Cathal Murphy (County Monaghan, Ireland)
“Get the (expletive) in there and get the (expletive) job done;” That is what my mentor used to say — that and many other things when the heat was on shoeing horses.
My name is Jorgen, and I’m a normal guy who had the dream to become a farrier. I got into a Belgian farrier school and looked for a place in Ireland to learn the trade. The man who took me on changed my life. He’s a rough and tough smoker who eats too many sausages a day. But, he knows a lot about shoeing and he’s a good horseman. I was the complete opposite.
In the van, he taught me everything about women and how to deal with related problems. In the stables, we talked about horses and their hooves and related problems. When he didn’t talk, I would read the American Farriers Journal. When he glanced aside and looked at a picture, he would nod his head as to say “Yes, I’ve been there, I know what they’re writing about.”
Now, we’re 10 years on in life. I’ve got my own customers in my region in Belgium and I’m fully employed as a farrier. Every day when the going gets tough, I think about Cathal Murphy swearing, “Get the (expletive) in there in get the (expletive) job done.” And then, I have a smile on my face. I have a beautiful life. I got so much more than I hoped for at first. Thank you Cathal Murphy.
— Jorgen Briers (Zoutleeuw, Belgium)
