american farriers team™
In 1979, the Irish Horse Board sent an invitation to the AFA, a relatively new and small organization, inviting us to send a farrier team to participate in their competition at the Royal Dublin Horse Show. In response to this invitation, the North American Horseshoeing Team (NAHT) was formed.
Bob Marshall of Mission, British Columbia, was the impetus behind the NAHT until 1982. Bob, a top competitor in England before immigrating to Canada in the 1970’s, was familiar with the style of shoeing and the types of shoes made in British and Irish competitions. At that time, these shoes were not common in North America, so Bob’s instructions and insights were especially valuable to NAHT members.
For the past fifteen years, the “team,” now known as the American Farriers’ Team or AFT, has been chosen by point standings in the North American Forging and Horseshoeing Competition held each year at the AFA Convention. Team standings are announced at the Annual Awards Banquet at the close of the Convention.
Four AFT members, along with alternates, leave Convention as international representatives of the American Farrier’s Association. While traveling to competitions, AFT members serve as informal ambassadors of the AFA and the horseshoeing profession in the US and North America. Conscious of the support of the AFA and the entire farrier industry, AFT members make a concerted effort to share what they have learned in international competition with the AFA community.
AFT 2010 CALENDAR: 2-Day Hand’s on Super Clinics
Our goal is to share our knowledge and experience to effectively educate working farriers. After a successful year in 2009 of 12 hands-on forging clinics around the country, the AFT is presenting its 2010 schedule. Clinics cater to the working farrier and focus on each farrier’s individual needs. With multiple clinicians available per clinic, each farrier receives one on one attention.
Clinic costs are $50 per day. (2 day clinic $100). SPECIAL OFFER to non AFA members: for an added $50, your first year of AFA membership is included in the clinic fee.
April 16 & April 17:
Sponsored by and held at: Stockhoff’s Farrier Supply
2101 Button Lane
LaGrange, Kentucky
Contact: Molly (800) 421-1002
May 14 and May 15th
Sponsored by: North Carolina Farrier’s Association
Held at: Heritage Farm Lesson Barn
3789 High Point Road
Winston Salem, North Carolina
Contact: Jerry Langdon (919) 280-6041
September 2010 / TBD
Sponsored by: Vermont Farrier’s Association
Held at: Addison County Fairgrounds
1790 Field Days Road
New Haven, Vermont
Contact: Vikki Fortier (860) 558-7397