Veterinarians from B.W. Furlong and Associates of Oldwick, New Jersey are taking part in the selection process for the U.S. Eventing Team and will be on staff at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky at the end of this month.
Dr. Brendan Furlong, M.V.B., M.R.C.V.S. is part of the veterinary panel made up of three members that conducted the veterinary evaluation of short-listed horses for the WEG eventing team following the selection trials at the American Eventing Championship in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia. He has also been to mandatory outings including the Rolex Kentucky three-day event (KY) in April, the Jersey Fresh CCI (NJ) in May and Richland Park CIC (MI) in August.
Now that the selection trials are complete, Dr. Furling is acting as team veterinarian during the training camp in Chattahoochee Hills, right up to and during the Wold Games competition at the Kentucky Horse Park. Dr. Sarah Gold of B.W. Furlong and Associates will remain on site during the selection process and through the training camp in Georgia, while Dr. Furlong will travel back and forth from the practice in New Jersey during the training camp.
Additionally, Dr. Wendy Leich, VET, M.B. is the team acupuncturist for the US Eventing team.
Dr. Furling will also be in Kentucky for the combined driving championships as an evaluating vet and as one of the team vets. Dr. Meg Mullen has also been one of the evaluating veterinarians for four-in-hand driving.
As host nation the United States will have fifty driving horses (The US is allowed ten teams, and each team brings 5 horses: a team of four and one spare), so it’s too much work for one veterinarian. The panel of three team vets will also include Dr. Christiana Ober from B.W. Furlong and Associates. Dr. Ober is also Team Canada’s evaluating and team veterinarian for three-day eventing.
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The Alltech FEI 2010 World Equestrian Games will be Dr. Furlong’s fourth WEG as team vet for the three-day eventing and combined driving teams, and he has also worked at six other world championships for combined driving. He has also been to four Olympic Games as a veterinarian.
“I think there’s no question that it’s very exciting to have the WEG in our own country,” said Dr. Furlong. “I think it will be one of the great highlights of my involvement with the team, having the Kentucky Horse Park be the host for the WEG in 2010. It’s close to home so there are no language barriers, and we know where to eat well. Hopefully there will be a great attendance of spectators to show their appreciation of the American horses.”
Dr. Sarah Gold agreed, “It’s really exciting that it’s going to be in the United States and there’s a certain degree of comfort that it’s in a place we’ve been before. It makes life simpler so we can focus on the joy of the competition.”
Many clients of the practice will be represented at the WEG: Jimmy Fairclough and Tucker Johnson in driving, Buck Davidson in eventing and Dr. Ober’s clients Becky Holder and Courageous Comet, to name a few.
More information is available at www.bwfurlongnj.com. Be sure to visit B.W. Furlong and Associates at Booth number 32 at the Kentucky Horse Park during the WEG.
About B.W. Furlong and Associates
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Located in the heart of New Jersey’s horse country, B.W. Furlong & Associates is an exclusively equine practice providing ambulatory and hospital care to horses in New Jersey as well as Wellington, FL & Ocala, FL. The practice consists of 7 full time veterinarians including a Board Certified Internal Medicine Specialist and an on-call Board Certified Surgeon. The 15-stall clinic includes a jog strip and longeing area, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, surgery suite, clinical laboratory, breeding shed and treatment area.
Our conscientious veterinarians and support staff offer a wealth of experience and diligence, enabling us to provide our clients and patients with the very best in veterinary care.
We use the latest technologies to aid in diagnosis and treatment of our patients, including a Standing MRI, Nuclear Scintigraphy, Fuji Computed Radiography, and Video Endoscopy.
About Dr. Brendan Furlong, DVM
Dr. Furlong was born and raised on a horse farm in Ireland. He graduated from the Veterinary College of Ireland with honors in 1976 and came to the United States for a 2-year internship in 1977. Dr. Furlong then started his own equine veterinary practice in 1980, which has since evolved into one of the premier equine sport horse practices on the east coast. Dr. Furlong has been involved exclusively with performance horses, and the practice has grown to employ 7 veterinarians.
Dr. Furlong’s areas of special interest are in Sport Horse performance, especially lameness and loss of performance. Pre-Purchase exams are also a special interest of Dr. Furlong’s and his expertise and reputation have taken him all over the world to perform pre-purchase exams on behalf of his clients.
Dr. Furlong has served the United States Equestrian Team in various capacities over the last 15 years including four Olympic Games, four World Equestrian Games and six Combined Driving World Championships.
Dr. Furlong has been married since 1983 to his wife Wendy, also a veterinarian in the practice. They have two teenage sons, Adam and Jonny and the family lives on a horse farm in Pittstown, New Jersey, where they breed sport horses. In his spare time Dr Furlong enjoys farming and fox hunting. He is the Master of Foxhounds for Amwell Valley Hounds.
