Wellington, FL (May 21, 2019) – Some people’s idea of retirement includes images of receiving a gold watch and then spending long, lazy days playing shuffle board or sitting in a rocking chair reminiscing about the good old days.

For Dr. Richard Godbee, however, that type of lifestyle is the furthest thing from his mind as he adjusts to his new status as a retired Director of Technical Services – Equine for Farnam, Horse Health and Vita Flex.  “I get up in the mornings about 5am” Godbee describes, “and work until 8 or 9, then I saddle up and work horses!” This new daily schedule is really only a slight adjustment to what Godbee has been doing for years. As a well known and respected speaker in the equestrian industry, he is now taking advantage of his extra time by continuing to speak and give presentations, and also by launching a new educational website that is being designed to provide complete equine consulting to horse owners of all levels.

It is this continued commitment to the horse world that Premier Equestrian – an industry leader in manufacturing world-class footing, dressage arenas and accessories – wishes to honor and the reason why Godbee was presented with the Premier Equestrian Award.

Godbee says he is grateful for the award which includes a striking tricolor ribbon and engraved Premier Equestrian Award commemorative plaque. “I love to teach,” Godbee explains, “I’m a pretty good teacher, and I was elected in the top ten professors at a major university. I love to watch people as they grasp new concepts and know that they are going to make a difference in a horse’s life.”  He continues, “I think everyone who owns a horse wants to do the very best they can. A lot of time they just don’t know where to go to get information that is sound, science-based or proven over the long term.” 

Godbee goes on to say that this is the main reason he’s developing such a comprehensive educational website that will include videos, presentations and articles on topics that range from how to brush a horse to how to properly ship semen for artificial insemination. “We want the website to have something for everybody,” he continues, “from someone who may be just looking into horse ownership to the most experienced level of equestrian professional.”  He adds that the site will include information on nutrition, reproduction, tack, safety, handling and more. “Essentially, if you were to take a class on horse production or husbandry or horse science, it’s like what this will be.  We want the horse to win, period. And the way horses win is that owners are better educated. Then, they do a better job of understanding what really makes this animal tick.”  Godbee explains that in addition to developing the website, he is looking forward to continuing to give live talks around the country, including an upcoming presentation at the Western State Horse Expo. He encourages people to ask him questions and hopes many will do so once the website is up and running.  In the meantime, Godbee says people can email him directly for more information at rggodbee@gmail.com 

Godbee received a Bachelors of Science in Agriculture and Masters of Science in Ruminant Nutrition from the University of Georgia.  He received his Ph.D. in Animal Nutrition/Nutritional Biochemistry with an emphasis in equine from Colorado State University.  He has numerous publications in peer reviewed journals and popular press on multiple species.  He has presented papers and given invited talks throughout the United States Japan, Ireland, England, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Australia, Mexico, and Canada.   He has served as a faculty or adjunct faculty member at several universities.  He has also served on the graduate committees for Master and Ph.D. candidates at numerous universities. Godbee’s research interest has included the effect of nutrition on immunity and inflammation.  He is Board Certified in Animal Nutrition by the American College of Animal Science and has achieved Professional Animal Scientist status in the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists with a specialty in Horses.  He is also a member of the American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition, American Society of Animal Science, American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists, and Equine Science Society.  He is a member of Gamma Sigma Delta, Alpha Zeta, and Sigma Xi honor societies.  He also owns and shows cutting horses at local and national events.

Premier Equestrian wishes for all disciplines of equestrians and horse lovers, like Dr. Richard Godbee, to have enjoyable experiences with their horses, in or outside the show ring. The company is proud to offer an affordable choice for first-rate American-made products that enhance the equestrian performance of its customers. For more information about Premier Equestrian and its full line of products including footing, dressage arenas, and arena groomers, please call 1-800-611-6109 or visit www.PremierEquestrian.com.

Wellington, FL (March 23, 2019) – The list of accomplishments and contributions that Dr. Hilary Clayton has made to the equestrian world are impressive. As a veterinarian and scientific researcher, she has raised questions and provided solutions in areas that very few have ever considered exploring. The first incumbent of the Mary Anne McPhail Dressage Chair in Equine Sports Medicine at Michigan State University, Clayton is also a past president of the Association for Equine Sports Medicine, Past President of the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, and a member of the International Equine Veterinarians Hall of Fame. She is currently the President of Sport Horse Science, LC that covers all aspects of equestrian sports including training and conditioning sport horses, understanding the biomechanical and physiological basis of equine performance and the interaction between the rider, the tack and the horse.

Her commitment to the horse world as a speaker, author and consultant in the area of equine sports science, with emphasis on translating research findings into practical applications, is legendary. She states that her goal is to try to improve not only performance, but also health and welfare. It is this commitment that Premier Equestrian – an industry leader in manufacturing world-class footing, dressage arenas and accessories – wishes to honor and the reason why they have presented her with the Premier Equestrian Award during Week 10 of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF).

“In my career there were certain things I did that nobody had tried to do before,” Clayton reflects, “Asking questions like ‘what is rein tension? How much tension is in the reins? How much tension is in your hand when you ride?’ and then to develop techniques that actually measure those things and start to study them.” She goes on to say that, as another example, she has recently developed a product that measures the horse’s head angle. “It will tell you if the head is behind the vertical, on the vertical, or ahead of the vertical,” Clayton describes, “And since we’ve developed that product, we’ve modified it so that, now, we can also measure pace. We can tell you if your horse is going within a certain range of speed or faster or slower.” She continues, “Also, if it’s hooked up to a heart monitor on the horse, it will give you instant feedback whether the horse is within a specific heart rate for training purposes, or under or below your target heart rate.”

Clayton is a life-long horsewoman, herself, and is excited to be riding and showing her 11 year old Lusitano this season. She says they are currently showing at 4th level, with hopes to get into Prix St Georges before too long. She was excited to be named as a Premier Equestrian and thanked them for the award which included a striking tricolor ribbon and engraved Premier Equestrian Award commemorative plaque. “I feel the job I’ve done, and continue to do, is like my whole life is rolled into one. My passion, my interest, my horses, riding, professional aspects – they’re all just parts of the whole!”

Premier Equestrian wishes for all disciplines of equestrians and horse lovers, like Dr. Hilary Clayton, to have enjoyable experiences with their horses, in or outside the show ring. The company is proud to offer an affordable choice for first-rate American-made products that enhance the equestrian performance of its customers. For more information about Premier Equestrian and its full line of products including footing, dressage arenas, and arena groomers, please call 1-800-611-6109 or visit www.PremierEquestrian.com.