The University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine has created a new research chair in Equine Sport Medicine with help from a $250,000 donation from the Calgary Stampede. Research enabled by the new chair will benefit the entire equine industry from show jumpers and racehorses to Western pleasure and rodeo horses and draft horses.
Renaud Léguillette, the inaugural research chair, says the chair will have a significant impact on the equine industry in Alberta.
“It’s very important for the horse community to be at the cutting edge of research so it has direct access to new discoveries to better take care of horses and improve their health,” says Léguillette.
The process of going from an initial idea for a research project to actually securing the money needed to do the research can be a long one. Léguillette says the establishment of the new chair will make that process much easier.
“It gives me a lot of tools to be able to do more research and faster,” says Léguillette. “When you have a research chair you have an idea, you know the funding is there already and you can start to work right away.”
The Calgary Stampede is considers this donation a good investment. “Our goal is to support research that continues to inform how the Stampede and other horse-based events can continue to evolve our practices to protect the health and wellbeing of equine competitors,” says Paul Rosenberg, chief operating officer of the Calgary Stampede.
Erin Shields, who was in UCVM’s first graduating class, is completing a clinical residency program in equine sports medicine. She is supervised by Léguillette and supported by a $135,000 donation from Moore Equine Veterinary Centre. Shields says the chair will allow for a closer connection between the university’s research and horse owners and trainers in the area.
“I’ve been working with local clientele and seeing what their needs are really inspires us and allows us to stay in touch with what’s needed,” says Shields.
That connection to the community is what drives Léguillette’s research focus of health and performance of competition horses in all disciplines represented in Alberta.
“This is applied clinical research that aims to solve specific problems facing the horse community. And you don’t need to be at the Olympic level to benefit.”
The community has generously supported this program and UCVM has contributed additional support for a total value of more than $1.5 million.
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