Riverside, Wash., farrier Troy Wood took home the 2026 World Championship Blacksmith title at Spruce Meadows on September 13 after a season of successes. Earlier this year, Wood won the 2026 season opener at the West Texas Ranch Rodeo Competition in Amarillo, Texas, with 235 points. In June, he won the 2026 World Championship Blacksmiths Roadrunner Classic with 230 points. He was also a member of Team WCB, which won the 2026 World Horseshoeing Classic in March. In 2025, Wood took home second place at the World Championship Blacksmiths at Spruce Meadows.

In 2026, 54 competitors fought for the title of Blacksmith World Champion and a top prize of $75,000 over the course of 5 days. The shoe list for the 2026 event can be found here.

"Really cool to set some goals and work your butt off to try and achieve them, and even exceeding your goals. Proud to stand next to my good friend and teammate as he earned his first World Championship. Congrats, Troy! Won’t be long until we’re back in the shop again starting to practice for the next World Championship Blacksmiths competition in Virginia next month. Set some goals for yourself and you’ll be amazed by what you’ll do to try and achieve them," says Washington farrier Gavine Cooper on Facebook.

Wood ended each day in first place, racking up a total of 932 total points, followed by Cooper at 901 points and Chris Madrid in third place with 834 points. Overall standings can be found on the World Championship Blacksmiths Facebook page here. The judges included Ian Gajczak of Scotland and California farrier Travis Koons.