world.
But 35 years ago, when Irish veterinarian Alex Atock began
his first job in regulatory veterinary medicine as a racing official, he would
not have guessed that one day his lifelong affection for horses would impact
how horse sports are conducted worldwide, and that his stalwart advocacy for
their welfare would improve their treatment near and far.
In a career that encompassed organizations such as the FEI,
World Horse Welfare, the Irish Turf Club and the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation,
Alex Atock initiated programs and wrote policies still endorsed and followed by
regulatory veterinarians and stewards around the world.
Now retired, he has published his professional memoir, “My
Friend the Horse”, at a time when horse sports and racing are under both public
and internal pressure to protect horses, while making sports more accessible or
spectator-friendly.
Alex Atock assisted the FEI in facing problems like
“rollkur” in dressage, cross-country jumping injury and death in eventing, and
over-strenuous travel and competition schedules for showjumpers. His book voices
his personal concerns about endurance in the Middle East, and lists some of the
paradoxes facing the regulation of that sport.
In a day when so many have strong opinions on what
constitutes equine welfare on the track or in sport, Alex Atock’s book pulls
back the curtain to reveal how, when, and why decisions were made in the past
to ensure that the horse is protected.
You can buy “My Friend the Horse” on Amazon and at other booksellers.
A sample chapter and book front matter are available from
the publisher here:
https://www.austinmacauley.com/book/my-friend-horse#bootstrap-fieldgroup-nav-item--sample-pdf
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