published in ANVIL Magazine, September 1996
Welshman Billy Crothers took top honors at the World Championship Blacksmith Competition for the second consecutive year. He received $10,000 (Canadian) for the Championship plus another $7,000 (Canadian) in class awards. Crothers runs a farrier business around London, England, and is one of the elite in his field, shoeing champion show horses and jumpers. He has competed in the Stampede for more than a decade.
The blacksmith competition saw 57 competitors from 13 countries compete in nine separate classes under judges' evaluating eyes for $22,000 in prize money. The two judges, Dave Ferguson, Woodsboro, Maryland, and Grant Moon, Isle of Man (Britain), are both previous competitors.
BLACKSMITH AWARDS
World Champion Blacksmith
Billy Crothers
Reserve Champion Blacksmith
James Blurton
Rookie of the Year
Richard Becker
High Point Shoe
James Blurton
Most Consistent Placing
James Findler
Forging Champion
1. James Findler
2. Billy Crothers
3. Ludvic Mathieu
Country High Point
England
Scotland
Wales
USA
France
Canada
Top Ten
James Findler
Billy Crothers
Ludovic Mathieu
Ulrich Wenger
Jim Ferrie
James Blurton
Jim Quick
Darren Bazin
Craig Trnka
Steve Dixon
Return to the ANVIL Online Table of Contents for September, 1996.