Three young farriers who have made exceptional professional progress within 3 years of graduating from farrier school were honored at the 21st annual International Hoof-Care Summit in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Julia Lundeen of Anoka, Minn.; Javier Jiménez Lorenzo of Richmond, Ky.; and Rachel Herrington of Universal City, Texas, were recognized as the 2023 recipients of the Rising Shoeing Star. Each winner received registration to the 2024 International Hoof-Care Summit, a plaque, a 1-year subscription to American Farriers Journal and the American Farriers Journal “Kitchen Sink” package (a footcare library with more than 3,500 pages of reference material). The schools that produced the three winners also received plaques and copies of the Kitchen Sink package.

The award, which was created in 2009, is co-sponsored by Pyranha Animal Health, Victory Racing Plate Co. and American Farriers Journal.

Julia Lundeen

Julia graduated at the top of her class from the 24-week Advanced Professional Farrier Program at Minnesota School of Horseshoeing. She apprentices with Mark Thorkildson, as well as with a previous Rising Shoeing Star Allen Rynda. She has honed her forging skills under Thorkildson and Rynda, developing her style and becoming a well-respected farrier in short order.

Both farriers guided Lundeen on how to start her business properly. Within the first year after graduation, she built her clientele to 160. She eclipsed 220 horses in 2022 and now is at the level to support her lifestyle and dreams. After joining the Minnesota Farriers Association, Lundeen revived the association’s newsletter, The Frosted Anvil, which had been defunct for 10 years. She gathered all content, published and distributed it to members. That helped to nearly double the association’s membership. In 2021, she passed her American Farrier’s Association (AFA) Certified Farrier (CF) exam on the first attempt.

Since then, she has started her journey toward a Certified Journeyman Farrier (CJF) by passing the written portion of the exam in 2022. She has competed in forging contests in Minnesota and Michigan, and has her eye on others in neighboring states.

Lundeen founded a side business — Gray Duck Forge — in 2023 that focuses on artistic blacksmithing. Jennifer Horn has hosted Lundeen at Daisy Hill Forge in Michigan for weeks of blacksmithing tutelage.

Javier Jiménez Lorenzo

Javier graduated from Kentucky Horseshoeing School in March 2020, the same week Kentucky shut down at the beginning of the Covid pandemic. Despite the challenges it posed to individuals entering the workforce, Lorenzo didn’t waver in his quest for excellence.

Lorenzo grew up in a small village on the Mexican coast. He became a sponsored professional paddleboard racer and traveled the world competing for several years, rising to No. 2 in the world. During this time, he met his wife, who grew up in Kentucky. Visits to Kentucky exposed Lorenzo to horseshoeing. The 2018 World Horseshoeing Classic appealed to him, and he decided to enter horseshoeing school.

With no previous experience and limited English language skills, the 36-week program at Kentucky Horseshoeing School was demanding for Lorenzo. Remarkably, he not only graduated at the top of his class, but also received the prestigious Best Shod Foot Award.

After completing a challenging apprenticeship with Rob Spencer, Lorenzo joined Kentucky Horseshoeing School as an instructor to reach his goal of becoming an AFA Certified Journeyman Farrier. He ascended from an apprentice instructor to lead instructor, managing not only the advanced students but also heading up the apprentice instructors team.

Rachel Herrington

Rachel attended the 24-week Journeyman Farrier Course at Heartland Horseshoeing School in Lamar, Mo. Despite suffering from severe elbow and hand trouble while in school, Herrington was able to achieve a diploma and go on to build a tremendous business. She underwent surgery on both hands and elbows following school, but she has not let that slow her down. She has become a CF with the AFA and is pursuing her CJF designation.