R. Reynolds Cowles Jr., DVM, founder and past president of Blue Ridge Equine Clinic in Earlysville, Virginia, was installed as president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) during the Dec. 6 President’s Luncheon at the 62nd Annual Convention in Orlando, Florida.

Raised on a dairy farm in Statesville, North Carolina, Cowles received his veterinary degree from Oklahoma State University in 1967. Following graduation, he accepted a position at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he later became a partner.

After 11 years, the practice split three ways, and Cowles established Blue Ridge Equine Clinic in 1979. The full-service clinic serves central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. The practice consisted of as many as 12 veterinarians, including Paul Stephens, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, who became a partner in 1995. The pair sold their ownership in 2016, although Cowles remains involved with the clinic, where the bulk of his practice focuses on lameness in racehorses and performance horses.

Cowles served as AAEP treasurer from 2006-2008; on the board of directors from 2000-2002; as chair of the Professional Conduct and Ethics Committee; and as a member of numerous other committees, including Educational Programs, Finance, Foundation Advisory, Nominating, Political Liaison, Practice Management, and Public Policy