Tucumcari native earns national title in horseshoes

A Tucumcari native last week earned a national title in his age bracket in the horseshoes competition at the National Senior Games in Albuquerque.

Joseph Garcia, also known by his middle name of Rudy, of Portales went undefeated in 13 matches at the Senior Games and came from behind to defeat eventual runner-up Larry Ulibarri by scoring a ringer on his final throw of the championship round. Garcia won the title by two points.

Garcia earned the gold medal in the men's singles horseshoes competition in the age 65-69 division.

Garcia, who grew up in Tucumcari, holds a ringer average of 41.6%, which he said puts him in the "B" players category. "A" players hold a ringer average of at least 50%.

"I practice about every day in my backyard," he said during a telephone interview. "It takes a lot of practice."

Garcia won the title during the horseshoes contest during this year's Tucumcari Rawhide Days, and he's a regular competitor at Friday night leagues near Portales and occasionally in Tucumcari.

He acknowledge his high skill level discourages a lot of regional horseshoe-pitchers from wanting to compete against him.

"When I show up, no one wants to play," he said, laughing.

Garcia, a former building and housing inspector at Cannon Air Force Base in Portales, said he'd compete in the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association's World Tournament in Wichita Falls, Texas, later this month.