It’s been 11 years since the annual Mail-In Forging Exercise was established to help you polish your tool- and shoe-building skills.

Sponsored by Calgary’s World Championship Blacksmiths’ Competition and American Farriers Journal, this educational event is a valuable way to gain additional forging experience while having your mail-in efforts critiqued by a team of judges at the Calgary Stampede competition.

This year’s forging exercise features an entirely different look from the past 10 years when various styles of shoes were made. It deals with forging a pair of bolt tongs for use with 3/4-inch stock.

For the entry form and details on how to make a pair of bolt tongs for the Mail-In Forging Exercise, go to www.americanfarriers.com/ff/calgary. You can then download the guide to this year’s forging exercise and study full-color images on how Missouri farrier Chris Gregory forged these tongs. Make sure your tongs arrive in Calgary before the June 15, 2010, deadline for evaluation. 

Besides refining your forging skills, you’ll earn valuable farrier products valued at $512.85 for just being part of this year’s Mail-In Forging Exercise. Other valuable products will be distributed among the 25 top-scoring farriers. 

With 32 participants, $25,935.18 of hoof-care products will be distributed.

Over the past 10 years, more than 500 shoers from around the world have participated in this exceptional learning exercise. They’ve also shared over $220,000 in valuable prizes donated by leading industry suppliers.

However, the real value of the Mail-In Forging Exercise lies in your chance to further develop…