Forget the first robin, forget the purple crocus. If you want to know if spring has sprung in Darlington, Pa you listen for the ping coming from Ed Blum’s horseshoe courts. You’ll hear several hundred of them actually: metallic clangs, then silence as 80 year old Ed walks across the grass to retrieve which made the sound, then more clangs.

Ed is pitching horseshoe, has been pitching for over sixty years. Oh, he’s stopped for meals, for work, even for his wedding and wife’s hair appointment. But you get the idea that’s about all he’s stopped for. "I’d rather pitch horseshoes than do anything else." He said. "Once you get started, it gets into your blood." Some of Ed’s best trips were horseshoe trips, to tournaments, association meetings, and hall of fame inductions. Some of his best friends are horseshoe friends, competitors, fellow fanatics, members of the Beaver County Horseshoe Pitchers and the Pennsylvania State Association.

Some of Ed’s best stories are horseshoe stories, if you have the time, lots of time, just ask him to tell you one. Or ask his wife Mary. She’s heard them all so many times.

Ed was born October 26, 1918 in South Beaver Township, Beaver County, Pennsylvania. On June 7, 1941, he married his lovely wife Mary. Last June 7^th he and Mary were married for 57 years. Well, Mary said "At least half of them he was married to her, the other half he was married to horseshoes." They have two children, Nancy and James, and are proud grandparents of five grandchildren.

Ed worked as a crane operator for the Babcock and Wilcox Steel Mill for 39 ½ years before his retirement. While growing up on his fathers’ farm at the age of fifteen he pitched the shoes from the horses with stakes pounded into the ground. Yes, even then he loved the sport. He moved on to pitch on a team for Babcock and Wilcox Co. while employed there. He and his team partner Ed Dennison were a team that was very hard to beat.

Ed pitches an Allen shoe right handed one and a quarter turn. His distinct style of raising the shoe and turning it sideways to look through it before his pitch made him stand out from all the rest.

Ed said he never reached his peak until he was 65, even though he won his first trophy in 1962 at the age of 44. That trophy he recalls was only six inches tall. He sat it on the seat beside him in the car on the way home. Every time he looked at it seemed to have grown inches and by the time he got it home it was so big he could hardly get it out of the car. Some 100 awards have come since then, but the first one is a memory Ed just can’t let go.

Ed’s life has been blessed with the opportunity to teach, promote, and most of all to be proud as a dedicated grandfather doing what he loves best: pitching horseshoes with his grandsons.

His oldest grandson Joey started pitching horseshoes in 1979. He held the Beaver County Junior Championship title and also the Pa State Junior Championship. Both titles were held in 1981-82-83. Ed held the title of Beaver County Champion for 9 years. 1970-1977, again in 1982 and in 1984. In 1985 he was to defend his title, but the stamina of a much younger pitcher seemed to be more than Ed could handle. Yes, he was defeated in 1985 by guess who???? His grandson Joey had moved up from the Junior Division to Class A mens. Ed was happy, definitely happier for his grandson than he would have been for himself. Ed continued to pitch and pitch and pitch. He never missed pitching in a state tournament for over 30 years, and at the same time he never missed a world tournament with the exception of the ones held in California.

In 1992, along came another Morris grandson named Stephen…he admired his grandfather so much, he wanted to pitch horseshoes just like him. And a clone he is: same raise of the horseshoe, same look through, same distinct style as his grandfather.

Stephen is Ed’s pride and Joy at this time in his life, when you see Ed you also see Stephen. Ed no longer pitches in competition but does however provide entry fee and transportation for Stephen to all the tournaments in Western Pa. Stephen has been Beaver County Junior Champion for six straight years 1993-1998. He has also held the title of Pa State Junior Champion for the past five straight years 1994-1998. At the 1998 world tournament in Ainsworth, Nebraska, he won Class A Juniors, advanced to the Junior Boys Championship Class and became world runnerup. "Just one more step to go" Ed said, as he is looking forward to Greenville, Ohio in 1999 with the hopes of seeing Stephen becoming World Champion.

"They beat me and I don’t mind admitting it" said Ed. They always listened and were also willing to learn. They followed me when I was in all the tournaments and when they said they were interested I worked with them. "Proud of them? You better believe it."

Ed doesn’t pitch very many horseshoes anymore. In 1997 he had a triple heart by-pass, started treatments for liver and colon cancer, and shortly after Christmas 1998 suffered a slight stroke. That didn’t dampen his spirits for horseshoes, they still are very high on his priority list.

In his hay-day Ed was an excellent pitcher. In 1976 he won Class E world with a single game of 88%. He was the first person to ever win Class E, since it was newly added that year. He twice shot 23 of 24 shoes as ringers in Greenville, Ohio and at Erie, Pa. Ed was inducted into the Beaver County Horseshoe Pitchers Association Hall of Fame in 1987. The same year he was presented a jacket and hat from the Shelocta horseshoe club as the most outstanding, faithful to horseshoes, and best liked all around nice guy. Ed’s two most prestigious awards to date are: in 1989 he was elated to become the first horseshoe pitcher ever to be inducted into the Beaver County All Sports Hall of Fame with other great athletes. In 1990 he was inducted into the Pa State Hall of Fame.

Ed is not only a horseshoe pitcher and a promoter, he is a friend and a gentleman. He is a pleasure and a joy to talk with, never a negative though or remark about anyone. He is the most positive thinker that I know. Ed definitely has a heart of gold, he shows it to everyone who knows him.

Ed has one identification no one can take away from him…he is a champion. And there aren’t too many of them around. We love you Ed.