Thursday, May 30, 2019 ~ 7:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
A presentation on forge work in farriery, followed by a forging demonstration, plus a workshop where attendees have an opportunity to try forge work and leave with whatever they make under the instruction of Craig, such as a bottle opener. Bring your cameras and notepads. Craig doesn’t mind being quoted or photographed. He can give points on general, Western and English shoe needs.
Transportation and bottled water sponsored by American Farriers Journal.
World Championship Blacksmiths is located in Edgewood, New Mexico, approximately 40 minutes from Hotel Albuquerque. Grab breakfast at Gardunos in the hotel or at the Equinox Cafe in nearby Hotel Chaco (both open at 6:00 a.m.) Bring snacks to tie you over until you return to Hotel Albuquerque at approximately 12:45 p.m.
Tour Cost $30 per person (limited to 10 participants)
Reserve your spot by May 28, 5 p.m.
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About Craig Trnka
CRAIG TRNKA, CJF and CEO of World Championship Blacksmiths attended shoeing school at Minnesota school of Horseshoeing in 1984. Craig decided to start his shoeing practice in New Mexico and has been there ever since.
In 1991 he made second alternate on the American Farrier’s Team by winning the heart bar class at the Little Rock, AR. Convention held by the American Farrier’s Association. In 1992 he won his first spot on the AFT and held that spot for ten consecutive years having to remake the team each and every year. To this day that record still stands. In 1996 Craig won the high score practical test for the AFA CJF exam. That same year Craig was awarded the Jim Linzy Clinician of the year award.
Teamwork has always been his passion and it showed by him winning the World Draft shoeing at Calgary 4 times and the National 2 person draft class 7 times, all with numerous teammates. Craig has won every class that the American Farrier’s Convention has ever had at least once and many of them several times, through this he has been National Champion 5 times.
Craig has competed internationally getting the best prepped foot score twice at the international competition in Stoneleigh, England. Moving on to the World Championships at the Calgary Stampede Craig made it into the top ten several years before busting through being the second American to win the world championship in 1999.
In 2002, he changed arenas and ran for President of the American Farrier’s Association in Lexington, KY and won. Under his leadership, using teamwork skills learned from competing in horseshoeing, the association grew from 2,200 members to 3,500 in just four years. Membership retention was at an all time high.
In 2004 Craig won the Edward Martin Humanitarian Award. This award is extra special to Craig because Mr. Martin was a great ambassador to the profession of Farriery and one of a very short list to be knighted by the Queen of England.
In 2015 Craig decided it was time to return to competing. He participated in competitions across the country, and at the AFA Convention in Mobile, Alabama in the early spring of 2016, he earned his unprecedented 11th spot on the American Farriers Team, where he was able to compete alongside his oldest son. It was the first time a father/son duo represented the AFT and they were both able to qualify for the AFT again, in 2018 at the Reno, NV Convention.
The World Championships Blacksmiths is a new and amazing venue for Farrier competitions which Craig is the CEO! This endeavor has grown in leaps and bounds since its inception in January of 2007 and is one of the most progressive ways for Farriers to improve their education. The WCB started as a grass roots movement that has moved its way into some of the most prestigious horse venues across America: Equine Affaire, Midwest Horse Fair, Western States Stock Show, just to name a few.
More information available on World Championship Blacksmiths: http://www.worldchampionshipblacksmiths.com/