Silver
Anniversary Turns Golden For World Championship Blacksmiths' Competition
Record
number of competitors, countries and rooky participants meant hot
challenges and a well-earned win for England’s Darren Bazin
in Calgary CALGARY,
AB – July 21, 2004 –The Silver Anniversary of the World
Champion Blacksmiths’ competition turned gold on July 12th
as a 14 karat solid gold shoe, designed by Brooke Baillie and recently
appraised at $18,000, was awarded to now three-time World Champion
Blacksmith, Darren Bazin of Kettering, England.
|
|
2004
World Champion Blacksmith, Darren Bazin from Kettering, England
works the fire and anvil in the competition finals
Photo credits Kathryn Boothby
|
|
|
Records
were shattered in this anniversary year with 108 competitors vying
for the title – a 35% increase over the previous year. Further
records were established as 20 different countries participated
including Denmark, Finland, England, Scotland, Ireland, United Arab
Emirates, Mexico, Venezuela, Australia, and France – many for
the first time. Forty competitors were new to the championships
– a significant increase in rooky participants. “This
was the absolutely the most fierce and most skilled competition
in all our 25 years of hosting the World’s,” said Marshall
Iles, Chair of the Calgary Stampede Blacksmith Committee. “The
competition was won by millimeters with the top five contestants
within just a half a point of each other.”
|
Gold
and Silver 25th Anniversary World Championship Blacksmith’s
Buckle
Photo credits Kathryn Boothby |
Said
thirty-three year-old Bazin who came from behind to take the championship,
“I just can’t put it into words – you practice and
try as hard as you can, and all you can do is hope for a little
luck on the day and I certainly had that.” Bazin also took
the title in 2000 and 2002, “I made a pledge to myself two
years ago that I wanted to be here for the twenty-fifth anniversary.
If you want to be the World Champion, to say you’re the best
and compete against the best, I thought this would be the best year
ever – it was.” Bazin found the new format challenging
as the creative portion, which has become an integral part of the
overall program, is not his primary strength. “It’s probably
the furthest I’ve been behind going into the final. I had not
had a particularly good three days before the final, just enough
to scrape into the top ten. I had to rely on my shoeing skills and
fortunately that portion went well.
|
|
In
addition to the winners buckle and a trophy, the 2004 Champion
Blacksmith received a 14 karat solid gold horseshoe valued at
$18,000 Cdn crafted specially for the 25th anniversary of the
competition
Photo credits Kathryn Boothby |
Judges
for the 25th anniversary World Blacksmiths’ Competition were
six-time champion, Grant Moon of Wales and five-time champion, Bob
Marshall of Canada. Breakdown
of Results
World
Champion Blacksmith: Darren Bazin, Kettering, England
Reserve
World Champion Blacksmith: Mark Milster, Oklahoma, USA
Horseshoeing
Champion: Darren Bazin, Kettering, England
Forging
Champion: Austin Edens, Texas, USA
Creative
Forging Champion: Jim Keith, New Mexico, USA
Top
Canadian: James Findler, Surrey, British Columbia Mustad
was the primary sponsor for the 25th anniversary World Championship
Blacksmiths’ Competition. .
|