Pitching horseshoes is as much a part of summertime picnics as hot dogs, watermelon and water balloon tosses. Who among us hasn't played the game -- which traces its roots back to the Grecian and Roman empires -- on a sunny weekend afternoon between a picnic lunch and toasting smores?

For a dwindling number of horseshoe enthusiasts, pitching competitions continue throughout several counties in the area. Clubs in Western Pennsylvania have weekly leagues, play host to tournaments and aspire to keep the sport going strong by recruiting younger players to replace the old-timers.

Serious players compete for small prize money at the big tournaments -- the World Horseshoe Tournament is being contested in York, Pa., next month -- but more often horseshoe pitchers come back to places like Dormont Park every Thursday for the camaraderie and love of the sport.

"This sounds crazy," said Ed Vamos, who is an officer at the Dormont club, "but we all shake hands before every game and we shake hands after every game. You go out of your way not to have confrontations. We have old-school values, sportsmanship -- stuff you don't see anymore."

The clubs in Western Pennsylvania -- the others are in Beaver Falls, Carnegie, Erie, Franklin, Mount Pleasant, New Castle and Warren -- are open to people of all ages.

Blairsville is home to one of the nation's top youth pitchers. Brian Knupp is the highest-ranked 9-year-old in the country. Women can be seen pitching alongside men at many of the clubs.

But for the most part, the sport is enjoyed by men, many of them senior citizens.

Bob Horton, an 86-year old North Hills resident, is a member of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, Western Chapter, for his accomplishments in pitching horseshoes, throwing darts and other Senior Game sports. He is a member of the HOPE club in Carnegie and is a former Pennsylvania state champion.

Horton said the popularity of horseshoes among seniors persists because of its everyman quality.

"Everyone can do it," Horton said. "It's an old man's game. We're the ones who have time to practice."

Horton has been pitching horseshoes since he was 14, doing it competitively for the past 30 years. At 86, he was one of the oldest competitors at the Citiparks Senior Games that were held across the street from the West End Senior Center earlier this month.

"It is good exercise, good fellowship and good competition," Horton said.

John Raffa, 84, and his son, Len, 57, have been pitching horseshoes with the club in Dormont for 20 years.

"We used to drive by here and think we weren't good enough to come down here to pitch," said Len, the tournament director in Dormont. "I love coming here now. The camaraderie is great. Horseshoe pitchers are among the nicest people you'll ever meet. It's a real nice fraternity."

The fact that he can play a sport with his father is a plus, too.

"It's been good therapy for him," Len said. "And I really enjoy spending the time with him."

Gene Swogger, 70, of Scott, is one of the longest-tenured horseshoe pitchers in the Dormont club. He has been pitching horseshoes there since 1982 and also pitches at HOPE in Carnegie, which is growing in popularity because it has nine outdoor courts and four indoor courts used during the winter months.

"I love to pitch," Swogger said. "It's good exercise. It's good for the back."

One of the things that make horseshoes such a popular activity for senior citizens is the lack of strain on the body. The heaviest horseshoe is 2 pounds, 10 ounces, and repeatedly walking the 40 feet between stakes can be good exercise.

Another reason for the popularity of the sport is its cost, or lack thereof. A pair of regulation horseshoes can be purchased for between $30 and $70. Shoes usually last a few years, although competitive players buy shoes once a year. There are more than 40 types of manufactured horseshoes for players to choose from.

In the weekly leagues and tournaments throughout the region, players are grouped by their playing ability and graded by a scoring system similar to a golf handicap.

One of the more famous horseshoe pitchers is Walter Ray Williams, a professional championship bowler by trade who also happens to be a six-time world champion horseshoe pitcher.

The most accomplished horseshoe player in the world today is Alan Francis, of Defiance, Ohio. He has won 13 World Horseshoe Tournament championships including 12 of the past 15.

There is some talk of developing a professional league for the elite pitchers, but currently no one is strictly a professional horseshoe player. The prize money is too small to make it a full-time endeavor.

For perhaps 99 percent of horseshoe players in the world, the allure of an easy-paced, fun-filled few hours is enough to keep them coming back.

"You get out in the fresh air, get some good exercise, it's good for your heart," Horton said. "What else can you ask for?"