Topeka narrowly beat out Charleston, West Virginia to be named as the home for the 2015 World Horseshoe Pitching Championship. The event will be held in July 2015 at the Kansas Expocentre.
Jeffrey Alderman, with the organization Visit Topeka, says the event is a big economic opportunity. He says the competition could draw more than 1,500 participants, known as horseshoe pitchers.
“You’re going to spend money in our restaurants. You’re going to spend money shopping. You’re not going to be pitching 24/7," says Alderman. "So we are anticipating an estimated economic impact of $2 million over the two weeks that this tournament will be held.”
Topeka came close to landing the event in 2007. This year, officials with Visit Topeka and competitors from Kansas lobbied on behalf of the city during the 2013 tournament in Utah.
Topeka was chosen by a vote of delegates at the tournament and beat out Charleston by a single vote.
