Epps making a name for himself pitching horseshoes
At the age of 73, local resident Don Epps continues to stay as active as those that are decades younger than he is.
An avid athlete since his childhood, Epps has been successful at a variety of sports throughout his life. His current passion is pitching horseshoes. And he has quickly risen among the ranks of the best in the sport.
At the recent Ringer Classic in Greenville, which is regarded as one of the top tournaments in the world, Epps finished second in the Class A Elder’s division. Along the way, he defeated three of the top-15 ranked pitchers in the world including the reigning world champion. He was defeated in a playoff by top-seeded David Holmes of West Virginia, but it was a sensational showing given that Epps was seeded fifth out of six pitchers in the division.
“I honestly didn’t think I would win a game,” said Epps, who has an indoor horseshoe setup on his property that allows him to hone his craft year-round.
“Somehow, it all came together for me. I was in awe. These guys are some of the best in the world.”
Epps’ first foray into pitching horseshoes came as a youth growing up in Bellefontaine.
“When I was 15, I was in a junior league at Harmon Field,” said Epps. “I really enjoyed it, but in high school I played other sports and kind of got away from it.”
Epps gained a renewed interest in pitching a few years ago.
“When you turn 70, you are eligible to compete in the elder’s division, which is a shorter distance,” said Epps. “I started to get into tournaments and I had apretty decent ringer percentage right away.”
It didn’t take long for Epps to establish himself as one of the top pitchers in the elder division. He won the state Class B Elder’s division last September in Greenville with a 71-percent ringer percentage.
In May, Epps traveled to Beloit, Wisc., for the Team World Horseshoes Tournament. The event consisted of 24 teams from across the U.S.
Epps helped his Ohio team finish 10th. Personally, he compileda record of 20 wins and two losses to finish “sixth or seventh out of 108 pitchers.”
He has also competed in indoor tournaments in the Lima and has also enjoyed a new trend of online competitions.
“You use your phone to record yourself pitching and you communicate with other people while you are pitching,” he said. “You can compete with people all over the world. I have really enjoyed that.”
Epps currently has a ringer percentage of 69.7, which ranks him second in Ohio and 21st in the U.S.
But aside from all of the success he has achieved, he said he values the camaraderie he has built with his fellow competitors.
“I have always been competitive and I like to see how I can do against the best,” said Epps. “But the part that I really enjoy is that, win or lose, we all just love pitching horseshoes. That is the reason I love doing it.”