Alan Francis is a horseshoes pitcher from Defiance, Ohio. He has won the World Horseshoe Championship 24 times, in 1989, 1993, 1995–1999, 2001, 2003–2010 and 2012–2019. That is the most anyone has won it (2nd place belongs to Ted Allen who has won 10). He is also the only player to consistently pitch over 90%, and is regarded by many as the greatest horseshoe pitcher ever. The New York Times wrote that he may be "the most dominant athlete in any sport in the country".