DJJD Horseshoe Hunt: What You Need to Know

The wait is nearly over.

The 2012 Defeat of Jesse James Days Horseshoe Hunt kicks off Monday, Aug. 27 with the release of the first clue. Clues will be released daily through Saturday, Sept. 1.

If the horseshoe isn't found by Tuesday, Sept. 4, then the hunt ends without a winner. But, we all know someone will find it before the last day, right?

Last year, the horseshoe was found on the , prompting clue master Tim Freeland to launch a .

Freeland told Northfield Patch there won't be a second hunt this year and is adamant that the horseshoe won't be found in the first few days.

This year $900 is up for grabs from hunt sponsors , Professional Pride Realty, and Appeldoorn's Sunset Bay Resort. But in order to get the full prize package, you must register your DJJD button before the hunt starts Monday. Visit the DJJD website to register your button. If you find the horseshoe and don't have a registered button, you get a consolation prize of $150.

And, like last year, there will be additional clues around Northfield that can be accessed with a smartphone, as well as on the DJJD website and on the DJJD Horseshoe Hunt Facebook page.

"I will be using a different cryptic clue style this year, while reusing some of the same technology-related methods that I introduced last year," Freeland said.

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Horseshoe Hunt Rules and Guidelines

• You must register your button prior to the first day of the hunt (Midnight the day prior) to receive the full $900 grand prize. If you fail to register and do find the horseshoe, you can claim the $150 consolation prize.
• Members of the DJJD Committee, Northfield News, Patch.com, KYMN and their immediate family are not eligible to win.
• The winner must be 18 years old or older.  In past years whole families joined 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.
• Should any damage to 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.
• When the horseshoe is found, the winner must immediately notify Tim Freeland (tim@djjd.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 at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, at to receive your check.
• There is no cost for this event and it is not a button event (although you do need to register a 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 unfound by 5 p.m. on Tuesday Sept. 4, 2012, the hunt will officially end for the year.
• Despite the surprise second hunt last year, there will be only one hunt this year.