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Carpenter

Ryan S. Carpenter, DVM, MS, DACVS-LA
Surgeon

Dr. Ryan Carpenter graduated from UC Davis, school of veterinary medicine in 2005 and went on to complete a surgical residency and combined master’s program at Colorado State University where he conducted orthopedic research projects focusing on gene therapy and fracture healing under the direction of the Equine Orthopedic Research Center at CSU. Ryan spends his mornings as an active racetrack practitioner and his afternoons in the hospital specializing in orthopedic and upper airway surgery. When not at the track, Ryan enjoys spending time with his wife, Jill, and daughters Brooklyn (7 y/o) and Taylor (4.5 y/o), pretty much doing whatever the little ones want to do because that changes most days!!!
 

Compostella

Francesca Compostella, DVM, MRCVS, MSc
Veterinary Director

Dr. Francesca Compostella has worked in the development sector since completing a surgical residency in 2012. Having grown up in Mozambique she has always been passionate about the human animal bond, and the incredible role working animals hold in supporting communities. Her focus is on promoting education at all levels, where she applies a One Health approach to maximize the limited resources faced in some parts of the world. She is currently a Director at Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS), designing, implementing, and leading their International Projects.
 

Contino

Erin Contino, DVM, MS, DACVSMR
Assistant Professor - Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation

Dr. Erin Contino is a native of California, life-long 3-day Eventing rider, and a graduate "A" rated member of the United States Pony Club. She is a graduate of Colorado State University (CSU), where she earned a Master's degree in Clinical Sciences in 2009 and her DVM in 2010. After completing an internship at Pioneer Equine Hospital in Oakdale, California, she returned to CSU for a 3-year residency in Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation followed by a 1-year fellowship in equine musculoskeletal ultrasound. Dr. Contino is a Diplomate of the American College of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation and an Assistant Professor in Equine Sports Medicine at CSU. Her clinical and research interests include diagnosis and treatment of lameness and poor performance in equine athletes.
 

Easterwood

Leslie A. Easterwood, DVM
Clinical Assistant Professor, CVM & Biomedical Sciences

Dr Leslie Easterwood is a 1995 graduate of Texas A&M University. After completing a private practice internship at Las Colinas Veterinary Clinic, she remained in private equine practice until 2005. She returned to Texas A&M for an Internal Medicine residency and has remained on faculty in the Large Animal Hospital. Her interests outside of the hospital center around all things related to Texas A&M and serving as an Official Show Veterinarian for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. She has served on the AAEP Board of Directors and is the current Vice President of TEVA.
 

Huth

Chris Huth, DVM
Veterinarian

Dr. Chris Huth is a private practice owner in Temecula, California. He graduated from Colorado State University in 2007. After starting his career in Southwest Colorado, he moved back to Southern California. Dr. Huth began mentoring veterinary students at Western University in 2008 and joined as a Clinical Professor in 2020. He and his family are avid outdoor enthusiasts, enjoying all the activities Southern California has to offer.
 

Johnson

Sherry A. Johnson, DVM, MS, DACVSMR
PhD Candidate/Partner

Dr. Sherry Johnson attended veterinary school at Iowa State University, completed an equine internship at Equine Medical Center of Ocala and then completed a one-year equine diagnostic imaging fellowship at Colorado State University. She then transitioned into the collaborative Equine Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation residency program through Colorado State University and Equine Sports Medicine, LLC. Following her residency training, she became a Diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation (DACVSMR) in 2019. She then transitioned into a PhD program at Colorado State University with specific research focus on novel rehabilitation modalities related to tendon healing. Dr. Johnson is the recipient of the American Quarter Horse Foundation Young Investigator Award (2018), named the EQUUS Foundation Research Fellow (2019), and was most recently granted the Storm Cat Career Development Award (2020), Iowa State University’s 2020 Young Alumni Award and AAEP’s President Award (2020). Additionally, she is a co-founder of Equine CORE, Inc. (eCORE, specialist equine telerehabilitation) and a partner & managing rehabilitation veterinarian of Equine Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation, LLC (ESMR).
 

Lang

Hayley Lang, DVM, DACVS-LA
Specialist Equine Surgeon

Dr. Lang earned her DVM with Distinction from Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Canada in 2010. She did her internship at Littleton Equine Medical Center in Littleton, CO. She completed her residency and fellowship from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 2014 and 2015, respectively. Dr. Lang became Board Certified in Surgery from the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2015. She is interested in all aspects of equine surgery including surgical dentistry and podiatry and currently practices at REC Equine Specialists.
 

Langsam

Sara Langsam, VMD
Partner

Dr. Sara Langsam is a 2002 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Veterinary School. Upon completion of a hospital internship at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, KY in 2003, I joined Teigland, Franklin and Brokken DVMs, a thoroughbred racetrack and sales practice based in South Florida but servicing much of the east coast. In 2012, I started the Belmont Park division of TFB and am now based on my native Long Island, year-round.
 

Newcomb

John Newcomb, DVM
Veterinarian

Dr. Newcomb has spent 20 years in a show horse practice involving primarily reining, jumping, and dressage horses, An FEI-certified vet, Dr. Newcomb was the USEF reining team veterinarian for the 2002 and 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games. He also serves on the American Quarter Horse Association Research Committee. Dr. Newcomb is with Fappani Performance Horses in Scottsdale, AZ.
 

Ober

Christiana Ober, DVM, MRCVS
Partner/ Veterinarian

Christiana Ober graduated from the Virginia- Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 2000. She then went on to do a two year internship in sports medicine and diagnostic imaging at Virginia Equine Imaging. After 15 years of practice in the USA splitting time between Virginia and Florida, she relocated to the United Kingdom to join forces with her vet husband Andre Buthe in an equine practice focusing on sports medicine, orthopaedics, and management of the competition horse. Her caseload is mainly split between eventing horses and show jumpers. She served at the team veterinarian for the Canadian Three Day Eventers for 10 years and is currently the team veterinarian for the New Zealand Three Day Eventing Team. Her main interests include lameness, orthobiologics, rehabilitation, and proactive management of the competition horse.
 

Rodrigues

Joao Rodrigues, DVM, PhD
Professor of Medicine and Surgery of Equids

Dr. Rodrigues qualified at the University of Tras-os-Montes and Alto Douro (2007), was classified as an Expert in Veterinary Dentistry and Maxillofacial Surgery by the Complutense University of Madrid (2011), and obtained a Ph.D. focusing on research in the field of donkey dentistry (2013). He was appointed as Professor of Medicine and Surgery of Equids in Portugal in 2013 and joined The Donkey Sanctuary in 2016. Joao has extensive donkey medical and welfare experience in Europe and with working donkeys globally, is a regular lecturer, tutor, and practical assessor in equid dentistry worldwide, and has published numerous articles and contributions to books. He is the chair of the Portuguese Association of Animal Traction (APTRAN) and the FECTU - European Draught Horse Federation.
 

Russillo

Cricket Russillo, DVM
Senior Associate

Dr. Cricket Russillo is a 2001 graduate of Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine. Upon graduation she completed an Internship in Large Animal Medicine and Surgery at the Texas A & M College of Veterinary Medicine. In 2019 Dr. Russillo became a Certified Member of the International Society for Equine Locomotor Pathology (ISELP). From 2017 through 2020 Dr. Russillo proudly served as the US Equestrian Dressage Team Veterinarian. Cricket currently works as a Senior Associate Veterinarian at Virginia Equine Imaging where she has cultivated a practice focused on the top-level show jumper and dressage horse.
 

Schoeberl

Michael Schöberl, DVM

Dr. Michael Schöberl received his degree in veterinary medicine from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich in 1991. After graduating, he worked for a large animal practice in Ravensburg and was then on faculty at Zurich University. He is currently a partner for Dres. Meister, Schöberl, Nahr and Schneider.

Dr. Schöberl is an FEI Veterinarian, ISELP certified, and ACVA certified. He is a member of both BEVA and AAEP. His special interests include general equine medicine, equine chiropractic care, orthopedics, and radiology.

Shaw

Sara Shaw, DVM, DACVIM
Veterinary Specialist

Dr. Sarah Shaw is a private practice owner and a large animal internal medicine specialist working in Ontario, Canada. After graduating from the Ontario Veterinary College, she spent one year in a large animal ambulatory practice and then completed an internship at the Equine Medical Center of Ocala. She then pursued a large animal internal medicine residency at Texas A&M where her research focused on Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals. In 2016, Dr. Shaw began working at Rotenberg Veterinary P.C., a practice with a focus on Thoroughbred mares, foals, sales yearlings, and racehorses. Concurrently, she has developed a diverse equine internal medicine referral caseload and is an adjunct professor at the Ontario Veterinary College.
 

Smith

Rachael Smith, VSc(Dist) PGDipVCS MANZCVS DACVS(LA surgery)
Senior Lecturer Equine Surgery

Dr. Rachael Smith graduated from Massey University (BVSc) in 1998, and followed with 3 years in large animal practice in Matamata New Zealand, during this time achieving a Postgraduate Diploma in Veterinary Clinical Science (Arytenoid Chondritis). After working for 12 months in equine practice in the United Kingdom, she completed a residency in Equine Surgery at Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia. Rachael is a member of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in both Equine Medicine (2003) and Surgery (2004), a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in LA Surgery (2007), and a Registered Specialist in Equine Surgery. In 2017 Rachael undertook post graduate training in veterinary chiropractic and certified with the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association (IVCA). Rachael is a Senior Lecturer in Equine Surgery at The Animal Hospital, Murdoch University, School of Veterinary Medicine. Primary clinical interests include lameness and poor performance evaluation in the equine athlete and general surgery, and research interests include diagnostic anaesthesia in equine lameness.
 

Turner

Maggie Turner, DVM
Veterinarian

Dr. Turner graduated from The Ontario Veterinary College in 2005. She has been a member of the Veterinary Team at McKee Pownall Equine Services outside of Toronto, Ontario since 2006, recently becoming an owner in the practice in 2018. Maggie enjoys all areas of practice including lameness, dentistry and preventative medicine. When not working she enjoys spending time with her husband, two kids and her horses.
 

Verna

Mauro Verna, DVM, MS, DACVS

Mauro Verna obtained the title of Veterinarian at the National University of La Plata (Argentina) in 1999 with the distinction of a gold medal. He worked in an equine sports clinic in Argentina to later reside in the United States where he did the Internship and then the residency in large animal surgery at the University of Minnesota from 2001 to 2005. He obtained the title of Veterinary Surgeon in 2006, being the first Argentine Diploma Surgeon recognized by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons. In addition, he obtained the title of Master Sciences (MSc) for their research in therapeutic modalities such as shock wave in sport horses. Since 2006, Dr. Verna performs surgeries at the San Isidro Racetrack Veterinary Hospital (Argentina) and other operating rooms of the country, working mainly with racehorses, but also polo ponies and other activities.
 

Wilson

Julia H. Wilson, DVM, DACVIM
President

Dr. Julia Wilson combined her passions for equine health, teaching and international community service to co-found the Equitarian Initiative in partnership with Dr. Jay Merriam in 2010. This nonprofit organization provides opportunities for veterinarians and veterinary students to improve the health and welfare of working equids through education of veterinary professionals and equid caregivers and hands on training in clinical skills. Veterinarians trained by Equitarian Initiative have started and support projects in multiple countries including Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru. as well as on American Indian reservations in the United States. During the pandemic, Equitarian Initiative has developed online platforms for both equid owners and in-country veterinary students.
 

Williams

Paula Williams, BSc (Hons), BVSc, MRCVS, MANZCVS (Large Animal Radiology)

Paula qualified from the University of Liverpool in the UK in 1993 and has been an equine veterinarian since then. She worked in the University of Liverpool after qualifying and then did a 2-year internship at Rossdale and Partners in Newmarket, UK. Paula has subsequently worked in equine hospitals both in the UK and Australia. Paula is currently an equine practitioner at WestVETS Animal Hospitals in Queensland attending a wide variety of first and second opinion cases.

Her clinical interests include diagnostic imaging, the investigation and management of musculoskeletal issues in the equine athlete, the equine foot, neonatology, dermatology and internal medicine.

Zveibel

Ram Zveibil, DVM

Dr. Zveibil completed his veterinary studies in Torino, Italy in 2003. During his studies, he worked as an assistant for Dr. Massimo Corazzini in Pinerolo, Torino. Dr. Corrazini’s clinic focused mainly on sports medicine and orthopedic surgery, where Dr. Zveibil started an internship program after graduating. Dr. Corrazini then sponsored Dr. Zveibil’s fellowship at Hagyard Davidson, and McGee’s surgical department in Lexington, Kentucky, under Michael Spirito and at the Oklahoma Equine Hospital under Dr. Joe Carter.

Since 2006, Dr. Zveibil has founded Horse Power Veterinary Center focusing on sports medicine, orthopedic and elective surgeries, servicing Israel’s top level performance trainers. He also took part as the Team Vet for the Israeli Reining Team at the Worlds Equestrian Games in Aachen.

Dr. Zveibil currently focuses on treating performance horses in a comprehensive manner in order to maximize their wellbeing and quality of life and to help them fulfill their athletic potential.