James Findler went to Kwantlen鈥檚 nine-week horshoeing program in 1982 with the hope of being able to trim the hooves on his grandparents鈥� horses a little better.

He didn鈥檛 realize it would start his career as one of the best farriers in the world, winning the World Shoeing Championship in 1993, the World Forging Shoemaking Championship in 1996 and becoming the first North American to have the world鈥檚 best shod foot in 2005. Findler was inducted into the Horshoeing Hall of Fame in 2012, and was a winning member of team shoeing competitions for years.

Growing up in residential Tsawwassen doesn鈥檛 seem like the most auspicious start for a man who would excel in a field defined by rural exactitude. But he had spent his childhood riding his grandparents鈥� horses in 91原创, and for years had trimmed their hooves without training.

Going to horseshoeing school 鈥渨as something I hadn鈥檛 even thought of,鈥� he said. But he found that he liked the challenge, the techincality of the trade.

You had to 鈥渓earn about all the different anatomy, differences in types of horses and types of shoeing,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a whole realm of things you need to know. You just never stop learning.鈥�

Many farriers would attend Kwantlen鈥檚 program and never go back, spending their lives in fields or in barns working on horses. Not Findler.

鈥淚 knew you didn鈥檛 know enough after nine weeks,鈥� he said. 鈥淔or me, if you鈥檙e going to be doing it, you need to know a lot. And the more you know, the easier your job becomes.鈥�

He continued his education at Kwantlen, learning about different shoes and different techniques. He also started participating in contests.

鈥淭he contests I think really bring up the level of craftsmanship, workmanship. And it鈥檚 totally beneficial to the horses, because their farriers are improving by going here and learning.鈥�

His first one was at Kwantlen in the 1980s. Contestants participated in a clinic with an international farrier, learnt how to make a particular shoe, and then were given an hour to recreate it.

鈥淥h, you鈥檙e nervous,鈥� Findler said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 know what to expect really or what to do.

鈥淚t took years to figure all that out.鈥�

But he did. He began participating in horseshoeing contests around the world, especially in the World Championships which took place annualy at the Calgary Stampede. It was there that he won the World Shoeing Championship in 1993 and the World Forging Shoemaking Championship in 1996.

For the 1996 Championships, Findler remembers the announcers calling out the winners. Starting from sixth place, the announcers called name after name, none of them Findler鈥檚.

鈥淭hey got to third place and I grabbed my tools and I was leaving the building. I just couldn鈥檛 deal with it. I was upset,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 got out back and they came running after me. 鈥榊ou need to stick around.鈥欌��

In 2012, Findler was inducted into the International Horsehoeing Hall of Fame.

It 鈥渃ame out of nowhere,鈥� he said.

鈥淚 remember working in Vancouver, getting this phone call that I was inducted. Many of my friends play jokes on me,鈥� he laughed, 鈥渟o I thought I gotta play along 鈥� But it was true.鈥�

Now, at 53 years old, Findler is starting to slow down. He鈥檚 shoeing fewer horses than he used to, and hasn鈥檛 participated in a contest for several years.

鈥淚t takes a lot of energy,鈥� he said.

鈥淵ou have to train to do it, so you鈥檙e not only doing your everyday work but you鈥檙e also shoeing these draft horses and different carriage horses and hunter horses.鈥�

He might do more, maybe going down to Kentucky for the leisurely contest he鈥檚 won several times. Or he may leave it to his son, who went to school in the States to be a farrier in 2012.

Although he loves the contests, it鈥檚 not what he鈥檚 most proud of in his career as a farrier.

There was a long pause as he thought about what his proudest moment might be, the wind rustling the leaves of the trees on his 91原创 farm.

鈥淛ust being able to make a living out of this, you know,鈥� he said finally. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been good. Been a good living.

鈥淚鈥檓 blessed, I鈥檝e been busy. Since 鈥�82 it鈥檚 been 鈥� I鈥檝e never had a quiet year. It鈥檚 been as many horses as you wanted to do, and as much work as you wanted.鈥�