Youbou resident Jerry Melissa, one of B.C.’s most prominent horseshoe pitchers, is once again receiving top honours for his skill and dedication to the often-overlooked game.
Earlier this month, Melissa was inducted in to the B.C. Horseshoe Association Hall of Fame, a distinction given out every two years. It is the governing body’s highest honour.
He follows in the footsteps of Murray Rayner, another avid player who once lived in the Cowichan Lake area and who was responsible for first introducing Melissa to the game more than 40 years ago.
“It’s a real honour, and something that I wasn’t expecting,” he said. “It feels spectacular. I’m very rarely speechless but that one caught me off guard… It’s quite an honour and I’m following some very great players.”
The award was made at the B.C. provincial championships in Abbotsford over the Labour Day long weekend.
Also at the championships this year, Melissa came first in the elders, 30-feet category, in which he won all 10 games with a total of 265 ringers and a 54 per cent average. This was Melissa’s seventh time winning a provincial title in B.C.
Anthony Rondow of Lake Cowichan also placed top in the peewee category at this year’s provincial championships.
Melissa said one of the many reasons he enjoys playing horseshoes, and why he hopes more people will begin taking it on at a competitive level, is because it is such an accessible activity.
“It’s a game that can be played at very little expense,” he said. “You can buy yourself a set of horseshoes for less than $70 and they last a lifetime. And every community has a park, which is free, you can go and practice at any time.”
He said Cowichan Lake residents are particularly lucky because of the quality pitches in Youbou, which are kept up by the CVRD.
According to Melissa, the impediments to youth participation are not related to costs.
“The reason youth do not play the game is: No. 1 it’s not a team sport,” he said, acknowledging that there are doubles or couples matches but those are not the same as playing on a team. “Young people love team games. They love the social aspect. Plus, when they do something wrong on the field, there’s usually someone to back them up. But in an individual sport you’re on your own.”
With fall and winter approaching, the horseshoe season is winding down in large part, although weather permitting it’s always possible to play. There are also some covered pitches on the Island that are used all year.
In the off season, Melissa travels to Arizona and California to play and compete. But he emphasizes that one doesn’t have to travel so far to encounter top-notch horseshoe pitchers.
“We’ve always had some very good players in the Cowichan Valley,” he said.
