World-leading farrier, Jim Blurton returns from the 2016 Rio Olympics where he headed up the farrier team based at the Equestrian Olympic Centre, playing a vital role in providing general, emergency and specialist farrier services to the team farriers.
Jim Blurton was supported by an all-UK team including Ben Benson – Jim’s right hand man, Emma Cornish, Ed Dailly, Craig D’arcy and Dean Bland, with Ben taking on the role of Lead Farrier for the Paralympic Games.
With over 40 years’ experience, Jim Blurton has long been recognised as a world-leader in creating farrier tools and innovative horseshoe designs, including the Jim Blurton heart bar shoe worn by horses competing at the Rio Olympics.
With the launch of a new online shop www.jimblurton.co.uk, Jim Blurton specialist horseshoes and farrier tools can now be purchased online for worldwide distribution. Jim Blurton, and his Olympic farrier team made a significant contribution to the medal tallies, rapidly responding to emergency situations, from which one horse and rider went on to win individual and team gold medals, a victory that the farriers won’t forget!
Introduced for the first time at Rio 2016, Jim Blurton and his team of farriers were instrumental in providing a course of lectures and demonstrations to novice farriers and volunteers, leaving a real farrier legacy from this Olympic games. This legacy work continues now that Jim is back in the UK, with on-going educational development for farriers and animal care professionals to take part in future Olympics.
Jim Blurton said:
‘Rio 2016 provided the perfect opportunity to bring together farrier industry experts from around the world. The Olympics went without a hitch for the farrier department, and it was an amazing experience for all involved to support such an occasion and see the impact we had on the Olympians and their animals. We were able to share our knowledge with the next generation of farriers through a series of workshops and demonstrations, something I hope will be continued at future Olympics – helping to build a legacy for the farrier industry’.
