ANDY Murray wasn’t the only Scot to taste competition glory this summer.

On the same day the Wimbledon champion was serving up aces, Dalry farrier David Varini was hammering his way to victory and a $10,000 prize in the World Champion Blacksmith contest at the Calgary Stampede in Canada.

The Stampede is an annual celebration of all thing cowboy and cowgirl and attracts the best and fastest blacksmiths in the world to compete for the coveted title in a horse shoeing and shoe making contest against the clock.

David, 34, is a partner in the Galston-based farrier business Robinson & Varini with Paul Robinson who he trained alongside. Paul, from Northern Ireland, won the title in 2008.

This year was David’s seventh attempt at the prize, although he has always featured in the top 10.

David said: “I was elated and relieved to win this year. In 2008 my partner Paul was winner and I was runner up.

“When you come second it makes you realise you’ve got in the tank to win it.” “It was a dream come true and an ambition fulfilled.” Asked if there was now rivalry between himself and Paul, David said: “There has always been competition between us. When I started my apprenticeship, Paul was already three years into his.

“I remember asking him how to make something and he wanted to charge me a fiver to show me how to do it.

“So that rivalry has always been there from the start.” There are no plans for a 'shoe off’ between the two champions to see who is top dog.

“That happens every day anyway when we are working along side each other,” said David.

For the full story see this week's Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald.