nhpa Sanctioned

horseshoe pitching

nhpa Sanctioned

horseshoe pitching

Events

People playing horseshoes in a grassy park area with houses and trees in the background.

2026 Tournament Schedule

The FHPA will be hosting five sanctioned tournaments this year. Participants must have a valid 2026 NHPA membership card. Cards can be purchased online at https://www.nhpa-eshoe.com/ or during the registration period prior to all open tournaments. The courts are located at Maryvale Park on West Patrick Street, across from Frederick Middle School and behind the China Gardens parking lot (506 W Patrick St) in Frederick, MD.

All tournaments are open, with the exception of the MD State, which requires pre-registration. Registration is from 8-9:00 a.m. with an anticipated start time of 10:00 a.m. NHPA rules and regulations will apply. Based on the number of entries, some classes may start later in the day. Mixed-distance play will be limited where possible. Some classes may be handicapped.

Sat, May 16 Spring Open

Sat, June 6 Frederick Invitational

Sat, June 27 Esterly-Keilholtz Memorial

Sat. July 11 Hosting the MD Senior Olympics**

World Tournament: July 13 – 26, Wausau, WI (entry deadline May 18)

Sat, Aug 1 FHPA Veterans Memorial

Sat., Aug 22 Maryland State* (pre-registration required)

Sat. Oct 10 FHPA Assisting with TJ’s Reunion Tournament

*MD State tourneys are open to MD residents only and require participation in a minimum of one sanctioned event in current calendar year, prior to the registration deadline for the Tournament.

**We will be hosting a MD Senior Olympics pitching event on July 11th for adults ages 50 and over. Open to out-of-state residents. Register at (deadline July 2nd): http://www.mdseniorolympics.org/registration.html

Entry Fee for Frederick tournaments is $25 adults (except the State tourney which is $30 per adult pitcher), $10 juniors (no refunds). All are encouraged to assist with scorekeeping when not pitching. Prize payout for FHPA open tournaments will be based upon the number of entries. Trophies or plaques will be awarded at State Tournaments and medals at the Senior Olympics.

Concession stand and bathroom facilities will be available at all tournaments.

Alcoholic beverages are not authorized in the park.

Parking in the China Gardens parking lot must be ONLY along the perimeter (others may be towed). Additional parking is available across the street at the Frederick Middle School and behind the park on Mary Street. ABSOLUTELY NO PARKING IS ALLOWED ON THE GRASS IN THE PARK.

Rain dates for all tournaments will be the Sunday immediately following the scheduled date unless otherwise determined by the Tournament Director.

For questions, contact Donnie Hixon 240-674-9024 (hookhixon1@gmail.com) or Diana Ratliff 717-309-7203.

For Maryland residents, NHPA cards are $33 for adults ($25 NHPA + $8 State Dues) and $5 for juniors. Frederick HPA adult members add $1 for FHPA dues. Renewals may be done online at https://www.nhpa-eshoe.com/ or purchased from Diana Ratliff (Diana.Ratliff@antek.com), checks are payable to MDHPA, c/o Diana at 5151 Mountville Rd, Frederick, MD 21703-7849.

Three elderly men proudly holding baseball trophies outdoors.

2026 League Information

Frederick Horseshoe Pitchers Association League – Summer 2026

The Frederick Horseshoe Pitchers Association will conduct a horseshoe-pitching league at the Maryvale Park courts on West Patrick Street, across from West Frederick Middle School in Frederick. The league is open to pitchers of all ages and skill levels and new pitchers are encouraged to participate.

The league format will be as follows:

Sign-ups and a meeting will be held on Monday May 4th from 6:30 - 8 pm. Bring shoes if you need to prequalify. (Members are also accepted throughout the summer.)
The league will run Monday evenings from May 11th - August 31st (excluding May 25th) and will be broken into at least two segments.
Pitching will begin at 7:00 p.m. Every attempt will be made to begin games on time. Late arrivals will forfeit their scheduled game(s) resulting in a “Loss.”
Game format for the first segment will be 50 shoes, points count-all. Ties will result in ½ win for each player. Handicap scoring (80%) will be utilized, with handicaps recalculated weekly. There will be no league on Memorial Day, May 25th
Format for the second segment will be 50 shoes, ringers only, all ringers count. Ties will be broken by pitching an extra inning (down and back). Handicap scoring (80%) will be utilized, with handicaps recalculated weekly.
Players will be scheduled to pitch three games on most scheduled league nights.
Competition will be singles.
This league is sanctioned by the NHPA, and NHPA rules and regulations apply. All participants must be members of the NHPA, MDHPA and the FHPA (membership dues are $34 for adults, $5 for juniors).
League standings will be calculated on percentage of wins, with a minimum of 400 shoes required per segment.
Sign-up (and prequalification, if necessary) will be on Mon., May 4th from 6:30 to 8 pm at the courts. Players without a NATSTATS average will need to prequalify and NHPA card dues must be paid prior to pitching. Late applicants will be accepted throughout the season. It is requested that dues be paid in full at time of sign-up.
League dues are in addition to NHPA/FHPA membership dues, and are $70 for adults ($104 total), and $50 for juniors (total), regardless of the number of segments pitched in. A $5 discount will be given to multiple members of the same household who sign up together. Any pitcher who has not paid in full will forfeit any awards and is not eligible for future leagues until all past dues are paid.
If you cannot pitch on a scheduled league night, please notify the league director in advance whenever possible. Except for emergencies, unexcused no-shows may result in the forfeiture (Loss) of all scheduled games.
Due to City Ordinance, alcoholic beverages are not authorized on or near the courts.
Awards will be presented at a banquet on or about October 26th, 2026 at a location TBD.