Tony Sauro
Horseshoes
Enshrined: 1993
Tony Sauro is recognized as this area’s best horseshoe pitching champion and he is the only Greater Syracuse Hall of Fame inductee in this sport. Sauro won his first championship in 1935 which was the starting point to a pitching career where he chalked up numerous titles.
Sauro turned in one of his best years in 1951. During that year, he was among the top four pitchers in the state on eight occasions. He also threw an impressive 32 straight ringers. Sauro competed in the World Horseshoe Championships 1965 and qualified in 14 th place.
A member of the New York State Horseshoe Pitching Hall of Fame, Sauro published a book on horseshoes called "The Biography of a Common Man and Horseshoe Pitching Competition". The local Pioneer Horseshoe Club honored Sauro by naming one of its annual tournament’s after him.
Career highlights:
1935: Won his first of 18 Onondaga County Horseshoe Championships
1941: Pitched his way to his first of 17 City Horseshoe Titles
1951: Featured in the Herald Journal as a Star of the Week. He had been one of the top four pitchers in the state eight times and once threw 32 straight ringers.
1957: Recognized as the all-time horseshoe pitching champion in Syracuse and Onondaga County
1965: Qualified 14th in the World Championships held in Keene, N.H. with Score of 516 of 600, with 161 ringers. He averaged 69.7% ringers in 32 games
1975: Inducted into the New York State Horseshoe Pitching Hall of Fame; Appointed to the State Horseshoe Hall of Fame Committee
1983: Won gold medal in horseshoe pitching for his age group at the New York State Senior Games
1984: Authored a book on horseshoes, "The Biography of a Common Man and Horseshoe Pitching Competition"
1986: Gold medal in New York State Senior Games
Former President of the Commercial Horseshoe League in Syracuse