New England Hall of Fame
/Debra Brown Organizer/Player		2003
Debra lives in Bristol, Vermont with her husband Michael. They have two children Jeffrey and Lisa. She has been a member of the Sodbusters Horseshoe Club and the NHPA since 1980. She has held many offices for the club, such as secretary, recorder, and has been the tournament director for the past three years. She is also the Vice-President of the Vermont State Association since 2000 and promotes horseshoes by running a junior program. Debra began playing horseshoes in 1980, after watching her husband Michael participate for a few years before that. She decided that this was not a spectator sport, and played in her first tournament which was the Fall Round-Up. She averaged 6.5% for the day, and ended in second place in a play-off game. She has participated in many tournaments in New England and received many first places throughout the years. She has been a Class A player since 1983. A few of her tournaments as follows; 1988, Fathers Day 7-0-71.5% with high game 78.6%. 1991, 25th Anniversary Tourn. 6-1-75.4% with high game 84.4%. 1993, Mothers Day 6-2-70.0% with high game of 92.8%. 2002, Fathers Day 6-0-69.07% with a high game of 90.6%. In 1983 on Sodbusters courts, Debbie played her first Vermont State Women's Class A title, finishing 3rd with an average of 48.5%. In 1988, at Bennington, she won her first Vermont State Women's Champion Title with an average of 57.8%. In 1991 and 1992, she won back to back State Champion Titles with a 61.0% and 63.3%. She won the titles again in 2000, 2001, and 2002. In 1991 Vermont held their first State Doubles at Sodbusters, and Debbie with Phil Sumner as her partner was Vermont's first Doubles Champion with a record of 4 wins and 1 loss. She repeated that victory again the next year with Bill Bearor as her partner. Deb has participated in one World Tournament, that being in Statesville, North Carolina in 1983, finishing 1st in Women's Class F, being the first Vermont female to take a first place at the World's with a record of 6-1- 47.5%. Debra has participated seventeen times in the New England Tournament. Eleven of them being in class A. Her best finish in class A, was in 2001 when she lost in a play-off to Carol Simpson for first place, finishing with a 5-3 record, and 70.63% and had the highest average game of 86.36%. She also finished 3rd place two times in 1989 and 1991 with a 63.0% and a 62.6%. In 1993 she finished in 4th place with a 70.5%. Debra received the New England Most Improved Women Player at Springfield, Vermont in 1982. She has also received several Most Improved from the State, and club levels. Debbie has been a consistent competitor in league play since 1983, finishing first several times, and second several times. She also played in the doubles league, finishing in fourth place in 1983 and 1984. She received national recognition for being in the N.H.P.A. Top Ten for Sanction Clubs (high game) seven years, and (high average) for five years. Debra was inducted into the Vermont Hall of Fame in 1994, and was awarded the Wendell Burnham Memorial Award for her dedication to horseshoes in 2003.