“It is a huge experience to be a part of such a big event. And the fact that we can work and ride at the same place works very well”, Jack Ray Nielsen says.
Both Jeff and Jack were farriers at the European Championships in Herning in 2013, so they have experience with big events, but the World Championship is the biggest so far.
“The Europeans was big, but this is even bigger. There is so many horses gathered at the area, also because the championships count four disciplines. Therefore, we are more farriers working than we are used too,” Jack tells.
Same scene as the world’s best
It is an exciting task to work at an event in this caliber and is also very interesting to be a part of it as a rider, and the two farriers experience both, because they also attend the international jumping competitions.
“It is interesting to ride among the world’s best rider. We participate in the 2- and 3-star classes and will ride both weeks while we are here. Next week we really get the chance to take in a lot, when the championship riders will train and warm up at the same area as us”, says Jeff Paw Nielsen.
“We have ridden at international shows many times before, but this I something special. The world’s best riders often ride at the normal international shows, but it is only here that all the best riders are gathered at the same time”, Jack adds.
One of the spots where the farriers can help doing the competitions. Photo: Herning2022/Kasper Kamuk
Shoes horses from all over the world
Jack and Jeff work daily as farriers in their own company and they know a lot of the Danish riders from their work or from past shows, but here they will also shoe horses from India or another country from far away.
“It is a little fun, that you can shoe horses for so many different nationalities and in that way meet people from all around the world. Some of the nation’s brings their own farriers, but there is also a lot that depends on our help inside all the four disciplines represented here”, Jack says.
“Now we only need to be farrier at an Olympic to have done all the big type of shows. If Casper and Jens who stands behind Herning2022 one day get the chance to be a part of the equestrian part of the Olympics we will fore sure be ready to help”, Jeff adds with a big smile.
The farrier team at Herning2022 is led by Mustad Hoofcare Group. Mustad Hoofcare Group is founded in Norway and is the world’s biggest producer of hoof care products and they have been in the market for 190 years. All the farrier team, including Jeff and Jack, works from stations placed at different spots on the venue, and then they have the Mustad Farrier Corner, which have a farrier’s smithy, to treatment boxes and a lounge area.
/Herning2022
