AAEP
The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) announced incoming officials and recognized its 2020 award winners Dec. 6-9 during the 2020 Annual Convention & Trade Show, held virtually. New officials included:

  • President: Scott Hay, DVM, president and managing shareholder of Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based racetrack practice Teigland, Franklin and Brokken DVMs
  • Vice president: Rob Franklin, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, partner in Fredericksburg Equine Veterinary Services in Fredericksburg, Texas, and a founding director of the Equitarian Initiative
  • Treasurer: Amy Grice, VMD, MBA, a veterinary business consultant in Virginia City, Montana
  • Board of directors: Emma Adam, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, ACVS, an equine outreach veterinarian for the University of Kentucky Department of Veterinary Science, in Lexington
    Erin Denney-Jones, DVM, a solo equine practitioner and owner of Florida Equine Veterinary Services Inc., in Clermont
    James Zeliff, DVM, MBA, founder and managing partner of Allegheny Equine in Murrysville, Pennsylvania, a multi-doctor, clinic-based ambulatory practice

Award and grant recipients included:

  • President’s Award: Sherry Johnson, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVSMR, received the award for spearheading AAEP’s first-ever online continuing education event as program chair of the Virtual CE Summer Series. The President’s Award, selected by the sitting AAEP president, honors an AAEP member who has demonstrated a dedication to the association during the past year by contributing a significant portion of time and expertise to benefit the health and welfare of the horse.
  • Sage Kester “Beyond the Call” Award: AAEP past president Scott Palmer, VMD, Dipl. ABVP, earned the award for his extensive history of exceptional service to the AAEP and his impactful commitment to equine welfare, in particular the health and safety of racehorses.
  • Distinguished Life Member: Susan L. White, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, Josiah Meigs Distinguished Professor, Emeritus at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, received the award for her legacy of exemplary service to the association during her four decades of volunteer leadership.
  • Distinguished Educator Award for Mentorship: Virginia-based private practitioner Stephen O’Grady, DVM, MRCVS, who has raised the standard of hoof care through instruction in basic and therapeutic farriery to veterinarians and students across the globe, received the award for his impact on the development and training of equine practitioners through mentoring.
  • Distinguished Service Awards: The AAEP’s director of industry relations, Keith Kleine, earned the award for being a tireless advocate for equine veterinary practice and the welfare of horses. The association also awarded Mary Scollay, DVM, a longtime volunteer leader within the AAEP and strident advocate for the welfare of racehorses and the integrity of racing, with a distinguished service honor.
  • Research Award: Katrin Hinrichs, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACT, whose pioneering research in the field of equine assisted reproductive techniques (ART) has transformed the state of equine reproductive practice around the world, received the award.
  • My Vet Rocks Award: Alfredo Sanchez-Londoño, DVM, associate clinical professor, equine field service, at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, in Alabama, received the grand prize My Vet Rocks Award for his clinical proficiency, communication skills. and deep-seated commitment to owner and student education.
  • EQUUS Foundation Research Fellow: Rebecca Legere, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM (LAIM), a doctoral student at Texas A&M University, received the $5,000 grant for her research into aerosolized messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccination to protect foals from Rhodococcus equi (R. equi) infection.
  • AAEP Past Presidents’ Research Fellow: Rosemary Bayless, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM (LAIM), a doctoral candidate at North Carolina State University, received the $5,000 grant for her research into innovative therapeutic strategies to reduce inflammation in horses by modulating neutrophil function.
  • Lavin Cup: New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program, the largest racehorse adoption charity in the United States, received the AAEP’s equine welfare award.

The American Association of Equine Practitioners, headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, was founded in 1954 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to the health and welfare of the horse. Currently, AAEP reaches more than 5 million horse owners through its over 9,000 members worldwide and is actively involved in ethics issues, practice management, research, and continuing education in the equine veterinary profession and horse industry.