2020 Northfield Defeat of Jesse James Days Horseshoe Hunt

The 23rd Annual, 2020 Dates for Hunting:  Sept 2 – Sept 7 

Wed – Monday (Labor Day) 

Clues are posted to this sites, on the KYMN Radio and Northfield News sites along with on the DJJD Facebook pages. Clues go live at 7am each day. 

REGISTER BUTTON FOR FULL PRIZE 

BREAKING:  There are 20 horseshoes hidden this year! $1000 total payout!  $680 Grand Prize.  $20 payout for each memento horseshoe you find

 Horseshoe Hunt Rules and Guidelines

• There are 20 horseshoes hidden this year (2020). Here’s the scoop.  1-19 pay out $20. The 20th is the official “grand prize” shoe. It is the antique that is used each year (not a keeper).  The first 19 are mementos that you can keep. If you find one, instructions on what to do next are attached to each shoe. You don’t have to register your button to collect the $20 for these first 19. You can collect on as many as you can find. (The mementos shoes are a heavy casting about 3-4″)
• (IMPORTANT – REGISTER FIRST) Buttons need to be registered before the start of the hunt to receive the full grand prize.  If you did not register and do find the horseshoe, the payout is $300.
• We ask that you follow COVID-19 safety guidelines including using of a mask when around others.
• Northfield public school grounds are NOT city-owned and exempt from this contest.  Please stay off all school property, including the colleges.
• Members of the DJJD Committee and their immediate family are not eligible to participate.
• Clues are posted online on this site, the Northfield News and the KYMN Radio sites each day no earlier than 7am.
• When the horseshoe is found and the Chairman has been notified, word will be posted on this site and Facebook. A full explanation of clues will be posted shortly after.
• The winner must be 18 years old or older.  In past years, families & groups 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/group if found.
• The horseshoe will be located on public property within Northfield or Dundas and will not be buried. NO digging will be needed in the retrieval of the horseshoe and it will not require the use of a ladder. PRIVATE property is excluded and we ask you are respectful as you search public areas. Be sure you research whether a spot is public or not before looking there.  Should damage to any property occur while searching for the horseshoe, the participant(s) forfeit prize money and maybe ban from future contests.
• While the police are notified in advance of this contest and made aware of the possibility that people may be walking around aimlessly, private property owners have the right to contact authorities if you are on their property.
• The DJJD Committee is not responsible for any personal injury or accident incurred hunting for or retrieving the horseshoe.  The horseshoe is placed with safety in mind. Closely monitor children in your party. Please hunt responsibly.
• When the horseshoe is found, the winner must immediately notify Tim Freeland (507-581-5038). Tim will arrange to meet you and confirm the shoe authenticity. There is only 1 horseshoe like this one in the world. Only past winners are aware of the markings on its backside.  This is how it is verified. You must be present at the DJJD Committee meeting the Tuesday following the event to receive your check. The horseshoe is a historical artifact and must be returned to the committee.
• There is no cost for this event but you do need to register this years DJJD button in advance 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 (possible but not guaranteed).
• If the horseshoe goes unfound by midnight on Tuesday, the week of DJJD, the hunt will officially end for the year and prize money will be returned to the donors. The purse does not grow into the next hunting year.
• The use of metal detectors are prohibited. If you see someone using one, please alert Tim (Text 507-581-5038).
• (Added 2020) The event chairman reserves to right to disqualify any player for the year if they are not following COVID-19 safety precautions. Take every opportunity to distance yourself and be respectful of others around you.

 A Note From The Event Chairman

 Hunting for the horseshoe can be frustrating, but very much rewarding. My goal is to get people out in the community to enjoy our great city, the public areas and to be with friends, families and neighbors. I want you to learn about our public areas and history. Clues have been interpreted in many different ways each year. If you think you’ve come up with a clever connection relating to your hunt experience, please email me with details.  I love to hear about it. Tell me your story.  And if you find anything that resembles a horseshoe, as many people do amazingly, take a photo of it and send to me. 

I do my best to be fair to all hunters and to give everyone an even playing field. Remember that our committee is an all-volunteer organization and we do what we do because we love the event, the City, and the people. While my clues often involve the use of technology, I do not ever make it so those who are not tech-savvy are at a disadvantage. 

Once the game is over, I will publish an explanation of all clues that reveal what I had in mind when writing them.  Thank you for hunting! 

Tim Freeland – Event Chairman 

Please support these Official Event Sponsors! They pay for the prize

The first year in Dundas. Anna Tritch found the 20th (and main) horseshoe around 8am on 9/7/2020. It was a few paces into the wooded area of this small park. 6 clues in. Grand price was $620. 19 $20 shoes were found at prior shoe hiding spots