At the most recent Annual Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) in San Francisco, California, Dr Eoin Kelly was appointed to a seat on the AAEP Racing Committee.
The AAEP is the largest industry body in the world representing the interests of equine veterinary professionals. The AAEP provides guidelines for best practice as well as providing resources pertaining to all aspects of of equine veterinary medicine including animal welfare, ethics, antibiotic and medication use and many other topics which impact equine veterinarians around the world on a daily basis.
The role of the AAEP Racing Committee is to proactively identify and address issues of importance to equine veterinarians and racing authorities; to provide leadership and expertise on all aspects of racing that affect the welfare of the horse; to communicate to fellow AAEP Members and racing stakeholders the AAEP's positions and recommendations pursuant to the welfare and safety of the horse; and to educate AAEP Members and Industry Stakeholders regarding best practices and ethical care of the racehorse.
Chaired by esteemed Racetrack Veterinarian and former AAEP President Dr Jeff Blea, the Racing Committee has recently provided information and advice to the United States Federal Government on topics such as medication use in racehorses, as well as continuing to provide updated information to Members on welfare issues keeping abreast of public opinion and perception of the racing industry.
A graduate of the Darley Flying Start programme in 2006, Dr Kelly has spent time living and working within the racing industry in Ireland, the UK, the USA, the UAE and Australia. This appointment to the AAEP's Racing Committee is an acknowledgement of Dr Kelly's International experience and perspective of International Horse Racing jurisdictions.
The next AAEP Annual Conventions during Dr Kelly's tenure will take place in Denver Colorado in December 2019, Las Vegas in 2020 and Nashville in 2021.
More information about the American Association of Equine Practitioners can be found here.