Canadian horseshoes champ on top of game

Kitchener’s Drew Becker recently finished second at world championship in Louisiana, is set to defend national title in Alberta starting Thursday

When it comes to throwing ringers, only a select few can go toe-to-toe with Drew Becker.

The reigning Canadian champion from Kitchener recently finished in second place at the World Horseshoe Pitching Championship in Monroe, La., reeling off 14 straight victories before falling to 26-time world champion Alan Francis in the final game of the competition for both men.

The clash of the undefeated titans capped a memorable week in Louisiana that Becker won’t soon forget.

“I would say that winning the Canadian championship in 2019 is my greatest achievement, just because that was a victory. But in terms of performance, I’ve never played better than I did at worlds,” said the 33-year-old Becker, who will defend his Canadian title next week in High Prairie, Alta.

“I went into that final game (at worlds) knowing what I’m capable of doing and what he’s capable of doing, and just tried to have fun, which I did — a great experience. It was frustrating to know that as good as I played, I’m not quite where he is, but that’s just more to work on for next time.”

The numbers indicate how ridiculously good both finalists were throughout the tournament.

Over 15 games, Becker had 629

ringers from 804 tosses (78.2 per cent), including 86 of 104 (82.6 per cent) in the final.

Francis, 52, of Defiance, Ohio, showed why he is considered the greatest of all time by clicking on 658 of 774 shots (85.4 per cent) in the tournament, including an eyepopping 94 of 104 (90.4 per cent) against Becker.

“That’s why he’s the GOAT,” said Becker. “He won his first world title in 1989, which is when I was born.”

Becker, who has been tossing shoes for most of his life, has an impressive resumé of his own, including junior world championships in 2002 and 2003.

He is a six-time Ontario junior champion, six-time Ontario men’s champion, two-time Canadian junior champion, and seven-time Ontario doubles champion with five different partners.

He is currently the No. 1 player on Horseshoe Canada’s top-100 rankings.

His second-place finish at the world championship is the best result by a Canadian since the legendary Elmer Hohl of Wellesley captured his sixth global title in 1977. Hohl, who died in 1987, was a 19time Canadian champion and 25time Ontario champion.

“I didn’t really know that until someone told me about it,” said Becker. “It’s really quite an honour.”

Becker’s first memories of playing were at his grandparents’ trailer, and his first taste of serious competition came in 1997, at just eight years of age, when Kitchener hosted the world championship at the Aud. He recalls winning four qualifying events to get in and finishing second in a lower division at the under-18 level.

Horseshoe pitching has been a passion ever since.

“Initially, when I was growing up, I liked that I was young and good at it. It feels good to be good at something,” said Becker, a sales representative for Rogers.

“As I went along, it’s more about the friends you make, seeing different places in Canada and the United States, and the experiences you have. I ate alligator and catfish in Monroe, something I probably wouldn’t have done otherwise.”

Becker stays sharp by tossing shoes after working at his family’s home or making his way to the Moose Lodge on Wabanaki Drive in Kitchener, where he practises and plays in a Monday night men’s league. A handicap system, similar to golf, puts his opponents on a level playing field or gives them a slight advantage, and Becker said he loses more often than not because of it.

One of Becker’s toughest opponents in this area, he said, is his mother, Tami. Mom won the women’s division at this year’s Elmer Hohl Memorial Tournament in May and will try to do the same at the Aug. 27-28 Ontario championship in Belleville.

Becker will also play in Belleville, but not before defending his Canadian championship. He left for Alberta on Friday and will play in the Western Canada Classic on Saturday and Sunday, followed by the three-day national championship starting Thursday.

Becker is the No. 1 seed in High Prairie but knows it will be anything but a cakewalk.

“There’s no Alan Francis there, but everyone in that group is good enough to be in the same worldclass group that I was just in,” said Becker.

The High Prairie field includes 2019 runner-up and No. 2-ranked Cal Beaudoin of Alberta, 13-time champion Colin Finnie of Saskatchewan, No. 4 on the top-100 list, and No. 3 André Leclerc of Quebec, a nine-time national champion.