Dilger, Heer win Pahrump Balloon Festival Horseshoes Tournament

Kasey Dilger of Pahrump and Scott Heer of Mount Charleston took first place in the Pahrump Balloon Festival Horseshoes Tournament on Saturday at Petrack Park.

Thirty players were expected to compete in the first event of the year for the Southern Nevada Horseshoe Pitching Association, but rain scared half of the field off, according to SNHPA President Lathan Dilger. But seven teams of two pitchers each took to the pits at 11 a.m. for the first of what Dilger promised to be many tournaments this year.

Don Brown and Dave Barefield, both of Pahrump, finished in second place, with Lathan Dilger of Pahrump and Chad Vanek of Mount Charleston finishing third.

“We had players from Kingman, Arizona, Las Vegas, Mount Charleston, Boulder City,” Lathan Dilger said, adding that the 50/50 in conjunction with the tournament was won by Heer.

Kasey Dilger also won Class C at the Ice Breaker Open on Feb. 15 in Las Vegas, the first sanctioned tournament of the year hofor the Nevada Horseshoe Pitching Association. Dilger went 5-0 in the division, which included Pahrump pitchers Mike Norton (2nd, 2.5-2.5), Mike Nicosia (3rd, 2.5-2.5) and Randy Salzwimmer (4th, 2-3).

Dilger’s ringer percentage of 29% topped his entering 24.52% — he was the only pitcher in the division to exceed his entering percentage — and his 187 points were almost 70 more than anyone else in Class C.

The next SNHPA tournament will be held during the Silver State Chili Cook-off beginning at 10 a.m. March 14 at the Petrack Park horseshoe pits.

The NHPA-sanctioned Pahrump Spring Open, will be the following week, getting underway at 9:30 a.m. March 21. NHPA dues are $35 for adults; for more information, contact Mike Norton at 805-570-2368.