Sid Gire grew up in a farming community in northeastern North Dakota, where horseshoes weren’t just used to protect hooves – they were also part of a popular game.

People in town would pitch the metal objects through the air – aiming to wrap them around stakes in the ground – during picnics, holidays or other special events.

Gire’s uncle even had a horseshoe court near the barn on his farm.

“When I would go to his farm to visit or help, I would often throw some horseshoes,” he said, adding that his uncle eventually taught him the proper way to grip and pitch.

When he was a teen, Gire bought his own pair of horseshoes and made his own court.

National tournament

He’s never looked back. Now 90 years old, Gire, who lives in Richland, is an avid horseshoe pitcher – one of hundreds of people from around the country and beyond taking part in the 2024 National Horseshoe Pitchers Association World Tournament that wraps up this week in Kennewick.

The event started July 29 and runs through Aug. 10 at the Three Rivers Campus.

Gire, a retired financial manager, said he loves the sport of horseshoes.

“It’s the camaraderie. Everyone is so friendly,” he said.

Plus, it’s also a great workout, especially for seniors, he added.

While it requires lifting and tossing, it’s not as physically demanding as some other activities, Gire said. He credits his good health in part to his years spent pitching.

“You get a lot of exercise throwing and when you’re walking back and forth,” he said.

Gire is part of the Columbia Basin Horseshoe Club, which holds league play at 6 p.m. Mondays from April through August at Eastgate Park in Kennewick.

A lifelong sport

For about 20 years, he also pitched with a club in Arizona, where he and his wife, Eunice, would spend winters. He’s pitched in numerous tournaments over the years.

One of the highlights of his pitching career so far was when he competed in a world tournament held in Pocatello, Idaho, in 2004.

“To see world champion pitchers up close and be part of the tournament was awesome to me,” he said.

Taking part in a world tournament “is a big deal, especially the first time,” he said.

Gire is excited for the pitchers who’ll have their first world tournament experience at the event in Kennewick. “I think they’ll find it pretty amazing,” he said.

For him, “amazing” is a good way to sum up his feelings about horseshoe pitching.

It’s added to his life in big and small ways since he first took it up as a boy.

It’s brought friends and prompted travel. It’s kept him active.

“I think everyone needs to have a hobby, a passion,” he said.