Apogee Australian Ackworth Alumnus 2024

Dr Fiona Wood AO

I’m inordinately proud that fellow Ackworth School alumnus Dr Fiona Wood has been further recognised in her adopted country. Dr Wood was Australian of the Year in 2005.

See: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-25/australia-day-2024-honours-announced/103375048 (Scroll down)

Thesaurus:

‘Apogee’ = “apex, zenith, summit, pinnacle, acme, peak, top, highest point”.

Maybe I should raise my game?

Her citation reads:

In Western Australia, prominent plastic-surgeon and 2005 Australian of the year Fiona Wood is receiving her second honours, this time as an Officer of The Order.

“It is extraordinary to be recognised by one’s peers and the community in this way. It really sort of takes your breath away,” she said.

“This is an award that is not just for me individually, it’s for the whole of the team and the extended team and what we’ve been able to do over a long period of time, so this is very special.”

Ms Wood’s “spray on skin” technology has been hailed as an “answered prayer” for burn victims.

Using the world-first technique, she managed to treat 28 patients in the aftermath of the Bali Bombings and greatly reduced their scarring.

Her work still helps burn victims decades after its inception, but she says some cases never leave her.

“It’s part of what we do is having the empathy to actually step along that journey with the patients and their families and carers as well.”

Featured Image: Biscay’s Fore-Pastern, Navicular and Pedal Bones ‘harvested’ on Saturday 26^th October 1986 by the author with the explicit permission of David Bath, Stud Master, Bhima Stud, Scone.

Note: The smaller navicular bones (3) in the centre of the image are considered to be ‘normal’ examples. ‘Floating’ bony exostoses also retrieved are included on the lateral sides of the pedal bones..

See also: Navicular Disease in Horses – Musculoskeletal System – MSD Veterinary Manual (msdvetmanual.com)

See also: Navicular Disease in Horses – Musculoskeletal System – MSD Veterinary Manual (msdvetmanual.com)

See also: navicular disease in horses – Google Search

It’s intriguing to speculate the influence this condition had on the outstanding career of thoroughbred stallion ‘Biscay’. He’s one of my favourites as I’ve alluded to many times in my ‘Blog’ posts. To my certain knowledge his even more spectacular son ‘Bletchingly’ also suffered from the ailment albeit less stringently. It’s even possible that super-sire Star Kingdom showed signs of the condition during the latter part of his majestic rule at ‘Baramul’. There’s a famous photograph of ‘minder’ Noel Hennessy walking him along the sandy bed of Widden Creek when in strong flow to ‘cool his forefeet’?

Professor Chris Pollitt of Queensland University has made a detailed study of the bones depicted in the featured image. The direct radiographs of the extricated navicular bones are spectacular. I wish I knew the answers, but I suspect I never will. I still find it fascinating, nonetheless. Significantly ‘Biscay’ had a medially (‘inward’) deviated left-fore pastern between the fetlock and hoof. It’s not really apparent from the featured image; but what if you used your imagination? It’s good job his breeder (STW) did not offer him for sale as a yearling. Most ‘good judges’ would have have condemned him! It didn’t prevent him from developing as the fastest young thoroughbred of his generation.

See also: https://sconevetdynasty.com.au/biscays-minders/

See also: https://sconevetdynasty.com.au/biscay/

See also: https://sconevetdynasty.com.au/biscays-staggering-early-breeding-statistics/

Postscript: I also retrieved the ‘final’ set of fore-shoes from Biscay at this time. They were developed by Master Farrier Albert O’Cass and designed to ease the pain associated with this condition. They were mounted on a polished wooden board by John Flaherty and are now on display at Kitchwin Hills Stud together with similar shoes from ‘Baguette’ and ‘Gunsynd’. They are ‘owned’ by David Bath’s nephew Jarrod Bowditch.

Aboard the 2024 Aushorse Investor’s Guide

Posted by: Bernard Kenny at 12:12pm on 1/1/2024

Posted in: Industry News

See: https://www.justhorseracing.com.au/news/racing-industry/aboard-the-2024-aushorse-investors-guide/799598

Featured Image: ‘Think About It’ winning the TAB ‘The Everest’ in 2023

‘We believe there is no better place to race a horse than in Australia,’ stated Tom Reill, the Aushorse Chief Executive Officer on launching the 2024 Aushorse Investor’s Guide.

‘Let us help you get involved as the experience of racing a horse in Australia is unique, and comes down to our impressive prizemoney, with a million-dollar race run every 3.8 days.’

‘The quality of racing is demonstrated by Australia hosting more of the highest-rated Group One races than any other country, which includes more than 100,000 people in ownership.’

‘Embracing the sport goes beyond ownership, and all major racecourses are in the centre of the cities, creating an atmosphere on major days that is unsurpassed anywhere in the world.’

For Tom Reilly ‘a day to capture the imagination was The TAB Everest when the leaders reached the shadow of the post, three Everest favourites hit the line with just ¾ length between them.’

‘The race that has rated the world’s best sprint in five of the past six years had done it again, and Everest Day at Randwick typified so much that’s great about Australian racing and breeding.’

‘The performance of Think About It, a winner bred locally in the Hunter Valley, vying with another Aussie-bred, Imperatriz, to be crowned World’s Best Sprinter and be Australia’s dominance.’

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