KANSAS
HORSESHOE PITCHERS ASSOCIATION
HALL OF FAME
JOHN V SMITH
Atchison, KS
1996
PLAYER INDUCTEE
Atchison, KS
1996 PLAYER INDUCTEE
John V. Smith played in his first Kansas State Tournament in 1972, finishing second in Class C, following that with a Class B first-place showing the next year. Then he began an impressive run of 12 straight years in the Championship Class, including eight second-place finishes and four third places while never finishing lower than third. He was a model of consistency during this time with tournament ringer averages of 60.7 percent to a high of 72.4 percent in 1981. Unfortunately, John may go down in history as the best Kansas player of all time to never win it all. A lefthander with a classic delivery and a straight arm swing and follow through, John threw a 1¼ conventional turn and was as smooth as anyone who ever played the game. John also served the Kansas Horseshoe Pitchers Association as its President in 1981 and 1982. He represented the State of Kansas in the World Tournament and made the Championship Men’s Class in 1980 and 1981. An insurance agent, John retired from horseshoe competition following the 1985 season. John currently holds the single game record for high percentage when he threw 25 ringers out of 26 shoes in the 1978 Kansas State Tournament for an average of 96.15 percent ringers. Following is a summary of John’s Kansas and World results.
