Equine veterinarian William “Bill” Moyer was honored the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award on Dec. 6 during the president’s luncheon at the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ 62nd annual Convention in Orlando, Fla.

Moyer, who retired from Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2015 and serves as a professor emeritus, is a leading voice for the AAEP’s educational programs, as well as recruited up-and-coming academic leaders to become more involved with the organization. He was the director-at-large from 2001-04 and president in 2011.

“Dr. Moyer’s advancements in lameness and the treatment of foot disorders cemented his position as one of the foremost authorities on equine lameness issues,” according to the AAEP. “His research appears in numerous journals and he remains active in educating the equine community at continuing education meetings worldwide.”

Moyer is a 1970 graduate of Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and completed his surgical residency at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center in 1973. He joined Texas A&M in 1993 and served as the head of the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, associate director of the Center for Equine Business Studies, director of the Link Equine Research Endowment and on the Veterinary Emergency Team, a program that implements emergency response and disaster management for both human and animal populations. Moyer is a member of the International Equine Veterinarian Hall Of Fame.

The Distinguished Service Award honors exemplary service to the AAEP or similar organization to the benefit of the horse, horse industry or profession of equine veterinary medicine.

The AAEP presented several other awards for outstanding service: Glenn Blodgett, Distinguished Life Member; Nathaniel A. White II, President’s Award; Michael Blowen, Lavin Cup; James Hickey Jr., George Stubbs Award; and Dennis Brooks, Distinguished Educator Award.

The AAEP introduced R. Reynolds Cowles Jr., founder and past president of Blue Ridge Equine Clinic in Earlysville, Va., as its 2017 president. Jeffrey T. Berk, associate veterinarian with Equine Medical Associates PSC in Lexington, Ky., was installed as vice president.

Tracy Turner, owner of Turner Equine Sports Medicine and Surgery in Stillwater, Minn., and a Hall Of Fame vet; as well as Leslie Easterwood, clinical assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M, joined the AAEP Board of Directors. Both 3-year terms expire in 2019.