Marblehead, Ohio, farrier and veterinarian Adam Pendleton made history during the 2020 American Farrier’s Association Convention in Chattanooga, Tenn., when he became the first veterinarian to ribbon in the National Forging and Horseshoeing Competition.

Pendleton, who is also a certified journeyman farrier, and his draft partner Mike Augenstein, an American Farriers Team alumnus of Stockport, Ohio, placed second in the two-person draft class.

More than 150 farriers from around the world competed in the open, intermediate and 2-person draft classes. Pendleton and Augenstein had 70 minutes combined, one making a pair of front shoes; the other making a pair of hind shoes. Points were awarded to each farrier, making both teammates accountable for an equally high level of skill, plus the pressure of time management, as only one could be striking at a time.

For Pendleton, the second place finish was a major part of his professional mission coming true.

“I wanted to work as hard as the top farriers in the country to show them my commitment to hoof care,” Pendleton says. “As a veterinarian, I know that caring for the horse takes an equal amount of attention to the medical aspect and the shoeing. I wanted to reinforce that I practice what I preach. I push myself to maintain the highest level of skill in farriery in order to  bridge the gap between farriers and veterinarians.”

Pendleton continues to lead by example. When he was in his final year of veterinary school in 2012, he placed fourth in the national horseshoeing competition with his partner, Jason Bromley. He then graduated from the Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2013, making him only the seventh person in the world to hold both a doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) and a certified journeyman farrier (CJF).

In 2014, he began his own practice and recently opened a specially designed 4,000 square foot equine clinic HandforgedVet Equine Clinic.  He remains very active with farrier’s associations both on a local and national level, and heads his practice out of Marblehead, Ohio. 

Read more about the grand opening of his clinic.