Ahead of the 35th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Moldova’s Independence, customs officer and renowned collector Petru Costin submitted a new application for a Guinness World Record — the largest collection of horseshoes ever presented worldwide, comprising 17,000 horseshoes, TRIBUNA reports.

According to the Ialoveni District Council, which supported the event, a large-scale event dedicated to registering a new world record took place on August 15, 2026, at the “Petru Costin” Collections Gallery of the Ialoveni District Council. The collection consists of 17,000 horseshoes that had previously been used.

The presentation and counting process lasted more than 13 hours without interruption, in accordance with the requirements and procedures established for validating a Guinness World Record. Assisted by his team and monitored by specialists from various fields, Petru Costin presented and counted each of the 17,000 horseshoes.

To ensure the traceability and verifiability of the collection, each horseshoe was photographed and assigned an individual identification number. This evidence will form the basis of the verification and validation process by Guinness World Records.

In accordance with the procedures, the collected materials and evidence will now be examined by representatives of Guinness World Records. The review may take at least two weeks, after which an official decision on whether all requirements have been met and the new record can be validated will be announced.

The event was attended by Ialoveni District President Natalia Eremia and District Vice-President Petru Beregoi, who expressed their appreciation to Petru Costin for his perseverance, passion, and contribution to promoting the region’s cultural heritage and image.

Petru Costin is already the holder of two Guinness World Records. His first record was set in 2011, with a collection of 3,200 horseshoes. In 2021, he broke his own record by presenting 13,855 horseshoes, a performance officially confirmed by Guinness World Records.