In 1992 Paul Stewart and I traveled to Greenville, Ohio to pitch in the famous Ringer Classic horseshoe tournament. While driving up, we noticed many hog farms along the route through Ohio. Before long we also noticed the smell of the pig stys, and began funning each other about not bathing the night before. We then began counting the hog farms and it suddenly became a game of who could locate the next farm by smell. It was just something to kill the boredom of the long ride, who would have known this game would lead to a lifelong friendship and (usually) friendly competition.
The joking was taken to another level later that year when Paul purchased an old iron hog piggy bank at a yard sale and had it mounted on a base as a trophy. We then decided that because it represented a symble of horseshoe pitching to us, that we would play a horseshoe game each year for the right to keep her until the next match. Being as Paul was Regional Director of the North Carolina Association and I was the Regional Director of the South Carolina Association, the Iron Hog became even more important. A set of pig rules was drawn up to govern the match and because of a difference in ringer average, a handicap system was devised. This is where the problem came in....Some sand bagging was suspected from both players so we decided to make it legal as long as you didn't get caught, and as the new tradition would have it, we both agreed to wear some type of hog paraphanalia at the game. By now, players from both associations were getting into the hype and before long everyone was getting a good laugh at Paul and me.
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This is a picture of the two hawg heads as they looked the first time they competed for the Old Gal in 1992 at the Clover horseshoe courts. As a result of that first contest Ron Taylor got the priviledge of housing the Old Gal for that year.(Paul Stewart, left and Ron Taylor, right) |
Since those carefree days Paul and Ron have gone on to bigger and better things. Ron is still the regional director in South Carolina, but now also serves as the President of the SCHPA. While Paul has gone on to the national spotlight as President of the NHPA. The're still best of buds, but the Old Gal seems to be MIA or is being held hostage somewhere. If you happen to come across the trophy or know of it's whearabouts please notify Ron Taylor immediately. No reward offered but you will have the satisfaction of reuniting the poor pig with it's rightfull custodian.
Along the way Paul picked up quite a following and I can think of nobody that deserves it more. The official Paul Stewart fan club calls themselves STEWLIES! Check out their web site here www.stewlies.com.