Great Post! Thanks!Pete Horne and Earl Strickland both were born right here where I live in a very small town of Roseboro,N.C. Well earl just outside Roseboro. Pete was around 10 years older than earl. Both started and learned how to play pool right here in roseboro at a poolroom downtown called Carson's. Carson Naylor was the owner of this poolroom and many say no one around this area could touch Mr.Carson on the pool table in the 1940's and 50's and 60's. Mr.Carson was the one that taught both pete and earl alot about pool when they were young and he seen both had a god given talent and had a great desire to be great.When earl was very young he would help Mr.Carson rack the balls for the customers. Mr.Carson had 4 9ft tables and a black and white tv with an old fridge that kept drinks cold and had sandwiches also. I have had great memories over the years going there back then. Pete Horne was a great player and could play with anyone in the world in his prime. I'm telling you he could put the balls in the pocket.Back in the late 70's I was at autryville poolroom less than 10 miles from roseboro and pete was playing a very good player in 6 ball which was very popular back then. Pete was spotting the guy the 4 and 5 which is alot playing 6 ball. They were playing $20 a game and they played for about 2 hours. Pete Horne took that guy to the cleaners. In the 2 hours they played I only seen pete miss 3 or 4 shots and they were kick shots (normally he made hard kick shots also). They only time this guy could shoot is when pete didn't make a ball on the break which wasn't often. This helpless guy set there and watch pete run rack after rack after rack.I have been playing pool for over 35 years and it's the best performance I've ever seen.Pete gave up pool for a few years because he said he just got burned out on it. I ran into him about 3 or 4 years ago at little reno poolroom in Fayetteville,N.C. and he said he had started back playing again so we played awhile and talked about the good old times at carson's poolroom. He played very good but nowhere the speed he did in the 70's,80's and 90's. I asked pete that day why did he not go play in the big tournaments like earl and he told me that he could make more money on the road gambling than he could in tournaments. Also pete back then didn't have a backer,didn't need a backer and didn't want a backer as he always had his own money even when playing for 10's of thousands of dollars. Pete was one of the few great players that would take up time with other players to help improve their game. Pete was an extremely nice man and willing to help others. Like all of us pete had problems that greatly affected his life and pool game over the last several years but he still was a treat for me to be around. He will be greatly missed. Thanks
Sorry to hear that. I saw Pete play around the Fayetteville area. One of the great unknown players. What happened?
Do I know youI first met Pete in Players Billiards in Fayetteville, NC (no longer exists) back in 1994. As usual, Pete was a gentleman and cordial in every way as he relieved me of all my cash on-hand. We became friends and I told him I didn't mind getting whipped because that was the only way I could truly learn.....to play and learn from the best. I was on active duty in the Army at the time, and Pete and I always had a "running joke" by calling each other EVERYTHING EXCEPT our true names. I'd say "Hey Gilford!" to which he'd reply "Hey FRED!", and we'd always gamble alittle. We always argued over which game was better--9Ball or Straight Pool. Pete hated Straight pool and said it was a sissy's game because: "If you let me shoot ANY BALL I want, I'll beat you every time". I said "Really"? I'll bet you can't run 50 balls right now, on your first inning (Pete had just walked in, and I was playing straight pool by myself). Pete said "BET!". He took out his cue, ran 50 balls, and said "Now go buy me a drink FRED!". Damn smart-ass! He was a GREAT player, and I will miss him dearly. RIP buddy. I love ya Gilford!
Sorry to read he passed. My condolences to his family and friends.
I did not know him personally, but I did see him play. I witnessed his level of a play at a regional great southern billiard tour type event in Charlotte - at Pro Billiards (anyone remember that place?) in the early 90's if memory serves me correctly.
This event had some strong players, a very young lil Tony, lil Stevie, Jaybird, lil Jon, Ronny Parks, Neptune Joe and Pete. I'm sure there are others I am forgetting. They had a big turn out because the finals were not played until late Sunday night and the 1st place prize money was well north of a grand.
I remember sitting there with my old man, as I was just getting really hooked into playing, and watching Pete Horne battle Neptune Joe Frady in the finals of this event. Pete had a sticker on the grip end of his cue and he kept spinning his cue and looking back and forth between the sticker and the cue ball and not stroking until that sticker was pointed in exactly the right direction - I think it was straight up.
If I recall this was a true double elimination event and Pete Horned battled his way through the one-loss side and beat Neptune Joe twice to take down the tourney.
Steve H.