Months of practice goes into learning all about West Virginia during the students’ eighth grade year. Memorizing facts, using lunchtime for Quiz Bowl, and committing counties to memory are just a few of the skills needed prior to taking the Golden Horseshoe Exam each March.  This year, all six Harrison County winners were from Bridgeport Middle School, making them not only knowledgeable about the state, but also the recipients of the coveted Golden Horseshoe pin.

 

This year’s winners, Evan Anderson, Corinne Lalama, Easton Cahill, Ellliot Fitzgerald, Anna Eileen Forinash, and Zachary Lambert, are among good company as there have been over 15,000 students win the golden pin since its inception in the 1920’s. 

 

“I was a little nervous about the competition, but I am so excited to be among the winners my family has had in the past,” said Lambert, whose mother is one of the West Virginia History teachers at Bridgeport Middle School.

 

The Golden Horseshoe pin represents a journey in which 50 brave men crossed the mountains to explore the western portion of Virginia in 1716.  The tradition of awarding the symbol stuck and has come to demonstrate state pride and knowledge among the more recent recipients.

 

“I enjoyed the challenge of learning all about our state and wanted to see how well I would do,” said Fitzgerald.  “It’s awesome that all six winners in Harrison County came from BMS and the whole experience was really fun.”

 

Each year, winners from all 55 counties are honored at a ceremony at the West Virginia State Capitol Complex in Charleston and treated to a luncheon at the Cultural Center.  In order to win, students must outscore their counterparts in both the school-wide and county-wide competitions and complete an essay on West Virginia current events.  22,000 compete annually.