PERFECT GAMES BY CANADIANS
Perfect games in horseshoes are a rare feat. At the World Tournament, from 1909 to 2004, only 3 were achieved: Guy Zimmerman in 1948 (44 shoes), Elmer Hohl in 1968 (30 shoes) and Jim Walters in the juniors in 1993 (24 shoes). At the Canadian championships, from 1927 to 2000, only one had been pitched, that by Diane Cantin at Halifax (1989) with 24 shoes pitched. Sylvianne Moisan has since pitched one each in 2001 and 2002. Diane Cantin is also the author of two perfect games pitched in provincial championships.
Listed below are the only “Canadian” perfect games, achieved in singles play, that we were able to find. Elmer Hohl and Dean McLaughlin are known to have pitched several perfect games. However, following his 1968 exploit, Elmer mentioned to the Keene Sentinel that “he recalled nearly achieving the feat in a previous tournament but missed when a shoe spun off the pin”.
There were certainly many perfect games pitched also in doubles events as the games are often shorter and shoes pitched “shared” between two partners. Elmer Hohl pitched a long perfect game in doubles play in the 1980-81 K-W Khaki Club Winter Horseshoe League. Playing partners in the doubles with Arley Shantz, he threw 22 ringers out of 22 shoes. The opposition? His sons, Stephen and Richard Hohl! The most recent ones were pitched the same day, on February 11, 2001, by the juniors Drew BECKER (14 for 14) and Kelly MALLETTE (10 out of 10) in a winter doubles tournament pitched at the Khaki Club.
As we’re trying to gather every perfect games’ scoresheets, don’t hesitate to submit copies of the ones we miss.
PERFECT GAMES PITCHED BY CANADIANS (SINGLES PLAY)
DD/MM/YYYY Perfected by S.P. Tournament Opponent (victim) 03/08/1968 Elmer HOHL 30 World Tournament, Keene, NH Wes Kuchcinski, PA 04/10/1984 André LECLERC 22 Elmer Hohl Memorial, Hamilton Tom Gallina, ON 25/05/1986 Clayton ENGLISH ? Victoria Open, B.C. ? June 1987 Angéline MOISAN 18 Silver Shoe, Ottawa Evelyn Nothnagel, ON 03-04/10/87 Angéline MOISAN 18 Que/Ont Friendship, Wellesley Olive Tait, ON 22/08/1987 Sandy McLACHLIN 20 Governers Open, Columbus, Ohio Billie Sue Pennington, CA 22/08/1987 Sandy McLACHLIN 20 Governers Open, Columbus, Ohio Renee Cowan, VA 23/08/1987 Sandy McLACHLIN 20 Governers Open, Columbus, Ohio Debbie Michaud, MA 20/06/1988 Sheila McGRATH 26 Scarborough (League), Ontario Mary Archer, ON 20/08/1988 Sandy McLACHLIN 20 Governers Open, Columbus, Ohio Kevin Hollister, VT 20/08/1989 Diane CANTIN 20 Governers Open, Columbus, Ohio Sharon Paddock, CA 11/08/1989 Diane CANTIN 24 Canadian Champ., Halifax, N.S. Shirley Ann Fisher, MB 03/09/1989 Diane CANTIN 36 Provincial Ch'ship, Victo., Qc Nicole Moreau, QC 14/10/1990 Pauline HUBLEY ? Halifax H.P. Club championship ? 15/05/1994 André LECLERC 22 Silver Shoe, Pakenham, Ont. Dave Loudon, ON 12/06/1994 Diane CANTIN 20 St-Louis de France, Qc. Daniel Vallières, QC 21/07/1994 Ryan BALDWIN 12 Summer Games, B.C. Shane Harvey, BC 04/09/1994 Ryan BALDWIN 12 Provincial Champ., B.C Mélinda Lépine, BC 04/09/1994 Diane CANTIN 22 Provincial Champ., Waterloo Lise Dufault, QC 04/03/1999 Adam ELLIS 40 Barrie (League), Ont. Ken G., ON 30/05/1999 Erich SCHAFER 14 Kamloops Open, B.C. Don Morgan, BC 25/03/2000 Sylvianne MOISAN 16 Montreal Open André Leclerc, QC 15/08/2001 Sylvianne MOISAN 26 Canadian Champ., Wellesley, ON Tammy Norvila, SK 14/08/2002 Sylvianne MOISAN 24 Canadian Champ., Calgary, AB Brenda Arnold, BC 25/05/2003 Sylvianne MOISAN 28 Elmer Hohl R.C., Wellesley, ON Tenesia Mayer, NY 29/05/2004 Sylvianne MOISAN 16 Elmer Hohl R.C., Wellesley, ON Tenesia Mayer, NY 17/07/2004 Buddy DYRDA 20 Canadian Champ., Victoria, BC Shane Dubyk, SK 25/05/2008 Tom GALLINA 18 Elmer Hohl R.C., Wellesley, ON Kevin McLachlin, ON 15/08/2008 Keith LINDSAY 22 Canadian Champ., Calgary, AB Ralph CONNELL, AB 29/05/2011 Sylvianne MOISAN 40 Elmer Hohl R.C., Wellesley, ON Angeline MOISAN, QC
Three great scoresheets:
- The first shows the original scoresheet of Elmer Hohl’s perfect game (30 shoes) pitched in 1968, one of only three ever achieved at the World Tournament. The scorekeeper was Harvey Hookway and it happened on court 8 at Wheelock Park in Keene, N.H.
- The second shows what is believed to be the longest perfect game ever pitched by a Canadian. A 40-shoe game pitched on March 11, 1999 in a sanctioned league run by Ike Eichhorn. The perfect game was pitched by Adam Ellis.
- The third one is the first perfect game ever pitched at the Canadian championships. It was achieved by Diane Cantin who threw 12 straight doubles to beat Shirley Ann Fisher in Halifax, N.S.
See also the Horseshoe Canada Hall of Fame artifacts for more scoresheets.