Four Ontario equine veterinarians were honoured on March 7, 2018 at the Ontario Association of Equine Practitioners Annual General Meeting and Continuing Education evening held in Guelph, Ontario. Respected and revered by their colleagues, these veterinarians are ground-breakers in their respective fields and have dedicated, in total, a remarkable 182 years to the veterinary profession.

OAEP Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Awards

Dr. Laura Smith-Maxie received her DVM from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1966. She completed a Master’s Degree in Large Animal Medicine under Dr. Russ Willoughby. She also spent a significant amount of time at Cornell University in Neurology under Dr. Joe Mayhew. Dr. Smith-Maxie was the first woman to be a part of the OVC large animal faculty with a Large Animal Neurology specialty. Her passion for the horse has been lifelong.

In 1975, Dr. Smith-Maxie took a two-year leave of absence to teach at the University of Nairobi veterinary school. During this time she steeplechased, raced, hunted and evented. One could never accuse Laura of being timid on or around a horse. She also married her husband Grant Maxie, DVM while in Africa.

She was one of the very few women practicing large animal medicine at the time and thus became a role model, paving the way for the many who followed. She has always strived for excellence while unconditionally sharing her knowledge, assessments and recommendations and she continues to provide neurological consultations and assist practitioners today.

Dr. Darryl Bonder received his DVM from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1977 where he received the Fowler award for the highest proficiency in equine medicine and surgery. As one of the first equine surgeons in Canada to perform arthroscopic surgery, he continued to blaze a trail in the equine surgical field. As co-founder of Toronto Equine Hospital and a fixture on the backstretch of Woodbine Racetrack, Dr. Bonder carved a globally recognized and respected career that embodied his passions for both surgery and Thoroughbred racing.

Dr. Bonder has been a past president of the OAEP, and a member of the Federal Drug Advisory Committee to Racetracks Canada. He has also had a longstanding commitment to equine welfare through his continued association with the LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society. Dr. Bonder continues to provide veterinary expertise to the thoroughbred industry.

Dr. Mike Weber graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1971. He spent 34 years with the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Association (CPMA) where he was Manager of Veterinary Services. He was instrumental in developing medication withdrawal guidelines to assist participants in the horse racing industry. These guidelines are still being used worldwide. Dr. Weber had a strong commitment to the racing industry and to providing as much assistance as needed to racing participants and racehorse veterinarians.

Dr. Weber also volunteered on the Equine Canada Equine Medication Control Committee and was a key advisor in the development of new rules. He helped Equine Canada to establish an excellent relationship with the testing laboratory and to have reliable guidelines which provided veterinarians with an improved ability to treat health issues in performance horses. Dr.Weber officially retired from the CPMA in 2013 and has been sorely missed. Dr. Weber received a standing ovation from those in attendance when he received his award.

OAEP Honourable Lifetime Achievement Award

Dr. Greg Taylor has worked in the racing industry as a regulatory veterinarian for over forty years. A graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College in 1976, he was employed by the Ontario Racing Commission as a commission veterinarian at Greenwood, Woodbine and Fort Erie Racetracks from 1976 until his retirement in 2010. He was involved in the implementation of the computer based Commission Racing Information System (CRIS) for veterinary records.

In 2011 he was employed by the Woodbine Entertainment Group as an Association Veterinarian for its thoroughbred operations at Woodbine until 2017. During his time with Woodbine Dr. Taylor oversaw the veterinary department and worked in conjunction with the supervising veterinarian of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission. He has also worked for a number of years in private equine practice as an associate veterinarian for R.B. McMartin and Associates.

Dr. Taylor was a member of the AAEP and served on the racing regulatory committee in the mid 1990’s and he has been on the Breeders’ Cup veterinary panel in 1995, 1996 and from 2011 to the present. At present he works as a Regulatory Veterinary Consultant for the Safety and Integrity Alliance of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.

Also during the evening, three Ontario Veterinary College students were awarded newly created bursaries:

► OAEP Ontario Rural Practice Bursary - Marika Van Schaik (OVC 2019)
► OAEP Animal Welfare Bursary - Rebecca Wilson (OVC 2019)
► OAEP Equine Education Travel Bursary - Alaina MacDonald (OVC 2019)

(OAEP)