moreCOMPETITION RESULTS

FARRIER ACHIEVEMENTS 2011; 2010; 2009; 2008; 2007

2011 - Farriery Student Prize Winners at Myerscough College

Myerscough College’s Preston Centre held their presentation of awards ceremonies over two days on Thursday 14th July and Friday 15th July.
The ceremonies see many students presented with outstanding achievement awards, rewarding their efforts over the duration of the course. This year saw five farriery students given awards as the top students on their courses.
Simon Curtis, from Icklingham, Bury St Edmunds, won The Reilly Memorial Rose Bowl Award for Research for his stellar efforts on the BSc (Hons) Farriery Degree. From the FdSC Farriery On-Line Degree, Adam Young, from Wallingford, Oxfordshire, also won The Reilly Memorial Rose Bowl Award for Research while Robert Golder, from Chorley, won the Caldwell Cup. From the NVQ Level 3 Farriery course, Campbell Davidson Kelly, from New Milns, Derbyshire, won the Handmade Shoes Award, while Nicole Coulter, from Runcorn, won the same award for the Level 2 Certificate in Forgework.
The awards recognise the exceptional dedication and commitment that they have put into their studies.
In addition to the student awards, a Company Award for the Myerscough Approved Training Farrier Award was also given out to Mr Huw Dyer AWCF, from Londonderry Forge Supplies, in Northallerton, recognising his hard work throughout the year.
Simon Curtis will now continue his work as a full time farrier. Both Adam Young and Robert Golder intend to now continue with their studies at BSc (Hons) Level while also continuing their work as farriers. Nicole Coulter will now seek an apprenticeship in farriery.
Congratulations from everyone at Myerscough College, and best wishes for the future.

The picture shows the three degree prize winners with their awards alongside Myerscough Tutor John Reilly.

For more information about courses at Myerscough College, please contact Course Enquiries on 01995 642211 or e-mail [email protected]

2010 - Extraordinary actions by two young farrier apprentices

Caption: John Clayton and John Day

Third- and fourth-year apprentice farriers John Clayton and Jon Day saved the life of Nigel Blakey in November after he sustained serious head injuries from one of his young Shires. When the lads arrived at his farm, they were surprised there was noone around to meet them, so they called Mr Blakey’s mobile and could hear it ringing in one of the barns. They found him face down in the barn, having been kicked in the head.
Working together, they decided that one of them should care for him while the other called the emergency services. Without the full address or postcode they used their initiative by flagging down a passing motorist who drove to the farm’s neighbour to get the address. The air ambulance arrived swiftly, guided in by the lads. The neurological unit of the Queen’s Medical Centre, part of Nottingham University Hospital’s NHS Trust, took care of Mr Blakey, who subsequently underwent two operations to remove fragments of his smashed skull from his brain.
Three months later, Mr Blakey has returned home and continues to make a good recovery. He has no memory of the incident.
Despite the urgency of the incident – where time was obviously extremely important – the lads kept their cool and undoubtedly saved his life. Their Approved Training Farrier, Graham Smith of Loughborough, is immensely proud of them. The lads’ actions were formally recognised recently when they received the highest accolade the Worshipful Company of Farriers can confer – the Master’s Commendation – for their actions. The certificates were presented at a ceremony for the Company’s Diploma and Council’s Registration Certificates at the Honourable Artillery Company on February 25.

2009 - Farriers Memorial Award

Following the presentation of the certificates, John Dring, announced this year’s winner of the Farriers’ Memorial Award. He began by explaining the award’s history. In 2007, he said, the Farrier Training Agency worked with the British Horseracing Education and Standards Trust (known as BHEST) to create an award in honour of two farriery colleagues, who dedicated themselves to develop and improve the training for future farriers. Ivon Bell, MBE, a Fellow of Worshipful Company of Farriers, assisted the industry to create and implement the new NVQ, working closely with Carl Jones, FWCF. The Farriers Memorial Award was created to keep their spirits alive and honour their commitment and dedication to the industry.
In February 2009, and as each intake group completes the NVQ, the colleges are asked to nominate the candidate who produced the most impressive portfolio of evidence. Mrs Sarah Hamlyn, currently the External Verifier for BHEST, kindly judged the award.
The successful nominees receive a certificate to congratulate them on being nominated for producing individual portfolios of such high standard. This year’s nominees were Yogev Sharp (The School of Farriery, Hereford); Stuart Malcolm (Oatridge); Julia Cheney (Myerscough) and Joshua Hall (Warwickshire). The overall winner was Joshua Hall.

2009 - 50 Years in Farriery

Slim Symons and David Gulley celebrate 50 years in farriery. They both started their farriery careers with the army, having joined within a day of each other, and each has enjoyed distinguished careers, as well as passing on their knowledge – David Gulley as an ATF and Slim Symons, through teaching at Herefordshire. David Gulley is currently President of the European Federation of Farriers Associations.

2009 - Farriery and Blacksmithing Student Prize Winners at Myerscough College

Myerscough College held their presentation of awards ceremonies over two days on Thursday 16th July and Friday 17th July.

The ceremonies see many students presented with outstanding achievement awards, rewarding their efforts over the duration of the course. This year saw six Farriery and Blacksmithing students given awards as the top students on their courses.
From the FdSc Farriery On-Line Degree there were three award winners. Rowland Mather, from Bury, won the John Reilly Research Award, Matthew Jones, fromShrewsbury, won the Worshipful Company of Farriers Award, and Andrew Shuttleworth, from Blackburn, won the Caldwell Cup. Winners of the Handmade Shoes Award were Julia Cheney, from Powys, for the NVQ Level 3 Farriery course, Benjamin Machin, from Hull, for the NPTC Level 2 Certificate in Forgework and Jacob Leadbeater, from Bradford, for the National Award in Blacksmithing and Metalworking (Pre-Farriery). The awards recognise the exceptional dedication and commitment that they have put into their studies.
Many of the students will now move on to the next level of education at Myerscough College while others will either begin their apprenticeships or go into business for themselves.
Congratulations from everyone at Myerscough College, and best wishes for the future.
The pictures show Rowland Mather, Matthew Jones and Jacob Leadbeater with their respective awards.
For more information about courses at Myerscough College, please contact Course Enquiries on 01995 642211 or send an e-mail
Myerscough College - www.myerscough.ac.uk

2009 - Honours shared for Jim Blurton's trio!

All three of Jim Blurton’s apprentices successfully passed their final exams in February. Ricky Hilton, William Grattan and Simen Krog all qualified as fully-fledged farriers at Myerscough College. For all three it was a superb culmination of dedication, hard work, long hours in the forge and constant scrutiny from their ATF, the world-renowned Jim Blurton. The results were even more pleasing with Ricky and Simen both graduating with honours.
Jim is understandably delighted with the results. ‘Ricky and Will have been with me for over four years and I have seen them not only develop into superb farriers, but also men of pride and honour in their professional and personal approach to life. Simen came to me as a good farrier and a thoroughly decent man. He now leaves us an excellent farrier and, I am glad to say, still a decent man! I am sure all three will go on and become some of the best farriers to qualify through the Farrier Training Agency, and I am sure it won’t be long before they are winning national honours. I would not bet against one of them following in my footsteps and being crowned World champion before too long!’
William came to Jim Blurton’s farrier practice in 2004 and instantly became an invaluable member of the team. With a background in engineering there seemed little Will could not turn his hand too, including some landscape gardening! He not only developed his skills as a farrier with Jim, but also taught many of the team the best ways to weld, carry out tool maintenance and solve any mechanical or technical problems within the forge. Will has represented Ireland as an apprentice and has been successful in many competitions while at Forden Farriers.
Simen came over from Norway in 2008 as an established farrier in his home country. He had spent some time on an exchange visit in America before seeking an apprenticeship with Jim to improve his skills. While with Jim, Simen has improved significantly in all aspects of farriery. This was recognised by his fellow countrymen when he was included in the Norway National team for the World Team Shoeing Championships last year. He is set to return to home to establish his own practice and cement his reputation as the best farrier in Norway.
Ricky came to Jim in 2004 with only one thing on his mind, to learn from and be the best! He has toiled relentlessly and under Jim’s careful watch has established himself as the best apprentice in the country. He has won every competition on the circuit, which culminated with him taking gold in the European Championships last year. Ricky's unique talent has been nurtured by Jim and his confidence in his own ability is such that he will showcase his skills on the world stage at Calgary later this year.

2008 - UK’s world class farriers take global top honours

World Champion Blacksmith’s competition Calgary
The World Champion Blacksmiths’ competition at the beginning of July is a four-day marathon of mental and physical toughness that takes place as part of the Calgary Stampede. Using coal fires to heat their bar stock, farriers pounded out shoes and competed in a variety of classes that test their speed, knowledge, skill and spirit.
Paul Robinson of Northern Ireland was on his third trip to the championships and pulled out all the stops in the final day of competition to be declared the World Champion Blacksmith, collecting a $10,000 prize. The top 10 aggregate scores competed in the semi-final. Robinson was in fifth spot behind five other top contenders. Six-time World Champion Grant Moon – who came out of competition retirement for the event – was leading into the semi-final. In the second place was Robinson’s business partner, David Varini. Bill Poor, the 2007 champion was hot on his heels in third place, and Jim Quick a many-time top 10 competitor was tied with Robinson leading into the semi-final. Robinson’s efforts in the semi-final, shoeing the front feet of a horse, saw him surpass Moon and Quick and found him only six points behind David Varini of Scotland. In the final, Robinson’s efforts were enough to surpass Varini to earn the championship.
Paul took some time for the win to settle in: “It’s bloody brilliant. I’ve been shoeing horses for 16 years; this is what I dreamed to do.”
Robinson trained with Jim and Allan Ferrie, learning, ‘good horseshoeing’, along with David Varini. “It definitely drives you when you’ve got someone to compare your work to on a daily basis. You’re always training to be better. The challenge (in competition) is keeping your head. That’s the main thing. Stay in control.”
Blaine Virostek, chair of the World Champion Blacksmiths’ committee was pleased with the quality of the competition. “The scoring is high overall. It’s a lot tighter. It was anybody’s game. It came down to how you shoe a foot.”
Competition judge
David Wilson was invited to judge the World Championship Blacksmith competition this year. It was his fourth time as judge, a feat nobody else has achieved. A sixth-generation blacksmith, David has judged countless competitions in Britain and North America, and has also toured Australia four times. Not only is he a well-known judge, but he has enjoyed competitive success too. In fact, he won the Stampede’s world championship in 1985 followed by the North American Challenge Cup at the American Farrier’s Convention in Kentucky in 1988.
David has also won 13 gold medals for draught horse shoemaking at the Royal Highland Show where he was eight times show champion. In 1983 he was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to farriery, and in 1995 he was inducted into the International Hall of Fame in Kentucky.

2008 - European Championship

Steven Beane was crowned 5th European Champion Farrier by the European Federation of Farriers Associations (EFFA) in April. The competition was hosted by the German Farriers Association in cooperation with HansePferd in Hamburg
The two-days of competition included a forging class in which competitors had to make two ‘surprise’ shoes; a shoeing class to make and fit one front shoe plus a specimen shoe to forge according to the specimen; an eagle eye class, and, finally, a shoeing class in which competitors made and fitted a hind shoe plus a specimen shoe to forge according to specimen.
The competition judges were David Gulley (Great Britain) and Siegfried Dauner (Switzerland).

2008 - Farrier Lauren wins national award

Lauren Carey receives her best diploma theory paper award from Professor John Davies, Managing Director of Equinalysis, which sponsored the award

A Warwickshire College student has received an award for submitting the best theory paper nationally in the Worshipful Company of Farriers’ Diploma exams, the first time the award has been made. Lauren Carey, sat the exam in January along with 17 other students from the college. For the second exam in 12 months, all candidates passed the practical element of the three-part exam and only one student did not pass the written element.
Lauren and another Warwickshire College student, Aaron Gent, achieved a distinction in the theory exam and both received bronze medals. Lauren’s theory paper was then also picked as the overall best written paper with the highest marks.
Lauren is apprenticed to Nick Forryan, DWCF, who works at Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. She works for him part of the week but is self-employed so is building up her own business the rest of the time in Peterborough.
Warwickshire College’s portfolio winner this year is Simon Hadingham – his portfolio was selected to be judged for the national award, along with seven more of the best portfolios from the four other farriery schools in the country, and his portfolio has now also been picked as the national winner, another landmark achievement for the Warwickshire College farriery team at Moreton Morrell.
Simon, who is apprenticed to a farrier in Suffolk, will be presented with his award in July, along with a plaque for the Warwickshire College Farriery School.

2008 - ATF of the Year -To be announced shortly

2007 - ATF of the Year - John Hughes

At the Diploma Presentation Ceremony, the winner of the Farriery Training Agency (FTA)’s prestigious ‘Approved Training Farrier of the Year’ was announced.
Image above - John W Hughes, RSS Hons, was pleased to receive his engraved glass award from the FTA, a morbid specimen training tool from Stromsholm, and a £500 cheque from Lantra, the Sector Skills Training Council for the Farrier industry. Photograph by Gerald Sharp Photography Web Link

The ATF of the Year Award has been running for three years, although the competition was administered slightly differently this year. The colleges were asked to nominate two ATFs that had apprentices finishing during 2007. The previous apprentices then submitted nomination forms for their individual ATFs. The Field Officers for each ATF also had a significant input.
A panel of judges, independent from the FTA, was looking for a variety of qualities such as how the ATF prepared his apprentice for the ‘real world’ of farriery; the professional and business skills and values he passed on; how he helped his apprentice overcome any kinds of difficulties, and if he inspired his apprentice to consider becoming an ATF in due course.
The nominations for the award were of an exceptionally high standard, but Mr Hughes stood out as the winner. His previous apprentice said, ‘I would not have changed my apprenticeship and could not have had a better boss. He is pleasure to work for and I would recommend him as an ATF.’
On receiving the award, Mr Hughes said that he was thrilled and delighted to have received this award. ‘This Award is a great idea and hopefully will encourage excellence throughout the industry. The most rewarding thing about being an ATF is having an input as someone develops into a professional person and a craftsperson who will achieve great things. I cannot take all of the credit because I run the business in partnership with my son, Mr C. W. Hughes, DipWCF, and my wife – together we support all of the apprentices.’
Speaking about his previous apprentice, Mr Hughes said, ‘the reason Tom’s apprenticeship has been so successful is because he is dedicated to the horse. Tom is closely involved in the horse industry and has always been committed to learning and improving himself. He takes part in competitions throughout the UK and has always been a motivated and conscientious learner. He was a pleasure to teach and is dedicated to the profession.’
The Award will continue into 2008.

 

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