2015 Defeat of Jesse James Days Horsehsoe Hunt

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Submitted by Joe Medallion on Wed, 06/10/2015 - 16:04

Official Web Site

2015 Dates for Hunting: August 31st – September 5th (Monday – Saturday)

Horseshoe Hunt Rules and Guidelines

(IMPORTANT) Buttons needed to be registered before the start of the hunt to receive the full $1100 grand prize. If you did not register and do find the horseshoe, you can claim the $100 consolation prize.
Northfield public school’s and grounds are NOT city owned and exempt from this contest. Please stay off all school property, including the colleges.
Members of the DJJD Committee, Northfield News, KYMN and their immediate family are not eligible to win as clues will be posted online, announced on air and found in print no later than 7am each day.
The winner must be 18 years old or older. In past years whole families join together to work out the clues and search for the horseshoe. This is acceptable as long as a legal adult is supervising the search and able to represent the family if found.
The horseshoe will be located on public property within Northfield and will not be buried. NO digging will be necessary in the retrieval of the horseshoe and it will NOT be high up where you’d be required to climb or use a ladder. PRIVATE property is excluded and we ask you are respectful as you search public areas. Should any damage to any property occur while retrieving the horseshoe, the winner will forfeit all prize money.
The DJJD Committee is not responsible for any personal injury incurred hunting for or retrieving the horseshoe. The horseshoe is placed with safety in mind. Please hunt responsibly.
Hunt Specific Page

When the horseshoe is found, the winner must immediately notify Tim Freeland (tim at djjd dot org OR 507-581-5038). Tim will arrange to meet you and confirm the shoes authenticity. You must be present at the DJJD Committee meeting the Tuesday Sept 8th 2015 at 7pm at Jesse James Lanes to receive your check.
There is no cost for this event but you do need to register your 2015 DJJD button to claim the FULL prize.
If you win, you must agree to be publicly named along with the possibility of an on-air radio interview, your photo and name(s) on various local websites and a picture and write up in the paper.
If the horseshoe goes un-found by 5pm on Tuesday September 2nd 2014, the hunt will officially end for the year.

Event Chair: Tim Freeland. Tim at DJJD dot org

Official Event Sponsors!

Hunt information

Dates:

First Clue:	Monday, August 31, 2015
Found on:	Friday, September 4, 2015

Finders:

Name	Hometown
Chris Israel	Northfield
Jacob Israel	Northfield
Sheri Israel	Northfield

Prize:

Maximum Prize:	$1300
Awarded Prize:	$1300

Location:

General Location:	Sechler Park
Exact Location:	In the woods past the Northfield Knights Baseball field.
Concealer:

Clues

Clue #1

Published on Monday, August 31, 2015

My shot at camouflage. Just before going into the hiding place.

As everyone knows, this year offered the largest payout ever. For the 18th annual DJJD Horseshoe hunt, I decided to change up the cadence of the clue writing drastically. The idea was to educate hunters about the many different DJJD events that happen each year in hopes of them taking in one they may have never attended before. I used a “stream of conscious” clue flow style. I know how people tend to dig really deep into each word, and the clues were much longer this year, which led to many reading way to deeply into this. But at times, that level of focus is needed.

The premise of this years clues were from my personal log or journal about my day to day experiences during the upcoming festival. So they’re written in future-tense. I’m speaking to Bill Cowles, the Joseph Lee Heywood Distinguished Service Award recipient. We are having a chat about my recent hunt and in particular, how I went about picking a spot to hide it in and how I wrote the clues themselves.

Unlike a few years ago, plotting points on a map was not needed, however having a full list of celebration events or the official brochure would help guide your week and ultimately connect Bill’s photo in the brochure with the event and location of the horseshoe. Andrew Ziegler pointed out that plotting the first 4 draw an arrow directly at the Public Library. (Andrew is ineligible to participate but committee members sometimes “follow along at home”)

A note from event chairman, Tim Freeland:
Thank you so much for playing along this year. Thanks to those four sponsors and the committee for providing cash towards the prize. My hope is for friends and families to work as a group to solve the clues and find the shoe. Please read the official clues closely and keep safety in mind at all times. Good luck!
Wednesday, September 9th
I chatted with Bill at the dinner tonight and he told me how much he enjoyed the horseshoe hunt this year. I told him how many more had played given the largest purse ever. Bill was thrilled about attending the many upcoming events and asked me for some help with the schedule…
Which event is on Sunday at 2pm?
Which event would you need to know the Farm Stock rules?
Which event changed its name this year?
Which event began in 1961 by the VFW to get kids involved in the festivities?

Explanation:
I set up the flow of my discussion with Bill Cowles. The four events that I ask Bill about refer to the Parade, the Antique Tractor Pull, the Raider Derby and the Kiddie Parade. The first letters of each spell P.A.R.K. This eliminates all city property that is not a park. The reference to getting a group to solve something could be a baseball team reference.

Clue Rating:

No votes yet

Clue #2

Published on Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Celebration Journal – Thursday, September 10th
I ran into Bill again tonight at wrist band night. He leaned in and asked if I’d share how I picked the location for this years hunt. I explained that I first eliminated all of these locations tied to the various celebration events…
Which new event replaced an arts and crafts show that accidentally made the paper brochure?
Which new event features a funny entertainer?
Which events proceeds benefit the Northfield Fire and Rescue?
Which event takes place in a common area and is put on by the Northfield Arts Guild?

Explanation:
I made it clear that I’m listing off locations where it is not at. I use this opportunity to correct an error in the paper brochure while getting people looking around the lineup of fun things to do. Four more locations are eliminated.

Clue Rating:

No votes yet

Clue #3

Published on Wednesday, September 2, 2015

My Celebration Journal – Friday, September 11th
After the 7pm Raid Re-enactment Bill asked for more. He had a brochure and was crossing off events. We sat down for a burger to work on more places. It is all about location I stressed and added these to the list…
That kick-off event that honors the dead, you know not to go there.
And of course the event where the Raiders visit kids, all those places are off limits.
If you plan to watch 8th Street, the shoe won’t be there.
And if you’re into old baseball, you’re in the wrong places.

Explanation:
I started to add hints in the first section. “Location” is in ref to the real estate term “Location, location, location”, which ties to our 2 real estate sponsors. “Burger” is in homage to Dick Kleeberger who was the last person to win it in this park back in 1999. Bringing up a physical brochure sets up tomorrow’s revealing of which Bill this might be. Bill’s name was also found on a few plaques around town in various parks listing his association with various service clubs. The Northfield Cemetery which is tied to the JHL graveside memorial is off limits as is all school grounds. The 8th street band plays (tomorrow) at the Entertainment center (Saturday) and old (vintage) baseball pointed folks to the website that lists Vintage Baseball being played at Sibley, not the old Memorial Field as was mistakenly printed in the bulletin. It’s in neither of those locations.

Clue Rating:

No votes yet

Clue #4

Published on Thursday, September 3, 2015

Tim’s Celebration Journal – Saturday, September 12th, 2015
Bill really wanted to know how I scored the hiding spot. He asked me to show him in person at 1, but I couldn’t go so I gave him a clue to show him how it’s done. “Look upon yourself and align straight like a post. Then move to a new spot, straight out from the most. Don’t look by the carnies, don’t look by old cars. Don’t look for some artwork, you’re way off the course.”

Explanation:

Day 4. I eliminate the Carnival (Ames Park), the Car show (Riverside Park), Art in the Park (Central) and Way Park (on the Derby route). “Way off Course”. I tell Bill that I can’t go to the spot with him because I have something at 1pm, the raid Re-Enactment. “Scored” points to baseball and score board on the Tom Blaisdell Memorial Field in Sechler Park.

Look upon yourself and align straight like a post. This one is pretty big. Bill Cowles has his picture in the paper brochure. If you look right up from that is the “Sneaky Pete” event in Sechler. But the “Post” reference is to the many many fence posts that line the long back road to Sechler from Kwik trip into the park. There is a lose post cap right as the line of posts begins. Attached to that cap on the inside of the post is a wire with a big clue hanging there. It basically told folks they were within so many feet of the shoe and to be aware of ticks.

Move to a new spot. Sneaky Pete moved to Sechler from Division Street this year. “Straight” in refers to the poles and to the road itself.

“Most” rhymes with “Post” (MOM) cereals, which is fully visible from the spot. But “mostly” just a rhyme.

Clue Rating:

No votes yet

Clue #5

Published on Friday, September 4, 2015

Tim’s Personal Celebration Journal log – Sunday, September 13th, 2015
So there we were talking of yesterday’s Pull and Bill hit a home run with this one of his own.
“The fallen Knights sung a secular tune and were tipping their caps to this recent full moon.
He picked up his timber and laced up his Croct’s and swung for the fence and he nailed it far.
It flew to the heavens and deep it did go, past all of the obstacles into right-center fol’.
I commend all the hunters who look behind bark, while smelling the victory of this low earthly park. If you’re still having problems, there’s a tip in a cap, on a galvanized pathway just west on the map.”

Explanation:

Day 5

So there we were talking of yesterday’s Pull (Sneaky Pete Pullers) and Bill hit a home run (baseball) with this one of his own. “The fallen Knights (Nfld Knights) sung a secular (Sechler) tune and were tipping their caps (Hint in post cap) to this recent full moon. He picked up his timber (Woods) and laced up his Croct’s (Cannon River Offroad Cycling and Trails…http://croct.org/) and swung for the fence and he nailed it far (over the fence). It flew to the heavens and deep it did go, past all of the obstacles (off-road cycling obstacles) into right-center (position back) fol’ (folliage). I commend all the hunters who look behind bark (under a piece of bark), while smelling the victory of this low (does down into flood plain) earthly (Secular) park. If you’re still having problems, there’s a tip in a cap (move the top cap), on a galvanized (line of posts) pathway just west on the map.”

Thanks again to the sponsors for chipping in for the cash payout. This includes Professional Pride Realty, Bursch Travel, US Federal Credit Union and Edina Realty – Northfield.

Congratulations to Chris & Jacob Israel along with Sheri Israel, they have been avid hunters of the shoe for many years, being within a few feet a number of years already. (photo below)

Here’s a possible hint for next year. Study up on geocaching. Since I can’t hunt, I get my fix of finding random things out in public from geocaching. It uses the GPS on your smartphone with apps locate hided objects around our town. I think we have around 20 hidden caches in Northfield right now. Anyone can add one. It’s all done for fun and on an honor system. Kids love it. Give it a shot tonight. Here’s some of my fav apps for it.

Geocaching App for Android

Geocaching App for iPhone

2015-09-04 08.23.11