Badminton Farriers Prize 2022: In Search of the Best Shod Horse

Badminton Farriers Prize 2022: Jim Blurton breaks records

The Badminton Horse Trials, presented by Mars Equestrian, is one of only seven five-star three-day events in the world, and the only one that awards a coveted "Farriers Prize". After two consecutive years of cancellation for coronavirus, the world was coming close to banging on the gates by early May, demanding to enjoy one of the most iconic and unrivaled horse competitions of any kind, anywhere in the world. 
And in 2022, just like all the years before, we wanted to know who won the Farriers Prize. As usual that assignment was just a jumping off point to a bigger story. There may be just one winner, but the story is bigger and better, although most people at the event never even knew it was going on.

Congratulations to Welsh farrier Jim Blurton.

Badminton's Farriers Prize 2018 to Liam Collins

British rider Dani Evans and her horse Smart Time won the Farriers Prize at Badminton Horse Trials for 2018. Smart Time is shod by Liam Collins, a farrier in North Somerset, England.

If you think that the upcoming Royal Wedding in England sounds romantic, wait until you read this. The lightning-bolt connection between three-day event riders, horses and farriers is magical when it strikes and all three emerge from a top competition effort safe and sound and happy.

But what about when the relationship is more than professional? It happened again this weekend, and they all lived happily ever after.

Badminton Horse Trials 2017 Farriers Prize: The quest for the best shod eventer

These hooves were under British eventer Arctic Soul, the horse that finished seventh at last week's Badminton Horse Trials, one of the world's most famous horse events. They also won recognition of Great Britain's Worshipful Company of Farriers through its prestigious "Farriers Prize", awarded to Sussex, England farrier Jimmy Cooper, DipWCF.

Forget everything that comes to mind when you hear the words "farrier competition": Hoof smoke? Not a wisp. Deafening cacaphony of hammers? Near silence. Stalwart anvils and precision-crafted hand tools? None in sight. Sweaty apron-clad farriers with rolled up sleeves? Well...

Only one farrier showed up last weekend for one of the world's most prestigious horseshoeing contests. He wasn't stripped down to shoe a horse against the clock. He was challenged instead by an entry list of some of the world's most outstanding equine athletes at the world's foremost equestrian eventing competition. And he wasn't even competing; he was the judge.

Badminton Farrier Prize 2016: Charlie Sands' four-star horseshoeing wins (Part 1)

Resident farrier Bernie Tidmarsh watches a horse at the Badminton House stables, used for the Duke of Beaufort's Hounds and the Badminton Horse Trials. Bernie has a forge at the end of the stable block. He's won the Farriers Prize at the Badminton Horse Trials multiple times. (Fran Jurga photo)

Hint: if you want to win the Farriers Prize at the four-star Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials in England, consider having your partner shoe your horse.

Or, alternately, if you're a farrier, consider helping your partner make it all the way around Badminton so your shoes have a chance of being judged the winners on the final day of the event.

Fact: For the past three years, the Farriers Prize has been awarded to a horse shod by the rider's partner.

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Re-visiting the Big-Footed Event Horse at Badminton Horse Trials: Ben Hobday, Mulrys Error, and Paul Conway

A photo posted by Ben Hobday (@benhobday) on Apr 27, 2015 at 10:01am PDT

British farrier Paul Conway preparing a shoe for Ben Hobday's large-footed event horse Mulrys Error before Badminton Horse Trials in 2015.

Badminton Horse Trials Farriers Prize 2015: Instant Replay for Best-Shod Four-Star Eventer Hooves

If you think you've heard this one before, stop me. But some things are worth repeating, and history has repeated itself. So have a farrier, a horse, a rider, an owner, and a judge at the world's premier three-day event. Re-meet the winner of the 2015 Badminton Horse Trials Farriers Prize.

Badminton' Farriers Prize 2014: Irish Farrier Wins Best Shod Prize

Irish rider Clare Abbott trotted up the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Euro Prince for the 4* Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials last week. Not only did the horse complete the extremely difficult test in his first outing at the highest level of the sport, he also won the "best shod" prize for his farrier. (Photo courtesy of Professional Riders Organization, used with permission)

Whether it’s the list of those who have shod Kentucky Derby winners, or the list of the farriers behind (or underneath) the “Best Shod” horse each year at England’s Badminton Horse Trials, these are two lists that define the hard work that farriers do, and one of the few times in the year that the horse world notices shoes or shoers.

The Badminton list grew a little longer yesterday when not just a new name was added, but a new nation. Neil Dickson took the plaque of the Worshipful Company of Farriers aboard a plane last night and headed back across the Irish Sea to of County Down, in Northern Ireland.

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Badminton Horse Trials' Farrier Prize to the Best Shod Horse 2013 Won by David Smith

There might not be much left of a pair of shoes by the time the horse has made the circuit of the world's most challenging cross-country course, which is just one phase of the Badminton Horse Trials. Video of horses in this year's event courtesy of Centaur Biomechanics.

Each year, the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials presents a "Farriers Prize" for the best shod horse at the world's most prestigious three-day event. To most, it is an after-the-fact announcement on a loudspeaker as they make their way back to the parking lots.

But to others it is a big deal.

Handmade Horseshoes’ Lucy Diamond Completes Badminton Horse Trials on Her First Try!

(story courtesy of our friends at the Badminton Horse Trials Press Office; photo courtesy of Mitsubishi Motors /Kit Houghton--Thanks!)

3 MAY 2006--LUCY DIAMOND is a busy lady. Not only is she one of 25 first-time riders at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials****, she is also one of just five British owner-riders, has a trade stand here with her husband, the farrier BILLY CROTHERS, and is also a working mother with a two-year-old child.

And she has achieved her life-long ambition of riding at Badminton with her first horse. “I hadn’t even been eventing when I bought him and eventing is still just a hobby,” said Lucy, from Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire.

Lucy has aspired to compete at Badminton since she first came to the event as a child. “It’s been a ‘pie in the sky’ dream and it’s fantastic to be here – I have to keep pinching myself.” Her partner the big, brown, good-looking gelding Carousel was acquired as a five-year-old through Owen Moore and was originally bought out of Ireland from Goresbridge Sales by eventer and dealer Vere Phillipps. The 15-year-old Carousel known as Sooty, is believed to be by the great Irish sire Cavalier. “He is an amazing horse and really honest. How many people get to Badminton with their first horse?” says Lucy.

Lucy is married to the four-times world champion farrier Billy Crothers, winner of the prize here last year for the ‘best shod horse’. Billy and Lucy run their own company ‘HANDMADE SHOES’ selling English concave steel horse shoes.

For this weekend however Lucy will allow herself the luxury of concentrating on the job in hand. “The course lets you in nicely but there are plenty of big questions out there. I would love to produce a clear round, that would be incredible”.

HOOFCARE & LAMENESS POST SCRIPT: Lucy finished Badminton on her first try! Amazing! She ended up in 47th place; only 53 horses out of the original 97 were able to finish. Badminton is widely regarded as the world’s toughest three-day event. Just qualifying for Badminton is a great achievement but to finish is divine! Well done, Lucy!

By the way, 2005 World Champion James Blurton won the Best Shod Horse Award this year with Regulus, ridden by Polly Stockton.

To learn more about Badminton Horse Trials, visit http://www.badminton-horse.co.uk


Text and photos © 2006 Hoofcare Publishing. Text and photos posted on “The HoofBlog”, a casual news source for subscribers and friends of Hoofcare & Lameness: The Journal of Equine Foot Science. Learn more (and subscribe online using our secure server) at http://www.hoofcare.com or write to Hoofcare Publishing, 19 Harbor Loop, Gloucester MA 01930 USA. Tel USA 978 281 3222; Fax 978 283 8775, or email hoofblog@hoofcare.com

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