.
“It’s good competition. It's always a challenge, and forces me to play my best,” said Beaudoin. “I've been practicing hard, so I expect to do well.”
And he did do well, finishing in first place in the A Class on both days of competition, and earning a $50 cash prize for each win.
Right behind Beaudoin in second place on the first day of competition was Calgary’s Jane Cordingley, who is also the tournament director for Canadian and Alberta horseshoe tournaments,
“We have some very competitive people in the A class, which is what I'm playing in today, and I've played in it since probably 1990,” said Cordingley, adding she likes the new Innisfail horseshoe facility. “It’s very new. It's only been about three years, and it is very nice.”
Following two days of competition Innisfail’s Charlie Whatley had the highest ringer percentage on Saturday while Calgary’s Bjarne Larson was the highest on Sunday.
The following are the winners of the four classes from the Innisfail Legion Open on the first day of competition (Saturday) with 17 competitors, and for the 13 players on Sunday:
Saturday, July 5 competition
A Class
• First place – Cal Beaudoin of Spruce Grove;
• Second place – Jane Cordingley of Calgary.
B Class
• First place - Garry Bartholet of Calgary;
• Second place - Dean Bittman of Calgary.
C Class
• First place – Ray Madu of Leduc;
• Second place – Dan Hall of Innisfail.
D Class
• First place – John Goulet Jones of Innisfail;
• Second Place – Norm Wallace of Olds.
Sunday, July 6 competition
A Class
• First place – Cal Beaudoin of Spruce Grove;
• Second place – Jane Cordingley of Calgary.
B Class
• First place – Wes Walker of Strathmore;
• Second place (three-way tie) – Leo Connix of Calgary, Mike Didrikson of Red Deer, and Garry Bartholet of Calgary.
C Class
• First Place – Norm Wallace of Olds;
• Second Place Dan Hall of Innisfail.
