Member Spotlight – LeRoy Calvert

I was always interested in blacksmithing at an early age. I would stop at the local Blacksmith’s Shop to talk to Mr. Boots, the Smithy, most every week as we lived just down the road from him. When I was a Sophomore or Junior in High School I worked for Mr. Parcel on a farm. He did his own shoeing, so I would hold horses for him and he would help me some.

I went to live with Uncle Sam for awhile. I would go to the Post Riding Stables and sat in a corner watching farriers work on stable horses. If you watched too close or the farrier thought you were interested, he might quit working and leave for the day, so I couldn’t ask any questions. I came home from the service in the month of December and not having a steady job, I started riding colts for local people. I got to know Mr. Delbert Holloway the local farrier. He was wanting to retire, so I rode with him for a couple of weeks. That helped and I spent the next twenty years stumbling along with help from vets in the area.

I met Ray Legel and he told me about the Iowa Professional Farriers Association which has been a good group and a great help to me. I look up to all the members. I don’t think farrier spouses get enough credit for what they do for us. Takes a special person to put up with us farriers.

Editor’s Note: LeRoy served as IPFA Treasurer for 26 years. Exceptionally humble and modest, LeRoy is known for his dedication and desire to be in the background, helping in any way possible. Serving as Treasurer, he rarely, if ever, missed an IPFA event and worked diligently throughout the events ensuring that all the business details of the organization were met and did so flawlessly. Few members of the IPFA have not been touched in some way by his selfless acts of kindness and sharing of his many talents. LeRoy is always in the background, quietly and gently helping others succeed. He has one of the busiest farrier schedules in the state, yet he has also worked fulltime as a mechanic for Fareway stores for most of his career. LeRoy is recognized as not only a talented farrier, but he is unusually skilled with Draft Horses and Mules, as well as incredibly knowledgeable in the art of blacksmithing, forging, and welding.