Incredibly Fun Game Is Missing At Western New York Parties

The summer of 2022 is here and the weather has been pretty decent so far for backyard parties and fun. But if you have been to a party lately you probably have seen your friends and family playing a bunch of games but one game seems to have vanished from the yard.

What has happened to horseshoes? The summer doesn't seem to be the same without that "clink" sound of a ringer or the metal horseshoes clapping against one another. Has it gotten too dangerous? Is it too "old school"? Or has the game of horseshoes just been replaced by a more kid friendly, plastic group of backyard games?

Corn Hole and Washers are probably the closest we have seen lately to the metal horseshoes of yesteryear. We can't forget about Kan Jam either. All of which are very fun and a little addicting to be honest. But there was something special about horseshoes in the backyard every summer. Something more blur collar and gritty that has gone from our summers.

As fun as horseshoes is to play, it does come with a few draw backs. The metal shoes and the posts that are used can be pretty dangerous if you have little ones running around the yard and the horseshoe pits do need dirt or sand and are not easy to clean up as the current day backyard games. Horseshoes can be heavy and cumbersome to travel with and are not ideal for camping or tailgating. But that doesn't mean we need to leave them in the garage or shed forever.

If you love to pitch horseshoes, there are a few tournaments that popup every now and again. A few years back, there were indoor pits inside of Wallenwein's Hotel in East Aurora that replaced the bowling alley and has now become a banquet area in the popular restaurant. But the majority of horseshoe players have now become experts at tossing a bean bag for Corn Hole or landing a triple or "hooker" in Washers and the backyards are still filled with competition and fun.