Going from student to full-time business owner can be a challenge in any career, but especially so in farriery. New farrier school graduates often are expected to start their own footcare business and begin working on horses after just months of training. Successful farriers — once new graduates themselves — understand the unique challenges you’ll face and how to successfully overcome them.

Six years ago, American Farriers Journal established the Rising Shoeing Star award program. This program honors farriers for making outstanding career progress in their first 3 years out of farrier school. Along with industry suppliers, the program promotes the importance of education and encourages new farriers to succeed.

Sponsors of the 2014 program include Delta Mustad Hoofcare Center, GE Forge & Tool, Life Data Labs, Purcell Farrier Supply, R.J. Matthews Co., Vettec and American Farriers Journal.

This year’s program honored three up-and-coming farriers who graduated from horseshoeing schools in 2010 and have spent the past 3 years establishing their equine hoof-care careers.

The farriers honored were Diego Almeida of Divernon, Ill., Austin Fisher of Purcell, Okla., and Riley Kirkpatrick of Salem, Ore. Almeida took home the top honor at the 2014 International Hoof-Care Summit.

Almeida attended the Midwest Horseshoeing School in Divernon, Ill., where he returned to teach soon after graduation. His strong work ethic and drive to succeed helped him to obtain Certified Journeyman Farrier status within a year of graduation.

“Diego is the model of the ultimate farrier,” says Steve Sermersheim, the owner and director of…