Oklahoma Horseshoe Pitchers Association

Gerry Kahle began playing in the Oklahoma State Tournaments in the late 1950's in Bartlesville.  He was impressed by the pitching of Uhlig, Schrum and Mogus.  After trying several brands of shoes, he settled on Ted Allen's.  He threw a medium high, soft, one and a quarter, clockwise turn.  He pitched right handed from the left slab.  He believes that he pitched in every State Tournament except one, until he moved to Arkansas in early 1990.

After working his way up from Class C to Championship Class, he won the State Championship in 1982, 1985 and 1987.  He was runner up in 1981 and 1986.

He pitched in three World Tournaments, once as a senior.

He was very active in leadership and promotion.  He held every office at the State level and was Southwest Regional Director ( Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico).  Later the NHPA reorganized and he served a term as Oklahoma Director.

Gerry promoted and ran the first Oklahoma Open, which was held in Bartlesville and attracted  pitchers he knew and invited, from Missouri, Kansas and New Mexico , as well as Oklahoma.

When he and his wife, Vivian, moved to Holiday Island, Arkansas, in 1990;, he had an indoor court (blue clay). Vivian designed the house with one room 10 feet wide and 60 feet long with a 11 foot ceiling.  The room was used for other functions at times.

He also oversaw the construction of 4 regulation, blue clay courts at the Holiday Island Recreation Center.

Gerry’s pitching career had a sad ending. In 2007, at the age of 77, He was still pitching at 40 feet and was the current number one seed in the Arkansas State Champion Class. (based on that year’s tournament averages.)

One week before the Labor Day event, he fell over an embankment and tore his right rotator cuff.

Gerry’s proudest moment in horseshoes was being inducted into the Oklahoma Horseshoe Pitchers Hall of Fame in 1986, as player/promoter.