Amargosa Days hosts horseshoe tournament, draws 30 players to town park

Amargosa Days drew more than parade crowds to Amargosa Town Park this year. The Southern Nevada Horseshoe Pitching Series turned the festival grounds into a 15-team competition, with 30 players taking part in its Hi-Lo Doubles Tournament under perfect weather and a light breeze.

The event carried an $1,800 prize pool and awarded custom plaques to the top three teams, along with champion patches for first place. Division titles went to Larry Workman of Henderson and Clayton Peterson of Pahrump, putting a local and regional stamp on a tournament that has become part of the Amargosa Days lineup.

Several other familiar names from the southern Nevada horseshoe circuit finished in the money, including Helen Mack of Round Mountain and Terry Miller of Pahrump. One of the more local crossovers came from Kayla Ball, who is running for Nye County clerk and competed in the field, helping her team finish fourth.

That mix of competition, politics and small-town celebration underscored how Amargosa Days works in a remote part of Nye County. Amargosa Valley is an unincorporated town at the entrance to Ash Meadows Wildlife Preserve and Death Valley National Park, and the annual festival gives residents and visitors a reason to gather in a place that usually sits far from the county’s busier population centers.

The 2026 Amargosa Days materials listed the festival for April 17-18, with events ranging from the “World’s Shortest Parade” to live music, volleyball games, a Mud Bog, a K-9 Cop Dog Demonstration and fireworks after sundown. The horseshoe tournament added another draw that tied the celebration to a local sport with staying power.

The numbers also showed growth. Last year’s Amargosa Days Hi-Lo Doubles tournament drew eight teams in windy, chilly conditions and offered a $2,000 prize pool. A 2023 tournament brought 20 pitchers, split evenly between 10 A-class and 10 B-class players. This year’s 15-team turnout marked a sharp increase and reinforced the event’s place in a broader southern Nevada horseshoe schedule.

The next Southern Nevada Horseshoe Pitching Series tournament listed is May 2 at Petrack Park in Pahrump, keeping the circuit moving between Amargosa Valley and Pahrump and giving the region another reason to keep its local tradition alive.