Thoroughbred Growth Forum Guest Speakers

Joe D. Pagan, Ph.D.

President/Founder of Kentucky Equine Research

Dr. Pagan received his B.S.A. degree from the University of Arkansas in animal nutrition and received his M.S. and Ph.D degrees from Cornell University in equine nutrition and exercise physiology.

He formed Kentucky Equine Research in 1988 to be an international research, consulting and product development firm dealing in the areas of equine nutrition and sports medicine. Kentucky Equine Research served as equine nutrition consultants for the last six Olympic Games. Dr. Pagan received the 2005 American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) Award in Equine Nutrition Research. This award recognizes excellence in equine nutrition research and the contributions of an individual to equine feeding management practices and the equine feed industry.

“Kentucky Equine Research works with dozens of feed manufacturers worldwide to ensure that the latest findings in equine nutrition science are utilised in real-world feeding programmes. We have worked with Saracen Horse Feeds in the U.K. for over 20 years. Saracen is an excellent example of our partnership programme at its best – we collaborate on studies, bring expertise in formulation, and provide custom software and technical service for their excellent team of nutrition advisors. We are excited to showcase the science behind this programme through this series of thoroughbred growth forums.”

Nick Wingfield Digby

LVO, BVSc, MRCVS, DL

Nick was Managing Partner of Rossdales between 2004 and 2012 and stood down as Senior Partner in April 2014. He has continued to act as a consultant to the practice.

Nick graduated in 1972 from Bristol University Veterinary School. He then worked in the Department of Veterinary Surgery at Bristol before undertaking a year’s clinical research funded by a Horserace Betting Levy Board Scholarship. Working with subfertile Thoroughbred mares and pony mare controls, a lifelong interest in equine reproduction developed resulting in publications on endometrial cytology and bacteriology.

In 1973, he joined Rossdale and Partners. Released in 1975/76 to work for the Imperial Stables in Iran and then Sykes and Partners in Sydney, Australia, he returned to Newmarket and became a partner in 1979.

His workload has covered the full range of horse practice. Areas of particular involvement include gynaecology, assessment of youngstock and growth problems in foals and yearlings, auction sales work and acting as an adviser to the insurance industry. He is Chairman of the Trustees of Beaufort Cottage Educational Trust and a member of the scientific sub committee of the Horse Trust and has been a member of the Thoroughbred Breeders Association/ Animal Health Trust Course of Instruction Committee for 28 years. In 2013, he joined the National Stud Training Review Group.

Ian Cameron

BSc, BVM&S, CertEM(StudMed), MRCVS

Ian graduated from the Royal (Dick) Veterinary College, Edinburgh in 1999, and spent two years in mixed practice at Hampton Veterinary Centre in Malpas, Cheshire. He joined Rossdale & Partners as an intern in 2001. Upon completion of his internship, Ian joined the practice’s stud team in 2003, and spent the southern hemisphere stud season of 2004 at Windsor Park Stud in New Zealand. He became a partner at Rossdales in 2008, and a clinical director in 2021.

Ian gained a Cert EM(StudMed) in 2007 and completed a post graduate degree in Information Technology and Philosophy through the Open University in 2002. He has lectured around the country on stud medicine topics. He is currently enrolled on the RCVS Diploma in Equine Stud Medicine programme.

Ian works in all aspects of stud medicine, but has particular interests in assessment of the late term mare, management of Thoroughbred youngstock and assessment of breeding stock, foals and yearlings at Thoroughbred sales in the UK, Europe and North America.

Antony Clements

BVSc, CertES(Orth), MRCVS

Antony Clements joined the Baker McVeigh group in 2001, having previously worked in practices in Hampshire and the University of Glasgow. He has extensive experience and post-graduate qualifications in equine orthopaedics. After moving to Durban and helping to establish the Cape Town practice, Antony moved to the UK where he became the managing partner of the Newmarket practice. He now tends to the needs of their larger clients and offers consulting services across the UK, Europe and the Middle East.

Matt Coleridge

BVMS, MS, Dip ACVS-LA, MRCVS

Diplomate of American College of Veterinary Surgeons (Large Animal)

Matt joined the team of surgeons at Rossdales Equine Hospital in November 2020, having spent the past three years as a surgeon at Fethard Equine Hospital in Ireland. Matt qualified from University of Glasgow Veterinary school in 2012 before undertaking a surgery internship Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Kentucky. He then spent a year at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine, where he completed a further large animal internship. He subsequently undertook a Surgical Residency at Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in a combined programme with Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. In 2017, Matt completed a Masters in Veterinary Science (MS)and the following year he became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS).

Matt is experienced in all aspects of equine surgery, with an emphasis on orthopaedics. He is particularly interested in all aspects of the Thoroughbred breeding, sales and racing industry and his surgical interests include juvenile and adult orthopaedic surgery, as well as broodmare reproductive and abdominal surgery.

Zara Wise

MA, VetMB, MRCVS

Zara qualified in 2000 from the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge. She joined Greenwood Ellis & Partners in October 2001 and work in stud medicine, including all aspects of mare and foal care. Zara also has an interest in artificial insemination (A.I.). In 2004, she spent a season doing stud work in Scone, Australia. Zara became a partner in 2021.

Robert Dallas

BVSc, CertES(Orth), MRCVS

Clinical Director responsible for Rossdales Lambourn

Robert is the clinical director responsible for providing veterinary services to racehorse trainers and the wider Thoroughbred community in and around the Lambourn area. He also attends all the major bloodstock sales on behalf of clients in the UK and in Europe.

Robert, who is from Northern Ireland, graduated from the Bristol School of Veterinary Science in 2003 and spent a year in mixed practice before joining Rossdales as an intern at our Hospital and Diagnostic Centre in 2004. On completion, he undertook a season’s internship in equine stud medicine with Sidney Ricketts before joining our stud and racing teams. He became a partner in 2012 and clinical director in 2021.

He was awarded the prestigious RCVS Certificate in Equine Surgery (Orthopaedics) in 2010. His casebook submitted as part of the examination additionally was selected for inclusion in the Royal College’s library, for reference by future candidates.

Filipe De Oliveira

BVSc, CertAVP, MRCVS

Donnington Grove Equine Vets

Filipe qualified from Bristol University in 1997. He started his career in mixed practice in Suffolk, before spending 5 years at Rossdales, Newmarket, under the guidance of Peter Rossdale and Sidney Ricketts. Following time working in Dubai and then Surrey, he joined the practice as a locum in 2006, before taking on a full-time role with primary responsibility for developing the stud side of the practice. Fil has special interests in foal medicine and (developmental) orthopaedics, foetal sex determination and care of the high-risk pregnant mare. He offers second opinion referral services to vets in the area, including advice of foetal sex testing, mare problems, and foal/yearling orthopaedic issues, and has lectured at several CPD meetings in the UK.

Jess Dicks

BVSc, MRCVS

Baker McVeigh

Jess was raised in South Africa and studied her first year BSc at Rand Afrikaans University. She then went on to Onderstepoort in Pretoria, where she worked in a sports horse/repro practice for two years. After a spell in the UK performing locums with similar practices, she returned to South Africa to join the Baker McVeigh practice in Summerveld, in 2009. She fulfilled the duties of senior racing and repro vet, servicing many of the top yards, and is now part of the team providing veterinary services for clients in and around the Lambourn area.

Pat Sells

BVSc, BSC (Hons), CertAVP, MRCVS

Orbital Veterinary Services

Pat Sells worked at Rossdales in Newmarket for several years before setting up a stud and racing practice for a large owner-breeder in New Zealand. On his return in 2016, he settled in Surrey, from where he now runs Orbital Veterinary Services at Chasemore Farm, the base of owner-breeders, Andrew & Jane Black. Whilst being on the management team that runs the stud, Pat provides clinical services to local farms and Epsom training yards. His areas of specialist interest include theriogenology, neonatology, podiatry and youngstock sales work.