The Annual Report: Wrapping up 2014 with a big blog bow

Happy New Year!

Last week, you read about the Hoof Blog's favorite stories based on numbers. Now, we’ll dissect the blog for you to highlight some stories you might like to bookmark or share, or maybe read for the first time, if you missed them.

Think of this as an index for future reference. You can refer back to it to find stories. Interspersed are some favorite images from the year, which

England Wins 35th International Team Horseshoeing Championship at Stoneleigh; USA Third

No doubt there is still smoke in the air over Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire, England tonight, but the coal forges are dark, the hammers have gone silent, the horses are loaded and the farriers? Well, they're probably celebrating somewhere, or else on planes and ferries and trains to the 11 nations they call home.



They all have plenty to celebrate, since just getting to compete at the

Scotland's David Varini Wins European Farrier Championship for United Kingdom

Scottish farrier David Varini was World Champion in 2013 and has won the European title previously. (Hoof Blog file photo)



Congratulations to Scottish farrier David Varini, who has just been declared the winner of the European Farriery Championship, held this weekend in England.




Steven Beane of England, reigning World Champion, was right behind him, with less than 1.5 points

It's Official: England's Steven Beane Wins His Fifth Calgary Stampede World Championship Title

The Calgary Stampede did not provide photos of the awards this year, so The Hoof Blog had to go hunting for some. We found a perfect photo taken by Tony Kay, OBE, Her Majesty's British Consul General to Calgary and the prairie provinces of Canada. Tony is now quite a fan of farrier competitions and especially of Steven Beane. He snapped this photo of Steven on the huge video screen above

Results: English Farrier Steven Beane Wins His Fifth (and Final) Calgary Stampede World Championship in 2014

Steven Beane practicing at home before Calgary. Photo by Aaron Kampfer, used with permission.


Unofficial news from the Calgary Stampede has placed English farrier Steven Beane in the enviable position of having just won his fifth--and no doubt last--world championship at the Calgary Stampede.


The news was reported late last night, Calgary time, by event sponsors Delta Mustad Hoofcare

Video: English Farrier Steven Beane Crosses Ocean to Judge 2013 Canadian Horseshoeing Championships

 




Those nice people up in Canada are at it again. Canadian farrier competitors are setting a world record for media support this year, and it's all been good news. The latest is a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation interview with four-time World Champion Steven Beane of Yorkshire, England, who is in Canada this weekend to judge their national championship in Calgary.















© Fran