NEWS AND NOTES

The membership of the International Horseshoeing Hall Of Fame increased by two: Michael Steward and Phil Edler. They were recognized during a ceremony at the International Hoof-Care Summit in Cincinnati, Ohio, on February 4, 2010.

The Class of 2010 were honored for their work on behalf of horses, horse owners and the hoof-care community.

Here is a look at the International Equine Veterinarians Hall Of Fame Class of 2010.

Beth Valentine, Sweet Home, Ore.

Beth Valentine, DVM, PhD, Dipl ACVP, of Sweet Home, Ore., was honored for her work in teaching and research. She is currently a professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore. She is a graduate of the veterinary school at Cornell University and also earned a doctorate in pathology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Md.

She is particularly interested in studying disease from the inside out and has always been keenly interested in equine diseases. Her work has led to a greater understanding of metabolic diseases in draft horses.

Her work at both Oregon State and Cornell has included numerous studies of the critical role of nutrition in equine health. Her curriculum vitae lists more than 140 papers that have appeared in  peer-reviewed publications that she has authored, co-authored or otherwise contributed to. It also lists scores of appearances as a speaker or presenter.

While known for her academic pursuits and research, Valentine has also reached out to help horse owners.  As the owner of a Belgian, she found a lack of information about draft horses and teamed up with Cornell farrier Mike Wildenstein to co-author the book Draft Horses: An Owner’s Manual  Valentine is a regular contributor to Rural Heritage magazine and its Web site www.ruralheritage.com.

Tom Phillips, Aurora, Ill.

Tom Phillips, DVM, founded the Illinois Equine Hospital and Clinic in Naperville, Ill. Drawing a cadre of dedicated and talented equine veterinarians, Phillips built a clinic that earned a reputation unrivaled in the Midwest.

In addition to providing care for hundreds of saddle horses of various breeds, the clinic served the needs of racehorses from Chicago-area and other Midwestern racetracks. Phillips and the clinic boosted the careers of numerous farriers. A generation of farriers benefited from Phillips’ instructions on how to evaluate radiographs of the feet and lower limbs.

Phillips, of Aurora, Ill., was a veterinary instructor at the University of Illinois before opening the Naperville clinic, specializing in the treatment of equine foot problems and concerns. And while he left the university to start his clinic, one nominator said of him, “He never stopped teaching.”