Dr Andrew Waller receiving the award from HRH the Princess Royal in 2014, on behalf of the Animal Health Trust.

Honour recognises exceptional equestrian individuals and organisations 

Farrier Dr Simon Curtis and the British Grooms Association are both in the running for this year’s prestigious Sir Colin Spedding Award, which recognises unsung heroes and heroines from the equestrian world.

The award was introduced in 2013, in memory of the National Equine Forum’s founding chairman. Sir Colin Spedding chaired the event for 20 years until his death in 2012. He ensured that representatives across the equine sector were made welcome and that topics of general interest and concern could be discussed in an open and amicable manner.

Dr Simon Curtis, who is on the shortlist for this year’s award, has been a practising farrier in Newmarket for 45 years. He has lectured and demonstrated farriery in 30 countries on six continents, has written three text books and been published by numerous journals. Dr Curtis is also the only farrier ever awarded an honorary associate by the RCVS.

The British Grooms Association, which is also shortlisted for the prize, was launched in 2007. International groom Lucy Katan sparked the idea for such an organisation at the 2003 NEF, where she spoke with passion about the challenges facing thousands of grooms. The organisation has a growing membership of around 1700 and has significantly raised the profile of grooms over the past decade.

A winner will be chosen by the Sir Colin Spedding Award committee and announced at the forum on Thursday, 8 March.

Topics under discussion at this year’s NEF will include the central equine database, challenges facing small equestrian businesses, equine welfare in British racing, what’s new in equestrian safety and the latest news on rider weight research. Jim Green will also give the memorial lecture on equine emergency rescue.

For more information visit: www.nationalequineforum.com

Image © National Equine Forum