Rick Arthur, DVM, a respected and influential voice in racetrack medicine, received the President’s Award during the Dec. 9 President’s Luncheon at the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ 60^th Annual Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah. 

The President’s Award, selected by the sitting AAEP president, honors an AAEP member who has demonstrated a dedication to the association during the past year by contributing a significant portion of time and expertise to benefit the health and welfare of the horse. 

Dr. Arthur owns Rick M. Arthur DVM & Associates, a racetrack veterinary practice in Sierra Madre, Calif., and serves as equine medical director for the California Horse Racing Board.

In presenting the award, 2014 AAEP President Jeff Blea, DVM, praised Dr. Arthur’s representation of the AAEP and racetrack practitioners on the varied and complex issues unique to racing medicine. 

“In the past year, Dr. Arthur has been very instrumental in ensuring that AAEP maintained a respected voice as well as a seat at the table regarding racing-related issues through his various activities, ultimately benefitting the horse and racetrack practitioners,” said Dr. Blea. “He helped put together a clinical study to benefit practitioners at the racetrack and was influential in involving practitioners in the uniform model rules process, among many of his other numerous activities on behalf of AAEP and the horse.” 

Dr. Arthur received his veterinary degree from the University of California, Davis in 1976 and joined the AAEP the following year. He served two terms on the AAEP’s board of directors, culminating with a term as AAEP president in 1997. Dr. Arthur has been a longtime member of the AAEP’s Racing Committee and also serves on the President’s Advisory Council. He previously served on numerous other committees, including Biologic and Therapeutic Agents, Educational Programs, Finance, Foundation Advisory, Nominating, Sports Medicine and Student Relations. 

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. 

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