Back from Dundee

Team Balfour: Kevin, Wayne, Lewis and Jim

I have just come back to Dalkeith after a very busy week in Dundee, Scotland.  I was staying with Jim Balfour, who is very well known as an excellent competitor and draft shoer.  He and his brother, Kevin, have a business together.  All three of Jim's sons are farriers, too.  The eldest, Wayne, has his own business.  Lewis has just qualified and works for the business and Adam is just starting his apprenticeship.

It was a bit of a crazy week because Jim, Kevin, Wayne and Lewis were all preparing to leave for Calgary.  Between the practicing and trying to get all the work done there wasn't a lot of free time.  Jim says they are the first family team to compete there, however, and I had a great time watching them work together during shoeing practices.

Practice is portable

Practicing the Four Man Draft

Most US trucks wouldn't fit through there, and it was tight for Jim's van

Shoeing in a picturesque yard

The Clydesdale I got to trim.  Nice old guy.

I got to work on many Highland Ponies.  For what I thought was a rare breed, there sure are a lot of them!

Despite all that, they still found time to get me going in a coke fire.  I'm on a pretty steep learning curve at the moment.  It's either not hot enough of gets sizzled.  Many thanks to Lewis who spent a lot of time coaching me on how to make feathers and calks!