Sport Horse Practitioner Dr. Rick Mitchell Named AAEP Foundation Chair

Rick Mitchell, DVM, DACVSMR, co-founder of Fairfield Equine Associates in Newtown, Conn., has been appointed chair of the AAEP Foundation.

As part-owner of Fairfield Equine, a sport horse practice that has served the United States Equestrian Team for over two decades, Dr. Mitchell’s specialties include equine medicine and surgery with an emphasis on lameness and imaging. He also holds international certifications in veterinary acupuncture and equine locomotor pathology.

As a rider and veterinarian, Dr. Mitchell has been involved in national and international competitions—winning two national championships and one world championship in various disciplines. Last year marked his sixth visit to the Olympic Games as an attending veterinarian for the U.S. Equestrian Team. He’s authored multiple published articles and textbook chapters on equine health care, and is a celebrated speaker on sport horse medicine in North America and internationally.

Raised on a horse farm in North Carolina, Dr. Mitchell graduated from Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 1974. Following two years on active duty in the United States Air Force Veterinary Corps, he entered private practice in Connecticut with his mentor, Howard Raven, DVM.

Dr. Mitchell has served the equine industry as a board member for multiple organizations, including the United States Equestrian Federation, Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Equine Practitioners. He is a current trustee for the American Horse Council and chair of its Health and Regulatory Committee; and a founding member and current board member of the International Society of Equine Locomotor Pathology.

The AAEP Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization created in 1994, serves as the charitable arm of the American Association of Equine Practitioners to improve the welfare of the horse. Since its inception, the Foundation has allocated more than $3.7 million to support its mission.

The American Association of Equine Practitioners, headquartered in Lexington, Ky., was founded in 1954 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the health and welfare of the horse. Currently, AAEP reaches more than 5 million horse owners through its over 9,000 members worldwide and is actively involved in ethics issues, practice management, research and continuing education in the equine veterinary profession and horse industry.