Come watch the sparks fly, the smoke billow and the iron glow red hot as our country’s best farriers are set to forge for top honours and the opportunity to represent Canada at international competitions, March 19-20 at the Orangeville Fairgrounds. For the first time in many years, the team selection trial has come home from Alberta, to be held in Orangeville, ON.
Watch as professionals making their livelihood in this centuries old trade seek to further hone their skills – in order to better service the performance and pleasure horses of today. Manpower will be assisting horsepower to better do its job – through the art and science of farriery. Farriers have to be knowledgeable in the sciences of equine anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics, and further to that, be skilled with a hammer and tongs to create a custom shoe for the horse he is assigned.
Twelve of Canada’s top farriers will be judged on their forging and horseshoeing skills. Where both form and function count for marks, the dimension of the shoes have to be within millimetres of the specifications in order to qualify for judging. Combining the exacting detail with a tight time limit, the competition highlights the farrier who can do the best job in the shortest time possible – making it a true test of the art and science of horseshoeing.
Top international competitor and judge, Jim Balfour – member of the Scottish Farrier Team will be flying over to judge the event. Balfour was a member of the World Champion Draft Horse Shoeing Team in 2008.
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