2022 DPHS Horseshoe Hunt
The horseshoe has been found by Laur & Nick Weisensel, & children Christina & Evan, as well as Charlie the dog.
More information to follow.
More information to follow.
Family finds Dan Patch Days horseshoe after only two clues
by Molly Wilson, Savage Pacer
The Weisensel family had already looked under all the trees. Christina Weisensel now looked under the high-top table in Summit Pointe Park. All she saw was a plastic bag.
No horseshoe.
Then she realized, a plastic bag taped under a high-top table with camouflage duct tape is unusual. Sure enough, her mother Laur Weisensel explained, when she turned back and grabbed the bag, there it was — the 2022 Dan Patch Days horseshoe.
The Dan Patch Historical Society sponsors the annual horseshoe hunt, which traditionally precedes Dan Patch Days. (The event, June 23-25, was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID.) Clues are given out each week leading to the location of the horseshoe. The finder wins $100 and gets to ride on a float in the Dan Patch Days parade.
The Weisensel family — Laur and Nick, daughter Christina, son Evan, along with a 9-year-old Maltipoo named Charlie — also found the 2018 horseshoe, which was hidden in a tree. So, once they decoded the clues and found the right park, the trees were the first place they checked.
With only two clues given, this is one of the shortest horseshoe hunts in a while.
“At first I thought they just lucked out and found it,” said the Dan Patch clue master, who wishes to remain anonymous.
CLUES
But it wasn’t just luck; according to Laur, the Weisensel family is full of sleuths. They’ve been reading and deciphering clues since their kids could read (even if they didn’t start actively looking for the horseshoe until 2018). They used that knowledge and their expertise from 23 years living in Savage to narrow down the options for public spaces where it could be located.
“For people to figure it out, they kind of have to dig into the history,” the clue master said. “And know a little bit about the past, where Savage came from and who settled it and where they settled and what they did.”
Laur said there were three key phrases in the second clue that narrowed down the location for the Weisensels.
First: “Twas Eire they hailed,” which meant the land was once owned by a family from Ireland. The McCann’s came to mind. An Irish family mentioned in the 2011 clues.
Second: “they farmed the dale” a reference to the Oakdale Stock Farm, one of the McCann’s many plots of land.
Third: According to Laur Weisensel, the family also consistently went back to the third line of the second clue “Search high & low & o’re & under” when out in the park searching for the horseshoe.
THE FIND
Ninety minutes after the clue was posted Friday, June 3, they had their ideas. Tomorrow would be sleuthing day. After a breakfast at the farmers market they visited McCann Park. No one else was searching, the only other people they saw in the park were attending a toddler’s birthday party.
The Weisensels searched all the trees. Charlie was sniffing around the park. They ran into a neighbor.
“Lookin’ for the horseshoe?” he asked.
Nick, the father, nodded and continued prodding a tree with a long stick searching for the iconic horseshoe.
When they couldn’t find the horseshoe in the park named after the family, they moved on to Summit Pointe Park, the closest to the Oakdale Stock Farm, where they found the horseshoe under a high-top table. Just like the second clue said.
“[Dan Patch Days is] a really fun community thing that Savage does, so really, hats off to the clue master, hats off to Dan Patch Historical Society, they just do a really good job with it.” Laur said.
Next year the clue master will have to outdo this year, to give families like the Weisensels more of a challenge.
“Every year I tell myself I gotta get harder and harder and they keep outsmarting me,” the clue master said.
The Weisensel family had already looked under all the trees. Christina Weisensel now looked under the high-top table in Summit Pointe Park. All she saw was a plastic bag.
No horseshoe.
Then she realized, a plastic bag taped under a high-top table with camouflage duct tape is unusual. Sure enough, her mother Laur Weisensel explained, when she turned back and grabbed the bag, there it was — the 2022 Dan Patch Days horseshoe.
The Dan Patch Historical Society sponsors the annual horseshoe hunt, which traditionally precedes Dan Patch Days. (The event, June 23-25, was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID.) Clues are given out each week leading to the location of the horseshoe. The finder wins $100 and gets to ride on a float in the Dan Patch Days parade.
The Weisensel family — Laur and Nick, daughter Christina, son Evan, along with a 9-year-old Maltipoo named Charlie — also found the 2018 horseshoe, which was hidden in a tree. So, once they decoded the clues and found the right park, the trees were the first place they checked.
With only two clues given, this is one of the shortest horseshoe hunts in a while.
“At first I thought they just lucked out and found it,” said the Dan Patch clue master, who wishes to remain anonymous.
CLUES
But it wasn’t just luck; according to Laur, the Weisensel family is full of sleuths. They’ve been reading and deciphering clues since their kids could read (even if they didn’t start actively looking for the horseshoe until 2018). They used that knowledge and their expertise from 23 years living in Savage to narrow down the options for public spaces where it could be located.
“For people to figure it out, they kind of have to dig into the history,” the clue master said. “And know a little bit about the past, where Savage came from and who settled it and where they settled and what they did.”
Laur said there were three key phrases in the second clue that narrowed down the location for the Weisensels.
First: “Twas Eire they hailed,” which meant the land was once owned by a family from Ireland. The McCann’s came to mind. An Irish family mentioned in the 2011 clues.
Second: “they farmed the dale” a reference to the Oakdale Stock Farm, one of the McCann’s many plots of land.
Third: According to Laur Weisensel, the family also consistently went back to the third line of the second clue “Search high & low & o’re & under” when out in the park searching for the horseshoe.
THE FIND
Ninety minutes after the clue was posted Friday, June 3, they had their ideas. Tomorrow would be sleuthing day. After a breakfast at the farmers market they visited McCann Park. No one else was searching, the only other people they saw in the park were attending a toddler’s birthday party.
The Weisensels searched all the trees. Charlie was sniffing around the park. They ran into a neighbor.
“Lookin’ for the horseshoe?” he asked.
Nick, the father, nodded and continued prodding a tree with a long stick searching for the iconic horseshoe.
When they couldn’t find the horseshoe in the park named after the family, they moved on to Summit Pointe Park, the closest to the Oakdale Stock Farm, where they found the horseshoe under a high-top table. Just like the second clue said.
“[Dan Patch Days is] a really fun community thing that Savage does, so really, hats off to the clue master, hats off to Dan Patch Historical Society, they just do a really good job with it.” Laur said.
Next year the clue master will have to outdo this year, to give families like the Weisensels more of a challenge.
“Every year I tell myself I gotta get harder and harder and they keep outsmarting me,” the clue master said.
Rules
The annual horseshoe hunt takes place every year preceding Dan Patch Days. A horseshoe is hidden somewhere within the city of Savage, on public property. Clues are available on the Dan Patch Historical Society's website, in the Savage Pacer and at the Savage Library. The annual horseshoe hunt has taken place since 1996 and has always been sponsored by the Dan Patch Historical Society. Rules Clues are given out each week that lead to the location of a special horseshoe hidden somewhere on "public property" within the City of Savage boundaries. Whoever finds the horseshoe and has a 2022 Dan Patch Days button wins $100. The lucky winner also gets to keep the commemorative horseshoe.
2022 Dan Patch Days buttons are available at Savage City Hall and the Savage Library.
Each Friday, clues for the horseshoe hunt will be available here by 9 p.m. on this web site (www.danpatch.com). This is the only place the clues will be available online. Clues will also be published in the Saturday print edition of the Savage Pacer newspaper.
To maintain the interest and integrity of the horseshoe hunt, the following members, spouses and minor children are NOT eligible to participate in the hunt: Dan Patch Historical Society board members, Dan Patch Days Inc. committee members and Savage Pacer newspaper employees. Also, there will not be any back-to-back winners.
**Anyone who believes they've found Dan's shoe, please CONTACT US (and Please leave a contact number, we will follow up ASAP.
2022 Dan Patch Days buttons are available at Savage City Hall and the Savage Library.
Each Friday, clues for the horseshoe hunt will be available here by 9 p.m. on this web site (www.danpatch.com). This is the only place the clues will be available online. Clues will also be published in the Saturday print edition of the Savage Pacer newspaper.
To maintain the interest and integrity of the horseshoe hunt, the following members, spouses and minor children are NOT eligible to participate in the hunt: Dan Patch Historical Society board members, Dan Patch Days Inc. committee members and Savage Pacer newspaper employees. Also, there will not be any back-to-back winners.
**Anyone who believes they've found Dan's shoe, please CONTACT US (and Please leave a contact number, we will follow up ASAP.
2022 Clues
Clue #1
Two years have passed of the lockdown, 'tis sad Dan couldn't pace 'round town.
Post vaccine, sans mask, Dan is out. Boosted genes, on task, he's about.
But a shoe did go fly'in & on you we're rely'in, with a prize in store no doubt!
Once found and in tow, let the webmaster know, in the parade you'll be able to crow!
*The shoe can be hidden on any public grounds in Savage.
Clue #2
From afar they came to the county of Scott, & staked their claim to large fertile plots.
"Twas Eire they hailed and hay they baled, without fail they farmed the dale.
Search high & low & o'er & under; find the shoe for the goods to plunder.
Clue #3
Between farms of the stocks,
with pleasant views and dales oaked;
west of Bregg'man Lake docks,
Have your button or prize revoked.
Clue #4
Below Presb. church of olde & schoolhouse 57,
Pilgrim Boone at the threshold of the park prize therein.
Now marshall these clues to discern where the shoe.
Clue #5 (if required)
Up the Durabase road and Leafcutter bee box,
Your pointe was just to decode, reach the summit to all out fox!
Two years have passed of the lockdown, 'tis sad Dan couldn't pace 'round town.
Post vaccine, sans mask, Dan is out. Boosted genes, on task, he's about.
But a shoe did go fly'in & on you we're rely'in, with a prize in store no doubt!
Once found and in tow, let the webmaster know, in the parade you'll be able to crow!
*The shoe can be hidden on any public grounds in Savage.
Clue #2
From afar they came to the county of Scott, & staked their claim to large fertile plots.
"Twas Eire they hailed and hay they baled, without fail they farmed the dale.
Search high & low & o'er & under; find the shoe for the goods to plunder.
Clue #3
Between farms of the stocks,
with pleasant views and dales oaked;
west of Bregg'man Lake docks,
Have your button or prize revoked.
Clue #4
Below Presb. church of olde & schoolhouse 57,
Pilgrim Boone at the threshold of the park prize therein.
Now marshall these clues to discern where the shoe.
Clue #5 (if required)
Up the Durabase road and Leafcutter bee box,
Your pointe was just to decode, reach the summit to all out fox!