Horseshoe Canada
PHOTO OF THE MONTH

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1974 Canadian Championships - CNE, Toronto - Juniors group.

(Front row, from L-R):
Stephen Hohl (1973 champion and eventual 1975-77-78 champ), Dale Schafers (1974 champion)
(Middle row L-R): Tracy Hurst, Will Prange (eventual 1979 and 1980 champion),M. Austerbury, Mark Lehman
(Back row L-R): Don Lahay, Kelly Hurst. See results of the 1974 Canadians.

Steve Hohl, pitching the 1 and 1/4 turn lefthanded, went on to become World Champion in 1978 (see results), and set many records, that same year, at the 1978 Canadians. His 87.1% tournament average in 1978 was the highest ever recorded in any division at the Canadians (Diane Cantin later averaged 88.03% in 1989). Steve, youngest son of legendary Elmer Hohl, was probably Canada's greatest junior ever. His loss (by a score of 16-17) to Dale Schafers in 1974 is the only game Steve ever lost at the Canadians in that division, compiling a 28-1 win-loss record.
Dale Schafers, of Calahoo, Alberta, was an impressive youngster. No one had ever heard of him until he qualified in the Junior championship group at the 1973 World Tournament. Pitching a fast turning reverse 1 and 3/4 turn, he defeated the current World Champion at that time, Walter Ray Williams Jr in his very first game! Walter Ray recalls Dale had 84 ringers out of 104 shoes! Having moved to 40 ft, Dale won the 1974 Alberta Men's Championship (at age 14) and a few weeks later defeated Steve Hohl in the juniors to become the first Westerner to ever win a Canadian title.