DERRY — In the horseshoe pitching arena, the Squires are king.
It's all about horseshoes for the Derry family. They're often found tossing a 2-plus-pound shoe across a well-worn yard at the family home on Oak Street, waiting for a familiar clanking sound to announce a ringer.
That sound of the steel ring making contact with the 14-inch post fills the Derry neighborhood more often than not, so much that passers-by attending a nearby church or frequenting a neighboring sandwich shop can't help but notice the family's intense devotion to this backyard sport.
But the sport has become more than a backyard event. More and more competitions are springing up regionally and nationally, and the Squires are real pros when it comes to tossing a horseshoe. They have the trophies to prove it.
Three generations of shoe pitchers have the Squires name — the elder Steven, two sons, Dean and Steven, and then the grandsons, Dean Jr. and Steven. They all play together, against each other and take their tossing very seriously.
Dean recently took the state title, an honor his brother Steven has earned three times. Steven has seven years on his younger brother and the competition is often fierce at the family homestead. This time around, Dean took the title and Steven came in second.
"It all started with my husband," Carol Squires said.
She said her husband sparked the family's interest in horseshoes. Early games played at Hood Park with friends soon led to competition on official courts around the state.
"The next thing you know, they're into it," she said.
Carol said her boys grew up watching their father pitch horseshoes and soon became interested in joining in. The family home soon had its own regulation size court ready for a game to take place at the drop of a hat.
"I've never known anything, just throwing," Dean said as he got ready to pitch some shoes one recent evening.
He said it was almost a given to learn the game.
His brother, Steven, is a three-time state champion, and a member of the Horseshoe Pitchers Association for more than 15 years. He captured state titles in 1985, 1997 and 2000. He also is a member of the horseshoe hall of fame. The older Squires brother is ranked high on the list of top players in the world.
"We take this very seriously," Steven said. "We've been frozen out here, even playing in the snow."
Steven's wife, Deb, also shows interest in her husband's game of choice. Female competitors pitch shoes between two stakes 30 feet apart, as opposed to the men's distance of 40 feet.
Players have different styles of tossing horseshoes. The delivery of the steel shoe is as individual as the player. The younger members of the Squires family are on the court for hours on end to keep up with the older pitchers in the family.
"I play every day, three to four hours, usually by myself," 14-year-old Dean Jr. said.
The soon-to-be Pinkerton Academy freshman takes his horseshoe playing quite seriously, often taking on his father and uncle. When darkness falls, the court's own lighting system to keep play going far into the night.
Steven Sr. doesn't see as much horseshoe action these days, but at 78 is happy to watch his sons and grandsons carry on a game that means so much to him. He's also proud of the trophy collection that shows three generations of horseshoe champions.
"He's a very good observer now," Carol said of her husband.
She added it's often stressful to watch son pitted against son in a tournament, but she tries to stay calm and hope for the best.
"This is serious stuff," she said, "but they have a lot of fun with it."
As for her husband, he revels in his sons' and grandsons' interest in his game.
"I guess I'm a legend," the senior Squires said.
Carol said both sons are eyeing a chance to attend a world championship horseshoe tournament, possibly next year. Would the family matriarch ever consider pitching a few shoes herself?
"I've tried it and it's gone into the tree," she said.
• • •
Join the discussion. To comment on stories and see what others are saying, log on to derrynews.com.
