Terry, Montana, Celebrates 100th Anniversary with TerrYYippee Day

Cornhole Doubles Championships Add to the Family Fun Event

The TerrYYippee ad on this page touts the Cornhole Corn Toss State Doubles Championships as one of the big celebration events during the town’s annual celebration.

“This event is very big in the Midwest and in other parts of the country,” said Kathy Galland, a member of the TerryYYippee Day committee. This is the third year we have had the event in Terry and it is sponsored by the Prairie County Chamber of Commerce, with organizational help from the Prairie Community Hospital.”

This is not a “corny” event, if you’ll pardon the expression. The rules are firm. Bags of corn must be a certain weight. Platforms must be set at specific distances. Pitching is defined, and time limits add to the challenge.

“There are rules, but it’s one of the most family-friendly events you can have,” said Galland, explaining that a grandfather and grandson can form a team. Sisters, spouses, even son-in-law mother-in-law teams show up.

Visitors are encouraged to enter the contest. Galland said that corn bags are provided to anyone who does not have their own. So if you are headed east along I-94 this week, be sure to stop in Terry, Montana. You can visit the Lady Cameron and Prairie County Museums, get in on the 100th Anniversary celebration events and even toss the corn bags!

Prizes and trophies are the winnings.

The PlayCornHole.org website gives all the specifics. According to the site, Cornhole has been called many things, Corn Toss, Bean Bag, Bean Toss, Soft Horseshoes, Indiana Horseshoes, but to many of us born and raised in Kentucky and the southern part of Ohio, the game is passionately referred to as Cornhole.

It has been said that the game originated in Germany in the 14th century, and then was rediscovered in the hills of Kentucky over 100 years ago. The truth is, who really knows? But the game is great fun for all ages and can be played anywhere!

Cornhole or Corn Toss is similar to horseshoes except you use wooden boxes called cornhole platforms and corn bags instead of horseshoes and metal stakes. Contestants take turns pitching their corn bags at the cornhole platform until a contestant reaches the score of 21 points. A corn bag in the hole scores 3 points, while one on the platform scores 1 point.

Scoring can be swift and the lead may change hands several times in a match before the winner is decided. The game is generally played tournament style with an individual or team being named the champion at the end of the tournament.

Cornhole / Corn Toss can be played as doubles or singles. In doubles play two contestants are partners against another team of two contestants; in singles play a contestant competes against another contestant.

In doubles play, one member of each team pitches from one cornhole platform and the other members pitch from the other cornhole platform. In singles play, both contestants pitch from the same cornhole platform. All other rules are basically the same for doubles or singles play.

Every Cornhole / Corn Toss match is broken down into innings of play. During each inning there is a top and a bottom round of play. In doubles play, the top of an inning is completed when both contestants pitching from the first cornhole platform pitch all four corn bags; the bottom of the inning is completed when the remaining contestants (pitching from the other cornhole platform) pitch all four corn bags. In singles play, the top of an inning is completed when the first contestant pitches all four corn bags; the bottom of the inning is completed when the remaining contestant pitches all four corn bags. An inning is never completed until all contestants pitch all four corn bags.