Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2011 | Page 107

EQUESTRIAN

Simon's
hard work
paying off
Island farrier Simon Legge has enjoyed
a highly successful summer in only his
second year in shoeing competition.
Simon has been a qualified farrier
for 12 years, having attended college
for a year, followed by a four-year
apprenticeship. Now his hard work is
bringing its rewards.
The awards he has won this year are
his first in open competition and add
to his two best-shod horse awards last
year.
He said: “I first got into competition
when I went to a clinic and just
decided I wanted to have a go. I took
part in a Home Made Shoe event at
Aylesbury and finished 14th out of
30, which wasn’t too bad. It gave me
the taste for it, and thankfully I am
still improving. I feel that every time I
enter a competition I learn a new trick
or two, and it has undoubtedly helped
my everyday work.”
Simon finished third at the Devon
County Show in May in the Open
therapeutic shoe making class winning
a plaque and prize money. He said: “I
had to make a European straight bar
shoe and a double caulkin mule shoe

in 50 minutes.”
That was followed at the
Staffordshire County Show at the
beginning of June, when he was sixth
in the Restricted Roadster Shoeing
class, making a three-quarter fullered
cob shoe and putting it on a foot and

making a specimen shoe, both inside
an hour.
At the Three Counties Show in
Malvern he picked up his best
result, gaining a first place in the
Restricted Hunter Shoeing class and

winning a trophy, prize money and
card. He continued: “I also won
the best trimmed foot in the Open
Pony Shoeing class, beating quite a
few of the guys who were travelling
to Calgary for the international
championships. I am most proud of
these two awards and have now got
a definite taste and drive for more
success!”
Recently Simon was placed ninth
in his class at the "Handmade Shoes
(UK) Ltd” shoemaking competition",
now regarded as the biggest
shoemaking competition in the world.
It comprised four rounds:
*Making a fully fullered front and
a three-quarter fullered hind in 40
minutes.
*Making a pair of hind heart bar
shoes in 50 minutes (in which he
finished second).
*A one heat shoe fast and furious
round and finally a surprise round
in which competitors had to make
two shoes of the judges’ choice in 50
minutes.

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