EAU CLAIRE — They say “close” only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. For Curt Bestul, horseshoe pitching is certainly a game that is very close to his heart.
Bestul visited the Eau Claire Horseshoe Club to celebrate his 100th birthday a day early, with his actual birthday being today. His visit to the club’s courts on Tuesday aligned with the Carson Park Classic Horseshoe Tournament, as Bestul was joined by family, club members and tournament competitors just before games started in the evening.
Bestul is a big deal to the Eau Claire Horseshoe Club, as he founded the group back in 1965 and later founded the Wisconsin Horseshoe Pitchers Association two years later. For 14 years, he reigned as the Eau Claire City-County champion between the years of 1967 and 1984 and was even named state champion for horseshoe pitching in 1981.
Beyond that, Bestul acted as the Regional Director of the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association and represented six states out of the Midwest.
“Between him, and I think a few other members years ago, got this entire club up and running…” said Paul Wiese, current president of the Eau Claire Horseshoe Club. “He pitched for so long as part of our club and was a non-pitching member of our club for many many years afterwards, and it is wonderful to have him back.”
When the club was first starting out, Deb Bestul, Curt Bestul’s daughter, said her father helped find the location and maintain the courts for many years. On Tuesdays throughout the spring and summer, she recalled that the courts would be filled with people aiming to enjoy their evening.
“For him, it was kind of like another family,” said Deb Bestul, referring to what horseshoe meant to her father. “He had friends all over the state and all over the country. He would get all kinds of birthday cards and messages from all of them, but some of his best friends resulted from that… We all grew up with a lot of kids our age, so it really became a big family experience for all of us.”
While fond memories and a history of achievements are covered in Curt Bestul’s horseshoe legacy, his historic achievements go even further. Bestul also served in World War II as a ski trooper, training in Italy on how to fight in the mountains.
After the war, he developed an interest in ski jumping which brought him to Eau Claire to help build the Silver Mine Ski Jump. Deb Bestul said he did not discover a passion for horseshoes until after he broke his legs a few weeks before trying to qualify for the Olympics.
But with a newfound love of horseshoe throwing, Curt Bestul dedicated himself to it.
“It was a sport that I really enjoyed, and it seemed to me a sport that came naturally for me to pick up,” said Curt Bestul. “I was able to improve my pitching over the years… but I enjoyed the sport, not only the pitching but being involved.”
Recalling a story of his time pitching horseshoes, Bestul said, “We actually hosted the world tournament here in 1987, and we had it indoors at the Hobbs Ice Center. The reason we had it indoors is that I had been developing an indoor horseshoe court, a portable one that could be used and was accepted by the national association… That was a big success for me; I had worked on it for several years to establish a type of portable horseshoe court.”
Reflecting on a long life full of many achievements, Curt Bestul celebrated his birthday Tuesday along with horseshoe pitching competitors and close family members.
“Most like anyone else who reaches this age, I’m sure they have never expected to reach this age — but I have been very fortunate,” he said.
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