The Senior Welsh Team trials will be held on Saturday 8th August at Jim Blurton’s Forge in Forden Nr Welshpool. All those who want to attend for selection please let me know by the 25th July. There will be a fee of £25 for each person to cover the judges fee and steel and forge costs. The Welsh apprentice team will be selected from the top six apprentices who compete at The Royal Welsh Show. The top six finishers will be invited to the forge on Monday the 3rd August for a trial where the final team will be determined. If any Welsh apprentice is not competing at The Royal Welsh, but still wants to be considered for a trial, they will need to contact me in by the 25th July.

Contact: Martin Gould; martin@jimblurton.co.uk Tel: 01938 580 222

Trevor Fishlock of ITV Wales asks Jim about the Traditional Farriers Craft.

Following on from her success in the Master and Apprentice at both Hereford and Myerscough colleges and her top five finish at the prestigious NAFBAE Ayrshire Branch competition Julia headed to the Stafford County Show full of confidence.

Her confidence was rewarded with a victory in the apprentice class. With her Diploma exam looming it was a good test of her shoemaking skills.

It was a tough competition fought out between some of the best apprentices in the country and it is testament to Julia’s commitment that she came away with a win whilst study hard for her final exams.

Jim Blurton has recently completed the coveted double of winning both the Devon County show and the Royal Bath and West competitions.

The Devon County show was the first port of call. Jim won the Pony Shoeing, the Open Shoemaking and Hunter shoeing to be crowned Champion after 3 days of hard competition.

Rob Turnbul was also competing and was consistently in the top ten for all classes. He was also 3rd in the two man class with his mentor Jim.

The next week saw Jim competing at the Royal Bath and West show. This is one of the biggest competitions of the early season and Jim was now going head to head with his recently qualified apprentice Ricky Hilton, sponsored by Jim Blurton Farrier Tools.

Jim finished 4th in the Open Pony shoeing claiming the prize for the Best Shoe Specimen. The Open Cob Shoeing saw Jim finish 3rd with Ricky a close 5th.

The personal competition between the two intensified in the Open Shoemaking with Ricky turning the tables on his mentor finishing 3rd with Jim a close 4th.

The Open Hunter shoeing was the class that clinch Jim the title of overall Champion and warm congratulations from Ricky who finished in the top ten.

With Jim competing at Bath it was up to Elgan to show his skills at the Stafford County Show Open Competition. In the searing heat Elgan started well with a promising 8th in the Open Roadster.

The Open Shoemaking saw Elgan finish a close fourth to the eventual Champion Grant Moon.

The three degree wedge bar shoes have been designed to assist in the realignment of the HPA.

This shoe has a set down bar which makes it easy to fit on a foot with a prominent frog.

Used in conjunction with Vettec soft pad material or an equivalent it is an ideal shoe for cordal lameness.

This shoe offers a more stable platform for the horse than a wedge pad increasing the stability and reducing the flex in the foot.

All shoes are quarter clipped, have stud holes, seated out boxed off with a rolled toe. They have a bolder rounder shape ideal for flat footed horses.

Download Graduated Bar Shoe Case Study