Halls of Fame have their share of controversy, usually based on who is and isn’t elected. Take baseball. Many fans take shots at the Baseball Writers of America, which serves as the primary electorate for the baseball Hall of Fame, with each year’s class. This criticism is amplified this year, when no former players were elected to that Hall by that board.

Farriery is no different. The International Horseshoeing Hall Of Fame, housed at the Kentucky Derby Museum and managed by American Farriers Journal, sees its fair share. Again, the criticism is directed at who should be in.

However, I’ve recently witnessed more questions about the Hall than usual. I received a call from a farrier frustrated that his mentor isn’t in the Hall Of Fame. Another farrier called a few days later saying he heard a rumor a member was let in, rather than voted in. Then, we received an email stating that another current member shouldn’t have been admitted.

Who Gets In?

To remove any confusion about the Hall Of Fame voting, I’ll review the process. American Farriers Journal coordinates the voting by first calling for nominations. Anyone can nominate a practicing, retired or deceased farrier. We collect nominations and create a voter packet. We send this information in late summer/early fall to Hall members. 

Only members can vote on the nominees. The voters select and rank their top 7 nominees, and points are tabulated for positioning. There are usually around 100 nominees every year, with…