By JARED ORZOLEK

orzolek@crescent-news.com

WAUSEON -- Horseshoe pitching aficionados marked the 50th anniversary of Fulton County Fair's horseshoe pitching tournament by throwing ringers during a variety of competitions held Saturday through Wednesday.

The fair holds an open class tournament, championship contests for men and women as well as competitions designed for youths and senior citizens.

"You can start playing as low as 9 years old and go right on up," said Dan Conners, 67, of Delta, as he warmed up to compete in Wednesday's senior tournament. "I have played horseshoes for about 15 years. I am a youth compared to some of these guys."

Conners said the key to throwing an accurate horseshoe is to focus on the stake.

"I love the game. I pitch almost year-round. You have to keep your attention on what you are doing," he said.

The game of horseshoes has a long and interesting history at the Fulton County Fair.

The tournament began in 1958, at the suggestion of fair board member Jim Figy, and became so popular that it gave rise to the Fulton County Horseshoe Club, which runs the fair's annual pitching competitions.

"Back then, the fair board was looking for new ideas for the fair," said Figy, who, with George Smith, is one of just two remaining charter members of the club.

"Advertising in the local newspaper and the fair premium book generated a great deal of interest, and on the first day of the tournament, spectators were two and three deep around the fence to watch the Fulton County championship, a sudden death competition."

It took a bit of work to get the horseshoe pitching facility at the fairgrounds up to par, according to Figy

"We built the courts facing east and west, not knowing that to meet the standards of the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association, the courts must face north and south. So we decided to change them to make them official," Figy said.

"We had a few problems. The clay ground was very stubborn and we encountered some tree roots that gave us a problem."

Today, the Fulton County Fair's courts are recognized as some of the best in the state as people are impressed by the courts' cleanliness, flowers and setting, according to Figy.

The horseshoe pitching courts are six feet wide and 46 feet long. At the mid-point the official scorer keeps track of each match.

The club holds six tournaments during fair week, including an open contest, separate county championships for men, women and juniors, a seniors' tournament and a doubles tournament.

"We've had several world champions pitch in our tournaments, including Paul Fought from Dayton and Stan Manker from southern Ohio," Figy said.

To celebrate reaching the half-century mark, the Fulton County Horseshoe Club has created a special commemorative shirt patch they're awarding to all county residents who participate in the Fulton County Fair tournaments this year.

Said Figy: "There's always been a real bond among pitchers and it still takes the same things to succeed -- desire, practice and a positive attitude."