Last week several of the old-timers of South Colton met-up with “new-timers” at Veteran’s Park for the Second Annual Colton CITY TALK Horseshoe Tournament. Nine individuals took part in the weekend tournament and several of them brought their own family cheering section.
The morning was beautiful, and the Colton horseshoe pits were groomed and painted to prepare for the anticipated event. Just before the tournament began, the names of the players were put into a hat and drawn out one by one to see what pair of players would be in each bracket. Last year’s tournament winner was Dino Martinez, who played three rounds before winning the contest.
This year, the players were assigned to eight bracket slots accordingly, and then the winner would advance to four, then to two for the final showdown. After three rounds, one ringer, and two leaners, Dino Martinez outlasted a fierce challenge from Nick Zupkofska to claim the championship for the second year in a row. The prize for winning the tournament was a dinner at Le Rendezvous Restaurant.
The players who participated were Elaine Chavez, Norma Gallardo, Christopher Gomez, Javier Gomez, Dino Martinez, Brandon Morales, Paul Padilla, Bob Salazar, and Nick Zupkofska. “This was a great event, and the players really had a fun time playing horseshoes,” exclaimed Elaine Chavez, one of the second-year players. Due to the growing interest in the horseshoe tournament, plans are already being made to continue with this “tradition” next year, as several onlookers indicated their interest in participating.
Several people, such as Adrian Chavez, who attended the event to cheer on his wife Elaine, commented that, “it was good to utilize the horseshoe pits that are available to residents to the park.” Built in 1966, the land for the community park and the historical plaque were donated to the people of Colton by the California Portland Cement Company. The park was dedicated to the men and women who bravely served in the armed forces, especially in the World Wars. This tournament was certainly a good use of the wonderful facilities offered at Veteran’s Park.
For more information about CITY TALK, various community groups, Colton history, the trash clean-up project, the G-Team, prayer list, history briefs, Veteran Spotlight, Church Spotlight, Business Spotlight, U.S. Flag Watch, neighborhood meetings, community projects and events, or the online live-stream programs, contact Dr.G @ 909-213-3730. Questions and comments are always welcome.