A veterinarian and a clinician from Matamata, and a Canterbury harness racing driver have been awarded this year’s scholarships by the NZ Equine Research Foundation.

The Jonathan Hope Equine Veterinarian Scholarships have been awarded to Caroline Thompson and Stephanie Brooks. 

Caroline Thompson and Stephanie Brooks

Caroline is a veterinarian with a special interest in anaesthesia, especially involving neonates. It is in this anaesthetist role that she oversees, and mentors Massey University equine tracked students who pass through the Matamata Veterinary Services practice. She will travel to the UK to visit anaesthetists in practices and Liverpool University and will use her Scholarship to assist with this. 

Stephanie Brooks has excelled as a neonatal clinician and has also played a lead role in educating visiting equine tracked students in this field.  Her long-term goal is obtaining a specialist qualification and upgrading teaching skills so that she can be more effective at passing knowledge on to students.  Steph will use the Scholarship to help her as she takes residency at Purdue University and will spend the next three years in the USA before returning to NZ where it is her goal to be an expert in neonatology and transfer this knowledge to her peers.

The Valachi Downs Young Achiever Scholarship has been awarded to Carter Dalgety.

Carter Dalgety

Carter has excelled as a harness racing driver and is a person who seeks to better both his personal standards and those of the industry he cherishes.

While working full time in racing and travelling throughout the country to race drive, Carter completed a Bachelor of Commerce – Supply Chain Management Major this year while also developing and running his own clothing company. Carter will be using the scholarship money to spend six weeks in the United States where horses race younger and over a mile. He then wants to go to Sweden for another six weeks where racehorses are older and race over far longer distances. Armed with this knowledge, Carter wants to bring some innovative ideas back to NZ to contribute to advancing the industry here.  

Equine Research Foundation Secretary Alan Fenwick says the NZERF is truly grateful to the Hickman family for having made this award possible, and very much indebted to Dr Hope for offering this unique Scholarship which enables equine veterinarians to travel and pursue educational goals either in NZ or around the world.