Dimensions (measurements: 5 inches at the widest part of the shoe, 5 ¾ inches from the heels to toe, 2 ¾ inches from the tip of one heel to the other and 2 ¾ from the medial edge of the scoop to the lateral edge of the scoops. Fit the shoe with an E4 nail.

The extended deadlined for the 2021 International Hoof-Care Summit Mail-In Shoe contest is fast approaching. American Farriers Journal is accepting mail submissions through Aug. 1. Shoe specimens can also be entered in-person at the World Championship Blacksmiths contest on Aug. 4. in Fitchburg, Wis. Without a live event in Cincinnati, Ohio, judging twill take place at the WCB event this year. 

International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame farrier Craig Trnka of Edgewood, N.M., brings back concave for 2021 with the diamond toe hind shoe. This is a beneficial shoe for a horse that might grab a shoe on the diagonal, without taking foot length. 

Thank you to VICTORY Racing Plate Co. for sponsoring this challenge again. You can watch a video demonstrating how to make this shoe at AmericanFarriers.com/summitshoe. You’ll improve your skill,  earn a free T-shirt and may possibly win the buckle. Remember, it isn’t about winning — it is about the journey.

The Judging Criteria

The steps are guidelines to give you a starting point, but use your imagination to make it to the specs required. Matching specs is most important. Trnka prioritized judging criteria as follows:

Size. “If the shoe isn’t…