2017 DPHS Horseshoe Hunt
2017 Horseshoe Found near MW Savage Elementary School
Mark Halmrast and his 3 children, Daniel, Sarah and Jacob found the horseshoe late last night. They are 18 year residents and this is their first time hunting for the horseshoe. Mark said, "This was a fun family event that the whole family really got into it. They enjoyed discussing the hard clues and the 4th one unlocked the puzzle for them. They felt more connected to the community, and we look forward to their riding on the DPHS float in the parade on Saturday at 11:00l" Congratulations to the Halmrast family.
A Savage family officially has bragging rights for the next year after it found the annual Dan Patch Days horseshoe the evening of Friday, June 16.
“We always looked at the horseshoe hunt from the outside in,” said Mark Halmrast, a Savage resident for nearly two decades. “We’ve never actually gotten in the car and gone on the hunt. This year we decided to change that.”
Halmrast and his children, Daniel, 22, Sarah, 20, and Jacob, 18, put their heads together and thought about the clues that were “appropriately cryptic,” Halmrast said. Two of his children are home from college for the summer and his youngest — Jacob — just graduated from high school. Halmrast said he thought his children might find the hunt a bit “dorky,” but it took no convincing at all as the entire family was engaged from the start.
“It was just fun,” Halmrast said. “As a family, it was just fun to debate the clues over dinner and talk about options. The fact that we found it, it was just icing on the cake.”
The Dan Patch Historical Society sponsored the 22nd annual contest and clues were given out each week that lead to the location of a special horseshoe hidden somewhere on public property in Savage. Horseshoe hunt clues were made available by 9 p.m. every Friday and were also published in the Savage Pacer. The fifth and final clue wasn’t needed as the Halmrast family found the horseshoe before it was released.
There’s no doubt you have to be familiar with the city to excel at the horseshoe hunt, Halmrast said. While the contest didn’t take him to anywhere new, it certainly forced him to look at the city in a brand new way, he said.
When the family finally found the horseshoe hiding in the mulch by the big rock at M.W. Savage Elementary School, there was disbelief.
“It was like, ‘Are you kidding me?’” Halmrast said with a laugh. “It was by a rock, but tucked in these flowers. As we were pushing away the foliage we were like, ‘Wait, is this the horseshoe?’ ”The family high-fived one another in excitement, he said.All horseshoe hunters were expected to have a 2017 Dan Patch Days button — something the Halmrast family didn’t have and therefore missed out on a $100 prize, horseshoe hunt officials said. Buttons were available for purchase at the Savage Library, Savage City Hall, the Savage Chamber of Commerce and at Razor’s Edge Salon. They could also be purchased directly from Dan Patch Historical Society members.
The winners also get to keep the commemorative horseshoe and have the opportunity to ride in the Dan Patch Days Grand Parade, scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, June 24 this year.”If anyone’s been teetering on the edge, just hop on in and give it a go,” Halmrast said of the horseshoe hunt. Although his family is now ineligible to win back-to-back years, they still plan to play along next year, he said.
For more information on Dan Patch Days visit danpatchdays.org. The annual community celebration runs June 22-25.
“We always looked at the horseshoe hunt from the outside in,” said Mark Halmrast, a Savage resident for nearly two decades. “We’ve never actually gotten in the car and gone on the hunt. This year we decided to change that.”
Halmrast and his children, Daniel, 22, Sarah, 20, and Jacob, 18, put their heads together and thought about the clues that were “appropriately cryptic,” Halmrast said. Two of his children are home from college for the summer and his youngest — Jacob — just graduated from high school. Halmrast said he thought his children might find the hunt a bit “dorky,” but it took no convincing at all as the entire family was engaged from the start.
“It was just fun,” Halmrast said. “As a family, it was just fun to debate the clues over dinner and talk about options. The fact that we found it, it was just icing on the cake.”
The Dan Patch Historical Society sponsored the 22nd annual contest and clues were given out each week that lead to the location of a special horseshoe hidden somewhere on public property in Savage. Horseshoe hunt clues were made available by 9 p.m. every Friday and were also published in the Savage Pacer. The fifth and final clue wasn’t needed as the Halmrast family found the horseshoe before it was released.
There’s no doubt you have to be familiar with the city to excel at the horseshoe hunt, Halmrast said. While the contest didn’t take him to anywhere new, it certainly forced him to look at the city in a brand new way, he said.
When the family finally found the horseshoe hiding in the mulch by the big rock at M.W. Savage Elementary School, there was disbelief.
“It was like, ‘Are you kidding me?’” Halmrast said with a laugh. “It was by a rock, but tucked in these flowers. As we were pushing away the foliage we were like, ‘Wait, is this the horseshoe?’ ”The family high-fived one another in excitement, he said.All horseshoe hunters were expected to have a 2017 Dan Patch Days button — something the Halmrast family didn’t have and therefore missed out on a $100 prize, horseshoe hunt officials said. Buttons were available for purchase at the Savage Library, Savage City Hall, the Savage Chamber of Commerce and at Razor’s Edge Salon. They could also be purchased directly from Dan Patch Historical Society members.
The winners also get to keep the commemorative horseshoe and have the opportunity to ride in the Dan Patch Days Grand Parade, scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, June 24 this year.”If anyone’s been teetering on the edge, just hop on in and give it a go,” Halmrast said of the horseshoe hunt. Although his family is now ineligible to win back-to-back years, they still plan to play along next year, he said.
For more information on Dan Patch Days visit danpatchdays.org. The annual community celebration runs June 22-25.
2017 Clues
Clue #1
Dan threw a shoe, a rare miscue – but away it flew & now he’s blue.
With the help of you, a real gumshoe, construe the clue & a prize you’re due.
With daring do & a button or two, search avenue & all fescue – any public grounds will do.
Please find Dan’s shoe & money you’ll accrue, And a rendezvous with a now happy horse & his shoe!
Clue #2
T'wards stars & bars and service of Carr's,
On land of a variety of immigrants.
Though Dan can't lope, you do bring hope.
Dan threw a shoe, a rare miscue – but away it flew & now he’s blue.
With the help of you, a real gumshoe, construe the clue & a prize you’re due.
With daring do & a button or two, search avenue & all fescue – any public grounds will do.
Please find Dan’s shoe & money you’ll accrue, And a rendezvous with a now happy horse & his shoe!
Clue #2
T'wards stars & bars and service of Carr's,
On land of a variety of immigrants.
Though Dan can't lope, you do bring hope.
Clue #3
Think presidents of yore-
On street names of fore,
Like grapes near one twenty four.
Think presidents of yore-
On street names of fore,
Like grapes near one twenty four.
Clue #4
Near Christians sing the olde Rock Of Ages,
This M. W. has volumes of pages.
Near Christians sing the olde Rock Of Ages,
This M. W. has volumes of pages.
Clue #5 (Not Needed)
Where mulch abounds,
With a rock around,
"Tis there the shoe can be found.
Where mulch abounds,
With a rock around,
"Tis there the shoe can be found.
Explanations of the Clues
Clue #1
This clue directs you is just a reminder of the rules that you need to purchase a button to win the $100 prize and the shoe can be found on any piece of public property in Savage.
Clue #2
This clue directs you to the northern older area of the city to search. "Stars" refers to Hollywood Park, "bars" refers to where old bars like Earl & Dorothy's, Kaufenber's, The Budweiser Club, the VFW or the Dan Patch Lounge used to be. Today's bars would be Niesen's or the Legion. "Carr's" refers to the landowner Carr who owned property near where the shoe was. It also refers to service stations like Egan's Texaco or Rob's Auto. "Variety" refers to Kearney's Variety store located in the area as well as landowners other than Carr & Kearney like Nixon & Hayes.
Clue #3
"Presidents" refers to Nixon & Hayes who were landowners in Hamilton. The old street name of grapes refers to Vine Street and 124th Street, north of the location of the shoe.
Clue #4
"Christians sing" would be at St. John's and "volumes of pages" can be found at M. W. Savage Elementary School.
Clue #5
The shoe was hidden in the mulch by the big rock in from of M. W. Savage Elementary School.
This clue directs you is just a reminder of the rules that you need to purchase a button to win the $100 prize and the shoe can be found on any piece of public property in Savage.
Clue #2
This clue directs you to the northern older area of the city to search. "Stars" refers to Hollywood Park, "bars" refers to where old bars like Earl & Dorothy's, Kaufenber's, The Budweiser Club, the VFW or the Dan Patch Lounge used to be. Today's bars would be Niesen's or the Legion. "Carr's" refers to the landowner Carr who owned property near where the shoe was. It also refers to service stations like Egan's Texaco or Rob's Auto. "Variety" refers to Kearney's Variety store located in the area as well as landowners other than Carr & Kearney like Nixon & Hayes.
Clue #3
"Presidents" refers to Nixon & Hayes who were landowners in Hamilton. The old street name of grapes refers to Vine Street and 124th Street, north of the location of the shoe.
Clue #4
"Christians sing" would be at St. John's and "volumes of pages" can be found at M. W. Savage Elementary School.
Clue #5
The shoe was hidden in the mulch by the big rock in from of M. W. Savage Elementary School.