Shows and Competitions

The Worshipful Company of Farriers is an ancient City of London Livery Company, which has maintained an unwavering commitment to the welfare of the horse through excellence in farriery since 1356. Today, it plays a modern role in the farriery profession, including that of Awarding Body for the Company’s Diploma Examination.

The Company presents awards in order to promote and publicise excellence in farriery, and to support those Farriers who do their best for the horse in their care. The Company's judges, who are themselves amongst the most highly respected in the country, have judged your work the best at the event. Your client will be delivering the award of the Company’s plaque to you.

The roots of these Awards are easily traceable, in the case of Farriery Competitions to the reinstatement of the County Shows immediately post-war in 1946; in the case of Best-Shod Horse Competition, to the conference on the future of Farriery held in 1970 with, following a recommendation by the Craft Committee in 1988, the List of Approved Judges being set up.

The Awards given in Farriery Competitions consist of Silver and Bronze Medals in green, silk lined presentation boxes. Only Registered Farriers can be awarded the Silver Medal.

The Company presents the prestigious Worshipful Company of Farriers Best Shod Horse Award in order to recognise and encourage high standards, and to raise awareness amongst horse owners about the importance of good farriery. This award is highly regarded amongst Farriers, and is awarded taking into consideration the condition of the feet, the making and fitting of the shoes, and the nailing and position of the clips. The Award is made in order to promote the message that good farriery is essential for the welfare and optimum performance of the horse, and also to recognise the Farriers who have shod the winning horses. Both the owner and the farrier of the winning horse receive the prestigious BSH brass plaque, and the results are published for all to see.
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It is recommended that for each show a single individual takes the role of Farriery Competition Organiser and applies to participate in the Worshipful Company of Farriers' Best Shod Horse and Farriery awards. This is the paperwork that you will need to complete:-