Speakers - Equine

Ann Derham is a EBVS® European Specialist in equine surgery and has spent the last five years working at Fethard Equine Hospital in the Republic of Ireland, having previously worked in the UK and on the Curragh as a surgeon.
Ann's areas of interest are juvenile orthopaedics, urogenital surgery and upper airway surgery, with a particular emphasis on standing, minimally invasive techniques.

Dr D.P. Leadon is MVB from Trinity College Dublin and returned there for MSc in Equine Genetics. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons by thesis “Studies on Equine Prematurity” while at Rossdales in Newmarket. He has worked in clinical practice in Ireland, England, Australia, Hong Kong and is the founding Vice President & Diplomate of the European College of Equine Internal Medicine.

He has held several positions, including:

• Head of Equine Clinical Pathology and Clinical Consultant, Irish Equine Centre.
• President British Equine Veterinary Association BEVA (1993-1994) – (only the third Irishman ever to hold this office)
• President World Equine Veterinary Association – WEVA (2001-2006)
• International Director - American Association of Equine Practitioners (2009 to 2012)
• Chairman, Veterinary Advisory Committee – The International Federation of Thoroughbred Breeders Associations; Chairman, Veterinary Advisory Committee - The European Federation of Thoroughbred Breeders Associations. Veterinary Advisor – The Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association.

Some of his presentations and publications include more than 200 presentations to national and international meetings and 80 contributions to textbooks and the scientific literature. His areas of interest include equine neonatology, equine internal medicine, investigation of poor performance and international transport. He has also been presented with the “Outstanding Contribution to the Thoroughbred Industry Award” by the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association (2014).

Dr D.P. Leadon is a former amateur jockey and exercise rider based in Newmarket and with John Oxx on the Curragh. He enjoys thoroughbred breeding and is co-owner with Dr Mariann Klay of Swordlestown Little, near Naas, breeders of Group 1 and other Black Type performers including Arrest, Detain and Dinozzo.

Fernando Garcia qualified from the University of Buenos Aires in 2001. Fernando's father is a well-known equine racetrack practitioner in Argentina and Fernando worked as his assistant while studying at night. Following graduation Fernando did a rotating internship at Hagyard, Davidson, and McGee. He then went to the Stables of King Abdullah in Saudi Arabia where he was the racing vet for 5 years. Fernando then returned to Lexington where he took up a position in sport horse lameness before returning to Buenos Aires in 2010. He remained there until 2017 when he came to Fethard equine, again to focus on racehorse and lameness work. His special interest is lameness imaging.

Patrick Pollock is a veterinary surgeon, educator and specialist in equine surgery, with interests in trauma, emergency care, large animal rescue, simulation and remote and rural veterinary medicine. He is Head of ATU Veterinary at Atlantic Technological University where he is leading the development of Ireland’s first new veterinary school since the foundation of the State.

A Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons and Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, Patrick has held academic and clinical positions at University College Dublin, the University of Copenhagen, the University of Glasgow and the University of Edinburgh.

His clinical and educational work has taken him from referral hospitals to farms and from working-equid projects in Africa and Asia to emergency-service training in the UK and Ireland. He has a longstanding interest in large animal rescue and has worked extensively with veterinary teams and emergency responders to develop practical approaches to managing animal incidents, trauma and extrication.

Patrick is particularly interested in decision-making under pressure, human factors and the use of simulation to prepare veterinary professionals for situations in which there may be limited time, information or resources.

His teaching is practical, case-based and occasionally irreverent, with a simple aim: to help veterinary professionals think clearly, work safely and make good decisions when things don’t go according to plan.

Siobhan graduated from UCD in 1997 and worked in ambulatory equine practice in Ireland until 2001 when she took up a residency in Equine Internal Medicine at the then Hagyard, Davidson and McGee in Lexington, Ky. Following completion of the residency, she took up a role at the Stables of King Abdullah in Saudi Arabia for 5 years. She then returned to Lexington for 2 years where she ran her own practice. In 2010, she took up a medicine position at the newly constructed Kawell Equine Hospital in Buenos Aires where she remained until returning to Ireland in 2017 to take up a medicine position at Fethard Equine hospital. She now works as an equine internal medicine consultant in conjunction with a part-time pharmacovigilance role with MSD AH Ire. She is also the technical advisor for Veterinary Immunogenics UK. Siobhan has numerous publications in both English and Spanish.