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The following extract is from a magazine article published shortly after I won a top prize in a major BBC sponsored nation-wide photographic competition on the strength of this photograph. There were over 7,000 entrants in the competition.

Brian Mitchell, an Isle of Man based professional photographer, has won a major national award in a BBC competition. Brian, a freelance professional living in Douglas, was a finalist in the BBC ‘Country File / Radio Times’ awards.

His black and white picture of Tommy Joughin, the retired farrier for Douglas Corporation horse trams, won the category ‘Working Country’ and was selected for the third prize overall when a telephone vote was conducted live on the air. As a finalist, Brian was awarded a coveted ‘Silver Butterfly’ Trophy from John Craven, presenter of BBC’s ‘Country File’.

Brian described his winning image as “a very moody, very ‘grainy’ picture taken at the decisive moment before the smoke from the burning hoof enveloped the farrier’s face.”

He added: “It had to be in black and white. The atmosphere was very moody - black horse, grimy farrier and no light inside the forge except what came through the door and from the forge.”

The television programme featured an interview with Brian, filmed when a BBC crew came to the Isle of Man a week before the programme was broadcast, showing the beauty of the Island, its agriculture and heritage. Brian escorted the film crew around the Island before being flown to Birmingham the following weekend to take party in ‘Country File.’

Isle of Man Department of Tourism and Leisure Minister, David Cretney, added: “I’m thrilled that a local photographer’s skill has been recognized by the BBC.