A History of the AHPA
Amended 2018
Prior to 1964, horseshoe pitching had been a favorite sport in backyards, picnic grounds, and recreation areas in Alabama, as in much of the rest of the United States, for many years, but very little organized play could be found.
Old records indicate that C.A. Glant of Huntsville held the Alabama State Championship from 1920 to 1930. It is not clear whether Alabama had an active charter at the time or whether he was otherwise recognized by the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association as the Alabama Champion. It is believed that he pitched in the National Tournaments representing Alabama.
In late 1963 and early 1964, W. C. Clopton Jones of Robersdale and Ottie W. Reno of nearby Elba were the two men principally responsible for organizing the Alabama Horseshoe Pitchers Association. Their goal was to sign the required 25 members necessary to form a new charter. To help breathe life into it they held a tournament on Jones's private courts there in December of 1963 with enthusiastic participation. They succeeded in getting the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association of America to grant the new association an official charter in February of 1964.
The first set of Officers elected by the new state charter were: W.C. Clopton Jones, from Robersdale as President; Wendell Parrish from Selma as Vice-President; and Ottie W Reno from Elba, as Secretary-Treasurer. The AHPA's first state tournament was held in the city park of Mobile on February 9, 1964. Ottie Reno won the tournament. The AHPA continued in the mid and southern part of the state for the next twelve years.
In 1974, the Huntsville Club was organized and 10 courts were built in Braham Springs Park. In 1976, the State Tournament and Convention shifted north to the Huntsville area.
The group which met In December of 1963 at the home of W. C. "Clopton" Jones at Bon Secour to form the Alabama Horseshoe Pitchers Association never once thought of a hall of.fame. Ottie Reno stated that no one ever mentioned or thought of a hall of fame until 1977. The first suggestion for its formation of which he was aware was when Donnie Roberts, the National Secretary-Treasurer at the time, told AHPA Vice President; Ose Veesey of Huntsville that Alabama should do as most of the other state charters had done and set up their own hall of fame.
Veesey took the suggestion and ran with it. Ose can be credited rightfully with its formation and could be called the author and the "father" of the AHPA Hall of Fame. President Ottie Reno of the AHPA, at the time, appointed Ose Veesey and James Johnson as the Interim Committee for the purpose of establishing the AHPA Hall of Fame.
In 1980, 1982, and 1984 Huntsville built 24 courts in Braham Springs Park and succeeded in getting the World Tournament to our lovely State. In the late 1980's and early 1990's additional courts were being built in north Alabama at Guntersville Lake Area near Scottsboro, in the city park in Eva, at Oak Park in Montgomery, and in Maragne Park in Gadsden. From 1976 to date, the tournaments have pretty well remained in the northern to mid part of the state.
In the 2000's the Eva Courts were closed, the Jackson Gap courts were closed, and the Huntsville courts were closed for a few years but have now reopened. New courts (TNT) have opened at Eclectic.
