Dr Mitchell Brings Newtown

To Olympic Games

By Abbie Branchflower

Newtown is a horsey town but it has more in common with the equestrian events of the Olympics than just eager fans. The London 2012 Olympics will mark the fifth time Newtown’s own Dr Richard D. Mitchell has worked as team veterinarian for the United States. This year he is overseeing the care of the dressage team’s horses.

Dr Mitchell, one of the founding veterinarians of Fairfield Equine Associates in Newtown, first became interested in veterinary medicine as a 15-year-old. He grew up on a horse farm and was involved in the horse business, facts which he attributes to stimulating his interest in becoming a vet.

He made the leap to high level international veterinary work relatively early in his career. Two of his equine clients competed in the 1984 Los Angeles games and he also had clients in the 1988 Seoul games.

“A lot of it was being in the right place at the right time; I had clients with upper level horses and a background with the sport which gave me early avenues and entry to working with high level horses. And a little bit of it was luck,” Dr Mitchell explained. He moved from his home state of North Carolina to New England because the area has a lot of good competition horses.

As Team USA’s Dressage Team veterinarian Dr Mitchell has a lot of weight on his shoulders.

“It sounds like a glamorous job, but it’s a lot of pressure,” said Dr Mitchell, “It’s a long day; these horses have to be at their very best.”

Dr Mitchell is responsible for overseeing each horse’s exercise, vaccination, and shoeing schedules, as well as advising trainers, riders, and the rest of the team behind the horses as to any necessary medical care. He must watch the horses during qualifying events so that he can judge whether they are healthy and strong enough to stand up to the high demands of Olympic competition. Dr Mitchell also looks to see that the horses are sound and capable of performing without any significant medicine. His job is also to keep them at their best by being proactive and conducting frequent inspections.

“Not only do the horses have to be at their fittest, they also have to be at their most comfortable,” he explained. “I have to make sure that the horse feels good in its work, they have to feel the best they can feel so that they can compete at their best.”

Despite the long hours and high pressure nature of the position, there are perks. Dr Mitchell says his favorite part of the job is seeing people excel at their chosen discipline. He admires “the quality of the horses, the riding and the horsemanship that many of [the riders] demonstrate,” and added, “The thrill of the highest level is very rewarding.”

In spite of the impressive caliber of many of his charges, Dr Mitchell points out that he would offer the same level of care to any horse, should they require it, “To me a horse is a horse...[pleasure] horses are just as important to their respective owners,” he noted.

On a day-to-day basis, however, the care of high level competition horses necessitates much more involved medical care. One specific concern of working with equine Olympians is the transportation process.

According to Dr Mitchell, the two most important things to watch for during transit are that the horses do not become dehydrated or become too nervous. he added, however, that most Olympic horses are quite seasoned travelers. The horses can be mildly sedated if necessary, and will make their journey in a Federal Express MD 11 in big trailerlike crates in a large plane.

Once they arrive in England, the quarantine process is relatively straight forward as long as the horses are citizens of the United States or Canada. Blood tests are taken before shipment in order to demonstrate to the British government that the team’s horses are in proper health.

Dr Mitchell first worked as a team veterinarian at the Olympics for the show jumping team. He made the switch to the dressage team in 2003 at the PanAm games after requests from both clients and the United States Equestrian Federation committee.

A fan of all of the equestrian disciplines showcased in the Olympics, Dr Mitchell claimed that to ask what his favorite event to watch is “a loaded question.” He also added that he enjoys watching the Para Olympic equestrian events: “It’s fascinating what people are able to do with their horses,” he said, “and it’s amazing how good the horses are.” His favorite nonequestrian event is track and field.

A talented rider himself, Dr Mitchell owned horses and competed up until roughly 12 years ago when a back injury and serious surgery forced him to retire as a rider. In his last full year of competition he was National Champion in the 35 and Over Adult Jumper Division.

Dr Mitchell now enjoys golf, fishing, and traveling in his free time. He was looking forward to exploring the English countryside with his wife in the three weeks before the Olympics start.