Menu
Playing horseshoes is a fun activity for your Kentucky Derby party guests. It’s easy, you won’t get dirty, and you can mingle and play at the same time.
Set up an area outside away from the party where non-playing guests won’t walk into a flying horseshoe or get hurt. Pick two teams of two people. You will need four horseshoes and two stakes. The stakes traditionally are placed 40 feet apart. The game is played by players alternating turns tossing horseshoes at stakes in the ground.
There are two ways to score in a game of horseshoes: by throwing “ringers,” or by throwing the horseshoe nearest to the opposite stake. A “ringer” is a thrown horseshoe where the horseshoe completely encircles the stake. The game’s scoring system is where the expression “Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades” comes from.
To total your points:
1 Point – The nearest horseshoe to the stake within 6 inches
2 Points – If both of one player’s horseshoes are closer than the opponent’s or a leaner (a leaner is where the horseshoe literally “leans” on the stake)
3 Points – A ringer! (If each player throws a ringer, the ringers cancel and no points are scored)
Most games are played to 21 and the winner must win by two points.
You might also like:
- Shop all Kentucky Derby Invitations
- Mint Julep Recipes
- Non-Alcoholic Mint Julep Recipe
- Kentucky Derby Infield Punch
- Mint Julep Sorbet Recipe
- Benedictine Spread (Cucumber Sandwiches)
- Kentucky Country Ham Salad Recipe
- Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
- Kentucky Derby Party Ideas
- My Old Kentucky Home Song Lyrics
- Complete List of Past Kentucky Derby Winners
- Top Winning Kentucky Derby Jockeys
