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In Fort Collins I was lucky enough to stay with Between them, Brian Buckner and Jim
➲
Brian Buckner. He was one of the nicest guys Quick managed to get me to see gaited
I worked and stayed with on my trip. He and horse shoeing. This sort of shoeing was only
his family were great hosts and we managed something I had heard people talk about and
to get lots of shoe making practice. Brian so when the opportunity came up to go with
sorted me out with my own little caravan. It Del Slaugh (one of the best gaited horseshoers
was really very nice to have a bit of time on my in America) I couldn’t refuse. It was very
own. I admired Brian's ability to balance his different but Del explained everything brilliantly,
family life with shoeing and shoemaking. He he is a real character too. I witnessed some
was a great farrier and nothing was ever too double nailing and a few tricks of the trade.
much trouble.
My last few days in Colorado were spent at
A trip to Rifle saw me right in the heart of the the Four Corners Contest in Denver, organised
Rocky Mountains. We arrived very late on a by the Rocky Mountain Farriers Association.
Friday night and shod all the horses on the It was good fun, and provided me with a
Saturday. We then stayed for the branding on great opportunity to meet up again with
the Sunday. Puma Paw Ranch is the second lots of friends I had met during my trip. Trey
most densely populated area of mountain Green was the clinician and extremely helpful,
lions in America; it is proper ranch/cowboy providing a lot of useful tips. Jim Quick judged
country. I spent the next week with John and the shoeing. Having Trey and Jim judge your
the following two weeks with a different farrier work was a real honour. The bonus to it all
each day – Darren Shaffner, Michael Allen and was that I even won $300!
Tom Turner to name just a few.
I flew from Denver to Albuquerque, New
I was keen to see some tools being made as Mexico, where I was honoured to meet and
Live shoeing at the Four Corners Contest
it was something I had very little experience
stay with the Trnka family. New Mexico was
of and certainly hadn’t seen any being made
dry; the landscape was vast and rolling with
on a large scale. Brian kindly arranged for
lots of scrub bushes. Craig and Chris Trnka
me to spend a day with Tony Kingery of
played host to me for my last week with my
Tosaky forge at his home in Denver. Tony is
final competition being held just down the road
a great guy who taught me an awful lot, in
from their house. The Trnka family was most
a relatively short space of time, on how to
kind and working with somebody as talented
make and assemble a knife; his knives are all
as Craig and his son Bodie was an amazing
hand crafted and assembled. The amount of
opportunity. We shared many stories and had
thought and time Tony puts into crafting his
a real laugh.
lovely knives is extraordinary. From angles to
The final competition of my trip was the WCB
lengths, everything has been very well thought
competition, Edgewood, New Mexico, at
out and designed. I treasure the first knife I
the annual Hammer and Hooves Festival. It
made and respect his dedication.
was another great opportunity to thank the
That evening I was transferred a few hours
influential people that had hosted, helped and
away to John McNerney of Yukon forge. John
tolerated me over the past three months. It
is a lovely chap and a real family guy. I arrived
was definitely the first (and probably the last)
at John’s at 11.45pm and we got up at 5am
competition where I rode the horse’s there to
the next day to go and make some shoes
be shod and rode back again, dodging the
with Jim Quick. By 6am the fire was roaring
bull snakes! Billy Crothers flew over to be the
Oliver finds four legs good, six legs safer
and the sweat pouring as Jim, John and I
clinician.
practiced for the WCB event in a few weeks
On my last day it suddenly dawned on me
time. It was surreal to be with two of the best
that this trip of a lifetime was coming to an
tool and shoemakers around, and then there
end and I was upset, although I was excited
was me! The rest of the day, I spent making
to come home so that I could apply things
fullers, tongs and hammers with John in his
I had seen and done. Despite that, a huge
lovely forge. It was so interesting watching part of me loved the American way of life and
someone as great as John makes the tools was sad to leave. All I can say is, any farrier
that I have and use back at home. John and who wants to push him or herself further after
Megan made me feel most welcome and successfully completing their apprenticeship
looked after me well. In the evening John should grasp this once in a lifetime experience.
showed me how to make Damascus using his The exchange provides an opportunity to
power hammer, which was pretty immense! meet world-class farriers and broaden your
The next day I joined Jim Quick and went
perspective of shoeing; the opportunity to
shoeing with him – a real honour. He was
meet exciting new people, who thrive on what
one of the judges at this year's World
you know just as much as you thrive on what
Championships in Calgary; so it was
they tell you. My only regret was not being out
absolutely incredible to go shoeing with
there for longer!
Jim Quick (l) of J Quick Tools on the anvil making shoes with
someone of his calibre, and to talk about I would say the main differences in shoeing
John McNerney of Yukon Forge
my shoeing job. Jim is a great person who are the breeds of horse and the type of work
took time out to answer all my questions and they do. Fullered shoes were more preferable,
queries. I learnt a great deal, from shoeing to although concave was used in many areas.
tool making. He went beyond the call of duty The toughness of the feet really shone through
to arrange all kinds of things I needed. I really with many guys I was travelling with carrying
have great admiration and respect for Jim and between 30 and 40 knives! The standard of
his remarkable generosity – he even sorted my shoeing I witnessed was second to none and
entry fees for the WCB in New Mexico. He is the enthusiasm, certainly within the WCB, was
an amazing person with amazing talent who incredible, and something I will always aim for,
strives for excellence in everything he does. which is to ‘strive for excellence’.
Thanks
I really cannot thank everyone enough that made this trip possible. Here are just a handful of names
that really made certain things special – NAFBAE, Worshipful Company of Farriers, Mum and Mick,
Michael Kiernan (my former boss), Dave Grant DipWCF (who kept my business going while I was
A stallion being monitored as it is out through its paces on
away), Vernon Powell, Jim Quick, Craig Trnka, John McNerney, Brian Buckner, Melinda Haines,
a treadmill at Rood and Riddle, one of the largest equine
Conrad Trow, Rodney Powell and John Hildebrandt.
veterinary practices in the States.
Forge | October 2009 17
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