American Agriculturist, July 19, 1924 
Rules for the Barnyard Golf Contest 
Big Interest Already in County and State Contests—Better Get Busy 
37 
T HE horseshoe pitching contests to deter¬ 
mine the champion teams of each county 
and later the state champions at the 
State Fair are already attracting a lot of 
attention. Farm Bureaus in a large number of 
counties are making arrangements for the county 
contests to be held either at large county-wide 
picnics sometimes during the summer, or at the 
county fairs. Winners of these contests will go to 
the State Fair where they will compete on Farm 
and Home Bureau Day under the auspices of the 
American Agriculturist and the New York 
State Federation of Farm Bureaus to determine 
who are the best barnyard golfers in the Empire 
State. 
R. H. Hewitt, Jay Coryell, W. L Norman and 
E. V. Underwood, a committee representing the 
Farm Bureau, met with E. R. Eastman, Editor of 
American Agriculturist, on July 5th, to formu¬ 
late the rules and regulations under which the 
county and state contests will be conducted. 
These rules are printed below: 
National Rules 
The national rules will be used in all contests, 
state and county, with exceptions as noted below. 
Entries Limited to Amateurs 
The entries to contests both county and state 
are limited strictly to amateurs. An amateur for 
these contests is defined as the individual or team 
who has not won either first, second or third 
place in a contest at a state, sectional or national 
tournament. 
Entries to the state contest are limited to the 
winners of county contests. Not more than the 
two highest teams will be eligible. 
Prizes 
Prizes for the winning team and grand cham¬ 
pionship individual prizes are to be made and 
awarded by the American Agriculturist. These 
consist of first, second and third prizes of $100, 
$50 and $25 cash for the winning teams and a 
silver cup for the grand champion of all the 
State. 
Time of State Contest 
It is recommended that the state contest be 
held at the State Fair on Farm and Home Bureau 
Day, Tuesday, September 9, 1924. 
Other Regulations 
The grand championship contest shall be between the 
individuals of the three winning teams. It shall be 
decided by the best two games out of three, 50 points 
each. 
County and state contests shall consist of three games 
of 21 points each. Best two out of three are winners. 
All teams to be shifted to opposite pitcher’s box at 
end of each game. 
Local contests shall be held under the direction of 
the County Farm Bureau agent. All agricultural 
organizations are eligible to enter teams in county 
contests, and any individual not professional is eligible 
to enter the county contests. 
Each county entering the state contests is requested 
to furnish one man for referee or score keeper. Each 
county to furnish calipers and a set of regulation shoes. 
The Farm Bureau Federation will cooperate with the 
American Agriculturist in holding the state contest. 
This cooperation will be in the matter of publicity, the 
holding of the contest on Farm and Home Bureau Day 
and in other ways as opportunity permits. 
State Committee in Charge 
The State committee having general charge of the 
State contest will consist of E. R. Eastman, R. H. 
Hewitt, W. L. Norman, E. V. Underwood, J. Coryell, 
and Henry Morgenthau, Jr. 
The national rules are printed in their entirety below: 
Watch your Farm and Home Bureau News and 
American Agriculturist for further and com¬ 
plete details, and for the names of winners in 
these horseshoe pitching tournaments. 
Then get out your horseshoes after supper and 
begin to practice up. The contests are going to 
make a lot of interest and a lot of fun, and some¬ 
body is going to win some valuable prizes as well 
as the state championship. 
Official Rules of the National Horse Shoe Pitchers’ Association 
The following are the official rules of the Na- 
tional Horse Shoe Pitchers Association. 
GROUNDS AND COURTS—Rule 1.— The grounds 
shall be as level as possible. Pitcher’s box shall be filled 
with Potter’s clay or any substitute of a like nature; 
the clay must be kept moist and worked to a putty-like 
condition and to a depth of not less than six inches and 
at least 18 inches around the stake. ' 
PITCHER’S BOX—Rule 2.— The pitcher’s box shall 
extend three (3) feet on either side to the rear and front 
of the stake. Said box shall be constructed of material 
2 x 4 and shall not extend more than one inch above the 
level of ground. Where several courts are constructed 
a 2 x 4 shall be laid full length of such courts three feet in 
front of the stakes. In delivering the shoe into the 
opposite pitcher’s box a contestant may stand any¬ 
where inside the pitcher’s box. For indoor pitching the 
boxes shall not exceed six inches in height above the 
adjoining grade. 
STAKES —Rule 3.— The stakes shall be of iron, one (1) 
inch in diameter, perpendicular, inclined one (1) inch 
toward the opposite stake and extending eight (8) inches 
above the ground in the pitcher’s box. On single 
courts the stakes shall be set in the center of the 
pitcher's box. Where several courts are constructed the 
stakes shall be not less than eight (8) feet apart, in a 
straight direct line where possible. 
The Standard Horseshoe 
HORSESHOES—Rule 4.— No horseshoe shall exceed 
the following regulations; seven and one-half (7)4) 
inches in length, seven (7) inches in width, two and one- 
half (2>0 pounds in weight. No toe or heel calk shall 
measure over three-quarters (%) of an inch in length. 
Opening between the calks shall not exceed three and 
one-half (3)<j) inches, inside measurements. No horse¬ 
shoe constructed in a freak design will be considered 
regulation. 
REGULATION GAMES—Rule 5.— A standard regula¬ 
tion game shall consist of 50 points and the contestant 
first scoring this number after all shoes have been 
pitched, shall be declared the winner. In all match or 
exhibition games between two contestants, eleven (11) 
games of 50 points each shall be an official series, the 
one winning six (G) games shall be declared the winner. 
—See modifications above. 
PITCHING DISTANCE—Rule 6.— The standard 
regulation distance shall be forty (40) feet from stake to 
stake, measuring where the stake enters the ground. 
For women in contests and tournaments the distance 
shall be thirty (30) feet. 
PITCHING RULES—Rule 7.—No contestant shall 
walk across to the opposite stake and examine the 
position of his opponent’s shoes, before making his first 
or filial pitch All contestants shall pitch both shoes 
from the pitching box, into the opposite pitching box or 
forfeit the value of one (1) point to his opponent. All 
contestants shall, when having first pitch, after deliver¬ 
ing both shoes, stand back of a line even with the stake 
and out of the pitcher’s box. Any contestant failing to 
comply with this rule shall forfeit the value of such 
shoes pitched. Any contestant delivering his shoes 
landing outside of the opposite pitcher’s box shall for¬ 
feit the value of his pitch. Wrapping the fingers with 
tape, or the wearing of gloves shall be permitted in any 
or all games. If at any time a shoe is broken, such as 
striking another shoe, the frame of the pitcher’s box, 
the stake or other cause, such shoe shall be removed 
and the contestant entitled to another pitch. 
What Constitutes a Ringer 
RINGERS—Rule 8.— Any shoe to be scored as a ringer 
shall encircle the stake far enough to permit a straight 
edge to touch both heel calks and clear the stake. 
FOUL LINES—Rule 9. —A foul line shall be established 
three (3) feet in front of the stake and any pitcher 
stepping over the foul line in delivering his shoe shall 
lose the value of his pitch and no score shall be credited 
to him. 
FOUL SHOE—Rule 10. —A shoe that does not remain 
within six (G) inches of the stake, in all National Tourna¬ 
ments and match contests, shall not be entitled to score. 
(This does not apply to informal pitching or games 
where the players decide otherwise.) If a shoe strikes 
the frame of the pitcher’s box or other object such shoe 
shall be considered a foul shoe and shall not score. 
POINTS—Rule 11.— The most points a contestant can 
score in a single game shall be fifty (50) points. A 
pitcher shall be credited with all ringers pitched. If a 
shoe when thrown moves another shoe, both shoes are 
counted in their new positions. 
TIES—Rule 12. —All equals shall be counted as ties. 
If both contestants have one shoe each an equal distance 
from the stake, or against the stake or ringers, they 
shall be counted tie and the next closest shoe shall score. 
In case of all four shoes being tie or equal distance from 
the stake, or four ringers, no score shall be recorded and 
the contestant who pitched last shall be awarded the 
lead. 
MEASUREMENTS—Rule 13— All measurements 
shall be made by the use of calipers and straight edge. 
COACHING—Rule 14.— No contestant during the 
progress of a game, contest or tournament, shall coach, 
molest or in any way interfere with a pitcher in any 
manner, except that in four-handed games, partners 
shall have the right to coach each other. 
FIRST PITCH—Rule 15.— At the beginning of a game 
the contestants shall agree who shall have the fisst pitch 
either in single, three or four-handed games by the 
toss of a coin, the winner to have his choice of first pitch 
or follow. At the beginning of the second game. the 
loser of the preceding game shall have the first pitch. 
NATIONAL AND STATE TOURNAMENTS—Rule 16.- 
In all championship tournaments the Rotation 
Group method shall prevail. In each group each pitcher 
will pitch each other one game. Same procedure shall 
prevail in the finals. All tie games shall be pitched off. 
No championship shall be w r on or lost, only in a legal 
tournament. 
DISPUTES AND FINAL JURISDICTION—Rule 17.- 
In case of any dispute, or where the rules do not 
specifically cover a disputed point the referee or com- 
mitee in charge shall have full power and final juris¬ 
diction. 
SCORING RULES—Rule 18. —Any shoe that does riot 
remain within six (6) inches of the stake shall not be scored 
or counted. The closest shoe to the stake (within six 
inches) shall score one (1) point. If both shoes are 
closer than the opponent’s they shall score two (2) 
points. 
A ringer shall score three (3) points. A ringer and a 
closest shoe shall score four (4) points. A double ringer 
shall score six (G) points and is the highest score a con¬ 
testant can make. 
In case of each contestant having a ringer, the next 
closest shoe shall score and all such ringers shall be 
credited as ringers pitched but not counted as a score. 
If each contestant has a double ringer, both double 
ringers are cancelled and no points scored. If a con¬ 
testant shall have two ringers and his opponent one, 
the pitcher having two ringers shall score three (3) 
points. 
In case of a lie of all four shoes such as four ringers or 
all four shoes an equal distance from the stake, no 
score shall be recorded and the contestant who pitched 
last will be awarded the lead. 
Where ringers are pitched and cancelled, they shall be 
credited to the contestant who pitched such ringers and 
no score shall be credited as point scored. All equals 
shall be counted as ties and no points scored. Any shoe 
leaning against the stake shall have no advantage over 
a shoe lying on the ground and against the stake; all 
such shoes are ties. If a contestant has a shoe leaning 
against the stake it shall count only as a closest shoe, j 
Where Three are in a Game 
THREE-HANDED GAMES—Rule 19.— In three- 
handed games where two contestants each have a double! 
ringer and the third contestant no ringers, the two coni 
testants having double ringers shall score their closesl 
shoe. If all three contestants each have a ringer thel 
shall score the closest shoe. If two contestants eacB 
have a ringer and the third contestant no ringer, thj[ 
two contestants having ringers shall score their closest 
shoes. 
In all three-handed games the contestants having ringers 
shall at all times score their closest shoes over their op¬ 
ponents who have no ringers, whether it be two contest¬ 
ants with double or single ringers each. 
In any and all games the contestant scoring shall have 
the lead or pitch, . 
