Handmade Shoes (UK) Ltd Shoemaking Competition and Summer Ball
Saturday 25th July 2009
Farriery competitions take place across the UK from Spring through to Autumn. Competitors are working farriers who enjoy testing their forging skills against their peers but also find the practising and constant re-evaluation of their shoeing and shoemaking abilities invaluable in their everyday work. Leading farrier supply company, Handmade Shoes (UK) Ltd, have hosted their own shoemaking competition for past four years. Now in its fifth year the competition received a record breaking 122 entries all competing for their share of the £15,000 prize fund. Hailed as ‘the shoemaking event of the year’, competitors travelled from across the UK, Ireland and France to take part.
Every 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, from Uckfield in East Sussex is a regular member of the English Farrier Team and was Reserve World Champion in 2007. Rob Renirie, from Holland, is farrier to the Dutch Olympic Dressage and Show Jumping Teams for the past four Olympics. Both farriers are highly respected across the world and are renowned for their shoeing and shoemaking abilities.
Following a welcome from Managing Directors Billy and Lucy Crothers, the competitors were shown the specimen shoes for each class. Points from each of the four classes accumulated throughout the day towards the ‘Championship’. Competitors were judged according to their ‘section’ - 1st/2nd Year Apprentices, 3rd/4th Year Apprentices, Intermediate (qualified farriers not to have won a shoeing or shoemaking class) and Advanced (qualified farriers).
Thankfully the recent bad weather moved aside for a day of sunshine and the shoemaking competition was concluded late in the afternoon. The standard of work delivered was remarked on by both judges.
In the evening the much-awaited Summer Ball and Presentation Dinner took place with just less than 350 farriers and friends attending 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 Year Apprentices, Ben Taylor was crowned Champion with J C Lee Reserve Champion. James Haigh held on to his early lead to secure the Championship in the 3rd/4th Year Apprentices section, with Richard Slater Reserve Champion. Jason Gajczak from North Yorkshire was Champion in the Intermediate section with Ben Casserly (East Sussex) close behind as Reserve. Winner of the Advanced section was this year’s Reserve World Champion in Calgary, Darren Bazin from Northamptonshire, with Royal Show Champion 2009, Gary Darlow from Cheshire, 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.
