Not only did more than 700 horses fly in from around the world for these championships, but also an army of equine veterinarians left their practices and traveled to the TIEC to help ensure horses remained healthy throughout the event. | Photo: Alexandra Beckstett/The Horse

When the last of the equine athletes that competed at the 2018 Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) World Equestrian Games (WEG) shipped out of North Carolina’s Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) Tuesday night, Sept. 25, the head veterinarians finally took a deep breath.

Tryon Equine Hospital owners and co-veterinary services managers Anne Baskett, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, and Bill Hay, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, as well as FEI veterinary delegate Yves Rosser, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, oversaw a massive veterinary presence during the 12-day, eight-discipline event. They directed a temporary on-site clinic and a core team of 35 to 70 veterinarians at any given time, in addition to all the team vets.

“We were the interface between the arrival quarantine and the USDA, biosecurity, the team veterinarians, and the veterinary commissions,” said Baskett