Local twins Mar Ray and Max Griffith are legends in the world of horseshoe pitching.

Known as the “Tennessee Twins,” they’ve been touring the country for the better part of two decades and have won countless titles.

Now they are being  immortalized on first edition National Horseshoe Pitching Association trading cards.

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The cards were released earlier this month and feature an action photo on the front and lifetime stats on the back.

The twins, who are from upstate New York, started getting serious about the sport while attending college at Lambuth University. Ray retired from teaching in 2015 and Griffith retired a year later.

With more spare time, they’ve been even more active on the horseshoe circuit, attending about 12 tournaments a year. The twins have competed in a combined 38 world championship events, which are held every year at various spots around the country.

Their father, mother and grandfather turned them on to the sport at a young age. Walter Shackleton, their grandfather, was a New York state champ.

In 1992, Griffith and Ray started a state horseshoe pitching organization for women and both women have been inducted into various halls of fame. Both women, who are 65, are in the Tennessee Horseshoe Pitchers Hall of Fame. They were the first women honored.

Jeff Ireland
Author: Jeff Ireland