Researchers’ departure “a bitter pill to swallow”

In November 2005, The Horse reported on studies underway at the Animal Health Trust’s Centre for Equine Studies based in Newmarket in the United Kingdom (Helping Horses Worldwide, www.TheHorse.com/emag.aspx?id=6280). In December 2005 the director of science, Jenny Mumford, and two top clinicians, David Marlin, BSc, PhD, head of physiology, and Lesley Young, BVSc, PhD, DVA, DECEIM, DVC, MRCVS, senior cardiologist, were cut from the staff.

All three are top researchers in the equine world. Marlin was one of the key researchers examining the impact of heat on horses for the Atlanta Olympics. He was working at the Trust on heat stress issues for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Young was studying sudden death of equine athletes. 

In an interview with Horse & Hound Online, Young said the dismissals were unexpected. “We were told our redundancies resulted from complete closure of our areas,” she said