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Special Eclipse Award given to CSU professor, group of veterinarians for contributions to Thoroughbred racing
Alexandra Sieh
Issue date: 2/9/09 Section: News
Last month a CSU professor and a group of veterinarians as part of the national Thoroughbred medical care group On-Call were awarded the Special Eclipse Award for their contributions to Thoroughbred racing.
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association, National Turf Riders Association and The Daily Racing Form made the final award decision.
Created in 1991, the On-Call Program is a group of veterinarians who attend Thoroughbred events to offer care to horses in case of emergencies and to offer the media a transparent account of what has happened in each situation.
Dr. Wayne McIlwraith, professor of surgery and director of the Orthopedic Research Center at CSU, has been a part of On-Call since its inception, attending the Breeder's Cup races, national Quarter Horse races and the AQHA Challenge races.
"My favorite part of the On-Call Program would be looking at the horses, interacting with these athletes and their trainers and owners and not having any injuries to deal with," McIlwraith said in an e-mail.
"Participation in the program contributes to my work at CSU (at the Orthopedic Research Center) in that we get an opportunity to tell viewers and readers about cutting edge solutions to improve the health and welfare of the equine athlete."
McIlwraith described receiving the award as "gratifying for the efforts that the involved veterinarians as well as the AAEP have put into this program."
"The On-Call Program will continue to provide good coverage of all equine events," McIlwraith said.
Staff writer Alexandra Sieh can be reached at news@collegian.com.
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association, National Turf Riders Association and The Daily Racing Form made the final award decision.
Created in 1991, the On-Call Program is a group of veterinarians who attend Thoroughbred events to offer care to horses in case of emergencies and to offer the media a transparent account of what has happened in each situation.
Dr. Wayne McIlwraith, professor of surgery and director of the Orthopedic Research Center at CSU, has been a part of On-Call since its inception, attending the Breeder's Cup races, national Quarter Horse races and the AQHA Challenge races.
"My favorite part of the On-Call Program would be looking at the horses, interacting with these athletes and their trainers and owners and not having any injuries to deal with," McIlwraith said in an e-mail.
"Participation in the program contributes to my work at CSU (at the Orthopedic Research Center) in that we get an opportunity to tell viewers and readers about cutting edge solutions to improve the health and welfare of the equine athlete."
McIlwraith described receiving the award as "gratifying for the efforts that the involved veterinarians as well as the AAEP have put into this program."
"The On-Call Program will continue to provide good coverage of all equine events," McIlwraith said.
Staff writer Alexandra Sieh can be reached at news@collegian.com.
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