How 2 Kentucky good ol’ boys became croquet kings

What if one of the “most naturally talented” players to ever play a game … never wanted to play at all? Deadspin recently explored that question in a story about Kentucky’s historic croquet kings.

For Stamping Ground native Mark Burchfield, croquet “just never was my thing.” But still, he played alongside his father Archie, one of the sport’s greatest and most decorated players.

With their farmer physiques and homemade mallets, the duo were black sheep among the croquet elite. But with poise, dedication and undeniable talent, the “Kentucky Riflemen” swept past the sport’s high-class crowd and helped to democratize it.

– Nicole Ares