Third International Symposium on Equine Reproduction

Featured Image:

Front cover of the coloured brochure distributed to those attending the Symposium

The Cover

The cover shows ‘Golden Slipper’ winners Vivarchi and Fairy Walk with their 1979 foals at the Timor Creek Stud, by then relocated to Blandford. The painting was commissioned by Mr Brian Maher, owner of both Vivarchi and Fairy Walk, and was on loan to the Sydney Turf Club (STC) for display in the Committee Bar at Rosehill Racecourse during the ‘Golden Slipper’ Festival 1981.

The Horses

Vivarchi: BM 1973 Wilkes – High Cost by Coronation Boy with 1979 filly foal by Ngawyni. Winner of the 1976 ‘Golden Slipper’

Fairy Walk: ChM 1968 Minor Portion – Lilting by Messmate with 1979 filly foal by Le Cordonnier; Winner of the 1971 ‘Golden Slipper’. This foal is a full sister to the brilliant racehorse and stallion Cheyne Walk. (I actually attended this 1968 foaling @ 2:30am at ‘Fairways Stud’)!

The Artist

Michael Jeffery was born and educated in New Zealand. Following two years spent studying equine portraiture in the UK, he returned to New Zealand in 1971. In 1972 Michael moved to Australia to take up the VRC ‘Racehorse of the Year’ commission. In recent years he has travelled to the USA, UK and Ireland to fulfil commissions, and is currently engaged in painting the 1981 ‘Golden Slipper’ and AJC Derby winners.

We are grateful to Mr Brian Maher for allowing the reproductions of the picture and for the brochure cover.

Postscript:

In the best Australian tradition Brian Maher proved to be a VERY colourful racing identity! He was the ‘big noise’ for some time after launching ‘Thoroughbred International’ with partner John Kelso at Blandford. He’d bragged publicly of his success with the ‘bottom of the harbour’ tax evasion schemes. This aroused the interest of Federal Authorities and incurred the wrath of government departments and law enforcement authorities. Suffice it to say Brian was ‘detained at Her Majesties Pleasure’ for a long period of time. He disappeared from the radar as quickly as he had risen.

Foreword

Knowledge in the field of Equine Reproduction is expanding in a way which can only be described as exciting, and in my capacity as the local arrangements chairman, I sincerely hope that the Third International Symposium will emulate the two preceding Symposia. With the assistance given by the four section convenors, a diverse and interesting array of research material is to be presented to this Symposium.

Australia is a vast country with a relatively sparse population behind the urban sprawl of the capital cities. We are honoured to present the Third International Symposium and hope you will make the effort to see more of what this great continent has to offer, however short your visit may be.

We trust the Symposium will be a meeting place of friends old and new, of ideas and theories both tried and untried, and fertile ground for the breeding of new incentives of further research, in a spirit of open communication for the betterment of all who have expressed their interest in Equine Reproduction.

C F P Irwin (‘Hagley Stud’ SA and Committeeman SAJC)

Chairman

Local Arrangements Committee

Local Arrangements Committee

C F P Irwin          Chairman

W P Howey         Vice Chairman

P R Knight            Treasurer

R M Butterfield University Liaison

R R R Pascoe

 

International Equine Reproduction Symposia Committee 1982

P D Rossdale      Chairman

D Mitchell            Secretary

J P Hughes          Treasurer

W R Allen             Editor

C F P Irwin           Chairman 1982 Symposium

A M Best              Administration Secretary 1982 Symposium

P R Knight            Treasurer 1982 Symposium

 

International Equine Reproduction Committee

W R Allen                             UK

C F P Irwin                           Australia

D Mitchell                            Canada

P D Rossdale                      UK

J P Hughes                          USA

R M Kenney                       USA

C H van Niekerk                                South Africa

M Tischner                          Poland

C H G Irvine                        New Zealand

H Merkt                               West Germany

B W Pickett                         USA

M Vandeplassche            Belgium

 

Synopsis

Of those adduced above the following have all visited Scone: Professor Butterfield, Professor Pascoe, Dr Knight, Dr Rossdale (UK), Professor Hughes (USA), Professor Allen (UK), Professor Irvine (NZ), Professor Merkt (West Germany) and Professor Pickett (USA).

The best thing the Australian Equine Veterinary Association (AEVA) ever did was to host the Third International Symposium on Equine Reproduction in Sydney in 1982. Having both promulgated and procured it I would consider this event to be the absolute apogee of my professional career.

Following the Second Symposium at UC Davis (USA) in 1978 a core group of devotees managed to persuade a somewhat reluctant Executive to allocate $10,000.00 of AEVA member’s funds as initiating venture capital for the idea. A local arrangements committee was formed comprising Peter Irwin (Chair), Phil Knight (Treasurer), Rex Butterfield, Reg Pascoe and Bill Howey. There were three former AEVA Presidents (CPI, RRP, WPH) and two former AEVA Treasurers (RMB, PRK). Audrey Best was the expert and highly efficient Group Secretary. The symposium was a huge success and many Australian equine veterinarians were able to benefit from the accumulated wisdom of the eclectic international gathering. The proceedings were published as Equine Reproduction III by the Journals of Reproduction and Fertility Ltd.