Rising GMG seventh grader Zachary Smith of Gladbrook pictured with his 2026 Cadet Boys World Horseshoe Championship trophy which he won this past July while competing at the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association World Tournament in Wausau, Wisconsin. PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNIFER SMITH

GLADBROOK – He’s a ringer for his dad.

It has been more than three decades since Gladbrook native Joe Smith won the Junior Boys World Horseshoe Championship at age 14. This past July, his son, rising GMG seventh-grader Zachary Smith, 12, followed in his footsteps by winning the 2026 Cadet Boys World Horseshoe Championship at the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association World Championships, held July 13-25 in Wausau, Wisconsin.

“Zachary began competing when he was 8 years old. Typically, he competes in 15 to 18 tournaments a year, including state championships and the world tournament,” Zachary’s mother, Jennifer Smith, told the newspaper in an email exchange following her son’s title win. “There aren’t many youth pitchers in Iowa, so typically when we go to tournaments, Zachary pitches against adults, including his dad. These tournaments are round robin-style and pitchers are split up into classes based on ringer percentage [accuracy].”

This was the third time Zachary had competed at the world tournament which changes locations annually. When Joe won back in 1995, the championships were hosted in Perry, Georgia. Per the NHPA website, the event represents “the highest level of competition in the sport, drawing pitchers from across the United States, Canada, and around the world” and “stands as the ultimate test of skill, consistency, and competitive excellence.”

At Wausau, Zachary competed in the Cadet division for competitors 12 and under. After placing second and fifth, respectively, in 2024 and 2025 at the world tournament, he captured the Cadet Boys Championship this year by going 5-0 and pitching 55.56%, meaning more than half of the horseshoes he threw were ringers, completely encircling the stake. Next year, he will graduate to the Junior class after turning 13.

PHOTO COURTESY OF IOWA HAWKEYE HORSESHOE PITCHING ASSOCIATION/FACEBOOK

Winning such a prestigious title was no easy task for Zachary despite his horseshoe-pitching genetics, Jennifer said, due to a variety of challenges he’s had to overcome through the years, including a stroke at birth that saw him spend nearly 50 days in the NICU. But he does come by his ability naturally, she added.

“[My husband] began pitching horseshoes when he was 10 years old under the guidance of his dad, Dennis Smith, and grandpa, Wayne Smith. Zachary has always been Joseph’s little mini me, down to them both being left handed. Joseph’s parents built a horseshoe court at their house when Joseph was young, so they practice there.”

The family also owns a set of portable courts for the driveway that Zachary uses for practice. In previous winters, the Smiths, members of the Iowa Hawkeye Horseshoe Pitching Association, would practice and compete at indoor courts set up at the Hardin County Fairgrounds in Eldora, but that is unfortunately no longer an option due to a non-renewal of the lease. They will now have to travel outside Iowa to compete during the winter which is somewhat ironic considering Iowa’s legacy in the horseshoe pitching world.

“Horseshoes used to be very popular in Iowa,” Jennifer explained. “Our state has had some of the best pitchers in the world in the past. We even have a (former) women’s world champion that lives in western Iowa. We are actively trying to build our membership, so anyone that would like to give the sport a try can reach out to us. There are charters in pretty much every state, some stronger than others. Missouri, Minnesota, and Wisconsin (all) have a large membership [base].”

More recently, the Smiths, including Zachary’s older brother Lukas, were set to compete at the 2026 Iowa State Fair which functions as Iowa’s annual horseshoe pitching state tournament. While Zachary and Lukas were scheduled to compete in the Cadet and Junior championship tournaments, respectively, on Sunday, Aug. 16, Joe is scheduled to compete this Sunday, Aug. 23, in the men’s championship tournament as the 12-time reigning state champ.

With a strong desire to grow the sport in Iowa, Jennifer urges anyone with an interest to reach out to her (jsmith@gmgschools.org). And when it comes to her own pitchers, she couldn’t be prouder.

“We are just very proud of all of (Zachary’s) accomplishments. … Joseph won the Junior Boys World Championship in 1995 when he was 14, so it is just too fun that Zachary has won the Cadet Boys Championship.”

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S, Zachary!