Horseshoes are universal symbols of good luck, but what happens when everyone at a competition makes their own?
That is the question 30 farriers answered during the Wildrose Blacksmithing Championship at the Barrhead Agricultural Barn on Saturday, March 25.
Farriers are specialists at making horseshoes, as well as trimming hooves and shoeing horses.
Kris Kremp, one of the event’s organizers, said the event gives farriers from across western Canada a chance to test their craft in a competitive environment.
“There are only about five of these in competitions in western Canada every year,” he said, adding this is Barrhead’s third year on the circuit.
The Western Canadian Farriers Association (WCFA) sanctions all the events and other stops include Walla Walla, Washington, Strathmore and Prince George.
Kremp, who is usually a competitor, will serve as the events MC. Last year he competed as part of WCFA’s team at the Blacksmith Classic at the Calgary Stampede.
“We have three different divisions, starting with Division 1, for more of a novice, to our Division 3, an open category for more seasoned farriers,” Kremp said, adding within each division there are also three different classes.
The first is called the Eagle’s Eye where competitors get 10 seconds to examine a horse’s hoof before building a shoe in 15 minutes according to the style specified by the judge.
Next is the forging class where competitors are given 65 minutes to build two shoes, again to the judge’s specifications.
In the shoeing class, as the name suggests, participants are asked to trim and shoe one foot with a shoe they created based on specifications from the judge. Both the shoe itself and how the animal is shoed are scored. Depending on the skill level, competitors have to shoe either a front hoof, in the intermediate class or in the open, a hind hoof. In both classes, 75 minutes are allotted.
The Barrhead competition also features a two-person category, which is unique to most farrier events.
“A novice is paired with an open competitor and each of them will make a shoe according to their skill level,” he said.
Kremp noted horses were provided by local area farms and the event was judged by multiple Canadian champion Iain Ritchie of Pitt Meadows, B.C.
