Rick Mitchell, DVM, MRCVS, Dipl. ACVSMR, who cofounded Fairfield Equine Associates in Newtown, Connecticut in 1989, has been appointed chair of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Foundation.

As part-owner of Fairfield Equine, a sport horse practice that has served the United States Equestrian Team (USET) for over two decades, Mitchell’s specialties include equine medicine and surgery with an emphasis on lameness and imaging. He also holds international certifications in veterinary acupuncture and equine locomotor pathology.

As a rider and veterinarian, Mitchell has been involved in national and international competitions—winning two national championships and one world championship in various disciplines. Last year marked his sixth visit to the Olympic Games as an attending veterinarian for the USET. He’s authored multiple published articles and textbook chapters on equine health care and is a celebrated speaker on sport horse medicine in North America and internationally.

Raised on a horse farm in North Carolina, Mitchell graduated from Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 1974. Following two years on active duty in the United States Air Force Veterinary Corps, he entered private practice in Connecticut with his mentor, Howard Raven, DVM