About

Professional Profile

Adrian Cowell ASF- (Advanced Skills Farrier – Farrier International Testing System)

Trade Qualified

Cert IV Workplace Training and Assessment

Advanced Certificate in Agriculture

Adrian Cowell has been shoeing horses for over thirty-five years, working as a full-time professional farrier since 1997. His initial horse experience was with thoroughbred racehorses in Bombala NSW, and later in the stock camps of Lissadell and Mabel Downs stations in Western Australia’s Kimberley region.

Adrian attained his Certificate III in Farriery (Trade) in 2001. This is the only recognised qualification for farriers in Australia. He served a four year apprenticeship under one of Australia’s leading farriers, Greg Murray; firstly, in his farriery business in Brisbane, then as the in-house farriers at the Hayes family’s Lindsay Park training and breeding establishment in South Australia.

During his apprenticeship Adrian was fortunate to be able to work in a team environment with several skilled equine veterinarians in the diagnosis and treatment of lameness and injuries.

Above and beyond the basic trade qualification, in 2013 Adrian passed the Advanced Skills Farrier (ASF) exam as part of the Farrier International Testing System (F.I.T.S). Held over three days, the ASF exam comprised both theory and practical components with an emphasis on knowledge of anatomy and the ability to accurately make and fit handmade shoes. It was the first time an international farriery exam was held in Australia. The examiners were Chris Gregory FWCF (USA) and Stephen Newman FWCF (UK).

Continuing Education and Professional Development

Adrian was an active member of the Australian Farriers and Blacksmiths Association for almost fifteen years. He appreciates the value of continuing education through clinics and competitions.

Involvement with associations and friendships formed through competition and travel also provide a large network of farriers and blacksmiths for advice and support.

Adrian continues to add to an already extensive library of reference books, videos and several international farriery and blacksmith related periodicals.

International farriers are invited to judge competitions and conduct clinics in Australia. Adrian has had the privilege of being judged by or attending clinics with some of the most widely respected farriers in the world, including:

Edward Martin FWCF MBE (UK)
Grant Moon FWCF (UK)
David Gulley FWCF (UK)
David Wilson FWCF (UK)
Jim Ferrie FWCF (UK)
Simon Curtis FWCF (UK)
Chris Gregory FWCF (UK)
Jim Blurton AWCF (UK)
Haydn Price DipWCF (UK)
Craig Trnka (USA)
Roy Bloom (USA)
Bill Poor (USA)

Adrian has attended the Australian Equine Veterinary Association (now EVA) conference, with speakers including:

Dr Chris Pollitt BVSc, PhD (AUS)
Dr Ric Redden DVM (USA)
Dr J.M.Denoix DVM, PhD (FRA)

(Please contact me if I have any qualifications listed incorrectly)

It is wonderful to be able to access the knowledge of so many generous people from all over the world. I enjoy sharing what I have learned with anyone who is interested and am thankful to all of the people who have shared their wisdom with me over the years. I would like to give credit where it is due to those who have offered great explanations, analogies, and sayings that I have adopted to help explain things to others. _{Adrian Cowell}

Competitions

Shoeing and forging competitions provide an opportunity for farriers to put themselves under pressure. Feedback from judging allows them to evaluate their own performance and work to raise their skill level.

As well as gaining educational value from competitions, Adrian progressed through the Intermediate division and into Open company enjoying success in both individual and team events. Competition highlights include:

AFBA Intermediate High Point winner at 2003 National Championships (judge Grant Moon UK)
2003 overall Intermediate National High Point Champion
First place Three Man Draught Horse Shoeing at National Championships 1998 and 2004, second place 2006
First Place Two Man Forging at National Championships 2006, second place 2005
Fourth Place 2006 Mail-in Forging – World Champion Blacksmiths- Calgary; seventh 2007
First Place Open Shoeing- Victorian Championships 2006

“When we ride a horse, we borrow freedom” -Author unknown

Adrian has been riding horses for as long as he has been shoeing. He believes that we are privileged to be allowed to ride horses and that we can learn a lot from being around them, things like honesty and appreciation of the things.

Why Maybe Street?

Maybe Street is not just some fictional, philosophical place; it is the main street of Bombala, a town of around 1400 people located on the Eastern side of the Snowy Mountains in NSW, Australia.

Adrian was born and bred in Bombala and lived there until leaving high school.

His great-uncle Lou Black was responsible for Adrian’s introduction to horses and horseshoeing. A few years earlier, Uncle Lou had trained a racehorse stallion also named Maybe Street.

Maybe Street was the sire of some of the racehorses that Adrian and his brothers rode before and after school each day, including three-time Bombala Cup winner, Bruce’s Worry

Since travelling away from Bombala, Adrian has been fortunate to have learned a great deal, however he wanted to make reference to his hometown on Monaro where it all began.