Bain Fallon 2024 Wrap Up

^{Image: Outgoing EVA President Dr Martin Dolinschek}

Thank you to all our wonderful members, corporate partners and exhibitors for making the 44th Bain Fallon Memorial Lectures the biggest yet. 2024 saw the inaugural combination of Bain Fallon and the ANZCVS Equine Science Week Stream, bringing 5 international speakers to the Hunter Valley.

The week commenced with the Ultrasound Workshop lectures delivered by international speakers Drs Katie Garrett and Roger Smith, as well as local speakers Drs Kirsten Neil, Alex Young, Sue Jones and Penny Dow. Delegates were then treated to a tour of the new Scone Equine Hospital by Director Dr Sam Nugent, followed by 6 stations covering the imaging of the larynx, metacarpus, stifle, pelvis, pastern and metatarsus. Workshop sponsor Radincon were showcased their new equipment, and a very big “thank you” needs to be directed to the Radincon technicians and Jon Marriott for their dedication to the continuing education of our members.

^{Image: Dr Rachael Smith}

Led by Dr Cristy Secombe, the advocacy lecture highlighted the shared challenges facing the equine professions across the UK, USA, NZ and Australia. It was a privilege to have leaders of the AAEP (Katie Garrett) and BEVA (Roger Smith) as well as Rachel Smith from private practice in NZ and Peter Morrisey from Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Kentucky. Issues such as work-life balance, high student debt and lower salaries than other sectors, as well as poor student impressions of equine practice were common threads. Mentoring, promotion of a career path to students in the early years, advocating for debt relief and models for reducing After Hours were all discussed.

Dr Ian Fulton was the 2024 Pascoe Orator and presented a fabulous recount of an amazing career - beginning as a young assistant to his veterinarian father, to pioneering a surgical technique to reinnervate the larynx and a career as a specialist surgeon in Ballarat. He touched on the mentoring he received from some of the giants of the equine veterinary profession in Australia and emphasised the importance of balancing work and non-work – a phrase that resonated and reappeared several times across the week.

The Prof Hutchens News Hours tackled angular and flexural limb deformities. When to cut, when to bandage, when to confine, are strips valuable? Angus Atkins led a panel of practical, innovative and experienced equine vets through a journey of limb deformities in foals. The outcomes were practical and highlighted the cases that can be treated on farm and those that should be referred.

^{Image: Bain Fallon Exhibition Hall.}

^{Image: Delegates in the exhibition hall}

The Golf Day sponsored by Radincon was held at the Hunter Valley Golf Club, with a great mix of equine veterinarians and industry participants competing for a suite of fabulous prizes. Special thanks to Radincon, in conjunction with Canon Australia, for their generous support of the event.

The social calendar of Bain Fallon was another highlight of the week with all delegates treated to a spectacular array of Happy Hours and other social events. Starting off with the now traditional CEVA Party Night, delegates enjoyed a Texas BBQ followed by smores by the fire at the 4 Pines Brewery. When not indulging in the BBQ delights, delegates were boot scooting on the dance floor or showing off their shooting skills with laser clay target shooting.

^{Image: Bain Fallon Gala Dinner. Jack Egan, Jeffrey Wilkinson, Holly Lewis.}

Generously sponsored by Randlab, the Bain Fallon Gala Dinner - The Greatest Show on Earth came complete with welcoming stilt walkers, entertaining dance troope and, as always, a hilarious Randlab Gala Dinner highlight reel featuring many of our members showcasing their circus talents.

The Annual EVA Awards were presented at the Gala Dinner. Dr Jane Axon was remembered and honoured with the renaming of the EVA Excellence award to The Jane Axon Award for Excellence in the Equine Veterinary Field, which was awarded to Dr Joan Carrick. Dr Warwick Vale was presented with the EVA Award for Services to the Horse Industry and Dr Christine Smith was awarded the EVA Patricia Ellis Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Equine Welfare and Advocacy.

^{Image: Bain Fallon Gala Dinner}

Congratulations to the following EVA Award winners, who were presented their awards during the Annual Meeting:

• EVA Reginald Pascoe Prize – Victoria Brookes
• EVA Norman Larkin Prize – Tania Sundra
• EVA Young membe Abstract or Poster Prize – William Height
• EVA Research Based Poster Prize – Allison Steward
• EVA Clinical Case Based Poster Prize – Sharon Jeong
• ANZCVS Equine Chapter Prize (Best Resident Abstract) – Sharon Jeong
• ANZCVS Equine Chapter Prize (Most Outstanding Abstract) – Brodie Argue
• EVA Peter Irwin Literary Prize – Anja Knudsen
• EVA John Bourke Literary Prize – Megan Romano

Finally, a heartfelt thank you to Dr Albert Sole-Guitart, EVA Education Chair, and convenor of the 2024 Bain Fallon Memorial Lectures for producing yet another successful conference, thank you Albert and the education committee.

^{Image: Bain Fallon student volunteers.}