cultural exchange programme
The cultural exchange –
an awesome experience
Tony Leahy of Fox River Valley
Hunt walking hounds out US style.
My name is Oliver Roberts, and I years and to meet Tyler Voltz a great guy who 50 vets and 10 very big barns of operating
successfully completed my apprenticeship had come to help Vern. theatres, stables and laboratories. They also
in August 2008. My enthusiasm for the
In Madison, Wisconsin, I attended the WCB
have their own podiatry unit, which is where I
Edward Martin MBE Cultural Exchange
(World Championship Blacksmiths) competition.
was based for a week. I was lucky enough to
was fuelled by former NAFBAE President,
Watching the WCB team and the American
witness tendonotomies, necrotomies as well as
Richard Hurcomb during my diploma block
farriers team practice was awesome. The three-
going out on stud calls around Kentucky. The
at Warwickshire College. After an interview
day competition was run alongside the Mid-West
facilities and the way everybody treated me was
by NAFBAE’s Executive Committee, I
Horse Fair, which attracted huge crowds most of
absolutely second to none. Rood and Riddle are
was chosen to represent the Association
whom congregated around the WCB circus tent.
official vets for the FEI World Equestrian Games
in America for three months on the
From the magnificent mustangs to the speed and
in the Kentucky Horse Park next year; I was
programme. My good friend and farrier,
spinning of the reining horses, my weekend was
fortunate enough to attend the Rolex three-day
David Grant DipWCF, stepped in to look after
educational, entertaining and downright fun. event in the park during my stay. I then returned
things while I went on my travels.
After the competition I made the eight-hour trip
to Conrad Trow for another memorable week,
Flying to Chicago, Illinois, at the end of March,
to Kentucky (horse capital of the world) with
working, learning and visiting all sorts of places.
I was nervous until we landed; when I suddenly
Conrad Trow, Chris Overley and Brian Osborne
We managed to get some time in his forge most
thought, ‘right, bring it on!’ Vern Powell picked me
from the Kentucky Horseshoeing School. In
nights as Conrad was practicing for Calgary.
up from the airport; he was to be my coordinator
Kentucky, I was lucky enough to attend a talk by
His shoe board was more like a story of great
for the next three months. Vern put me at ease
Mitch Taylor on the use of ‘Toe grabs and their
people that have been and worked there.
and answered any questions about where, how
effects on locomotion’, at the famous Keeneland
and what I was going to do. I stayed and worked
On the day of the Kentucky Derby I flew right
Racecourse. It was extremely informative. The
with him for the first week. Vern was very easy
over the course en route to Denver, Colorado, it
cameras used in his study took up to 2,500
going and nothing was too much trouble for him.
was an amazing spectacle. I was picked up by
frames per second of horses leaving the starting
During that week in Illinois it rained, snowed, froze
Tyler Voltz and spent one week working with him
gates to see what, if any, traction was gained
and became very windy. We experienced four
in Sterling. Tyler is a great outdoors person and
using different grab heights.
seasons in one week! Apart from the weather,
he twice took me branding, which was great. He
another shock was the vast size of everything –
Mr and Mrs Rodney King were my next hosts
showed me a large number of snakes, coyotes
roads, fields, lorries and some people!
in Kentucky. Rodney is one of the farriers from
and horses. Then off to Fort Collins I went, to stay
Desperate to experience some hunting in
the world famous Rood and Riddle veterinary with John Hildebrandt, the President of the Rocky
America, when the opportunity arose I jumped on
hospital. His wife Natalie works in the office Mountain Farrier’s Association. Fort Collins is
a plane and flew to West Palm Beach, Florida (on
there. Nothing could have prepared me for directly at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, which
my 22nd birthday). It was incredible, and all made
the size and scale of the practice! Established provides an impressive backdrop to a lovely part
possible thanks to a lovely lady called Melinda
in 1986, Rood and Riddle has 300 staff, of Colorado.
Haines who sorted me out with a horse, correct
attire and hunt ball tickets!
Next stop was Atlanta, Georgia. Here, I joined up
with Chris Joyce an English farrier who moved out
to the USA about nine years ago. We drove three
hours to the Fox River Valley Hunt kennels where
four amazing days followed, with an excellent mix
of coyote hunting thanks to Tony Leahy, good
shoeing thanks to Chris and some night life too!
A whistle-stop trip back to Chicago for a clinic
with the new NAFBAE president Craig D’Arcy
and Martin Hague (the last exchange lad), which
was very informative and the 30 or so farriers
that attended, all thoroughly enjoyed it. I was also
fortunate to spend a few days with Bill O’Neil, a
Roping a calf for branding
fascinating farrier who had been shoeing for 30
in Rifle, Colorado
➲
14 Forge | October 2009
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