Handmade Shoes Competition, 25th July 2009

The fifth Handmade Shoes (UK) Ltd Competition and Summer Ball took place on Saturday 25th July with record numbers attending to compete for their share of the £15,000 prize fund. Ever increasing in popularity, the competition hailed as ‘the shoemaking event of the year’, attracted a total of 112 competitors including visitors from Ireland and France.
Each year the competition has been fortunate to welcome some of the most highly respected working farriers to judge and this year was no exception. Andrew Casserly, regular member of the English Farrier Team and Reserve World Champion in 2007, judged the ‘3rd & 4th Year Apprentice’ and ‘Advanced’ sections. Rob Renirie, farrier to the Dutch Dressage and Show Jumping Olympic Teams for the past four Olympics, judged the ‘1st & 2nd Year Apprentice’ and ‘Intermediate’ sections.
Following a welcome from Billy and Lucy Crothers, the competitors were introduced to the specimen shoes for each class. A chance to ask questions was provided before getting the first class, ‘The Derek Gardner Front and Hind Shoes’ underway. Competitors had just 40 minutes to make one front and one hind with the 1st/2nd Year Apprentices making one toe clipped front and one side clipped hind from concave bar stock, the 3rd/4th Year Apprentices making a ¾ fullered toe-clipped front and a  ¾ fully toe-clipped hind and the ‘Open’ competitors (Intermediate and Advanced sections) a toe-clipped fully fullered front and a side-clipped ¾ fullered hind. Ben Taylor (1st/2nd Year), Tom Galloway (3rd/4th Year), Ben Casserly (Intermediate) and Gary Darlow (Advanced) stole an early lead on the Championship board with wins in the first class.
The ‘Jim Blurton Bar Shoe Challenge’, the second class followed. A pair of ¾ fullered egg bars were required within 50 minutes from the 1st/2nd Year Apprentices, a pair of ¾ fullered straight bars from the 3rd/4th Year Apprentices and a pair of ¾ fullered heart bars from the ‘Open’ competitors. With the top half a dozen in each section producing some excellent work, the judge’s had no easy task in front of them. Tom Williams (1st/2nd Year), James Haigh (3rd/4th Year), Andrew Bowyer (Intermediate) and Jon Atkinson (Advanced) secured wins in their sections.
Following lunch the ‘Yukon Forge One Heat Shoe Fast and Furious’ took place. Following a three minute pre-heat period competitors had just 15 minutes to forge a shoe of their choice, in a material of their choice, to the highest possible standard. With the metal cooling quickly competitors must race against the clock, working efficiently and with precision. The shoes were judged on the quality of forging and the degree of difficulty involved. Each year the standard of shoes made in this class surpass the previous year and this year was no exception; the variety and level of craftsmanship was quite remarkable. Andy Martin (Advanced) reaffirmed his skills in this class with a win for the second year running. Andy made a fully fullered front shoe with a toe clip. Also victorious in their sections were Jack Casserly (1st/2nd Year), Charlie Sands (3rd/4th Year) and Jason Gajczak (Intermediate).
The final class, the ‘MFC Tools Judges Surprise’ consisted of 2 shoes of the judges choice for each section. The 1st & 2nd Year Apprentices had a ‘preventer’ and a ‘corn bar shoe’, the 3rd & 4th Year Apprentices had a ‘cob bevil’ and a ‘lateral extension bar shoe’ and the ‘Open’ competitors a ‘toe-weighted shoe’ and a ‘deep seated bar shoe’. With the competitors not knowing in advance the shoes in this class, and therefore no time for practise pre-competition day, this class tested the flexibility and range of forging skills. Ben Taylor (1st & 2nd Year Apprentices), James Haigh (3rd/4th Year Apprentices), Leon Bentham/Paul Horner (Intermediate) and Darren Bazin (Advanced) capitalised fully on the opportunity to secure valuable Championship points with wins in this class.
The much-awaited Summer Ball and Presentation Dinner has fast become a huge highlight in the farriery social calendar. Just less than 350 farriers and friends attended for an evening of celebrations. With dinner over the Championship results, and winners of the coveted ‘Emily’s Birthday Trophy’, were announced. In the 1st/2nd Apprentices, Ben Taylor was crowned Champion with J C Lee Reserve Champion. James Haigh held on to his early lead in the 3rd/4th Year Apprentices to secure the Championship, with Richard Slater Reserve Champion. Jason Gajczak was Champion in the Intermediate section with Ben Casserly close behind as Reserve and winner of the Advanced section was this year’s Reserve World Champion in Calgary, Darren Bazin, with Royal Show Champion 2009, Gary Darlow, Reserve Champion.
The annual Charity Auction in aid of Cancer Research followed with tremendous prizes donated by farriers, equine professionals and local business and raised a fantastic £8335.00. The celebrations continued into the early hours and a brilliant time was had by all who attended.
Billy and Lucy Crothers would like to thank all of the sponsors for their generous support, the staff at Handmade Shoes for their hard work and the competition stewards who gave up their time. A special thank you also to James Henderson for kind permission of the use of his field and marquee and also to all the competitors and those that attended in the evening to celebrate the day’s events and to support such a worthwhile charity.