Dr. Foss honored as veterinarian of the year

Dr. Foss graduated from WSU in 1983 and currently practices and manages the Hood River Alpine Veterinary Hospital. He has been involved in the sport of endurance riding since 1994 and serves as the ride vet at 6-8 rides in the Pacific Northwest.

Dr. Foss has also been involved in the world of international endurance riding and has traveled to rides in Canada, France, Spain and Dubai to provide his veterinary expertise.

The PNER Veterinarian of the Year Award is presented to honor a PNER veterinarian who consistently demonstrates their dedication to the welfare of equine athletes and the sport of endurance, and who generously provides their expertise to riders in managing their horses.

In 1989 or so, Dr. Foss was asked to vet the Mount Adams ride. He liked what he experienced. There were good people and he was well treated by the ride manager. His training at endurance rides was courtesy of the ever-patient ride managers' school of hard knocks. Foss liked the intensity of the competition on the part of the riders and he also liked the way that competitive spirit was tempered by concern for the care of the horse.

His first FEI ride was Calgary in 1994. That experience seemed like the logical next step after vetting regional rides, and he enjoyed the challenge of working at the international level of competition. His goal was to help people do the best they could with their horse.

He served as the Pac North team vet at the competition in Flagstaff in 1995. Did the Pac North team do well at that ride? Ask Dr. Foss and he'll tell you that they cleaned up. The Pac North team took the gold and silver individual awards, the team gold, and best condition.

It was at Flagstaff that the idea came up. And it was because FEI needed a championship. Heidi Smith asked if Dr. Foss would help orchestrate the PanAm Games. The US, Brazil, Great Britain, New Zealand, Canada, and a couple of other countries took part and Dr. Foss took on the role of co-chair. He worked hard to raise funds, promote, arrange for officials, etc. The Bend PanAm Games was the first championship that didn't go broke.

Foss then worked as part of the group that transformed the PacNorth organization into a nonprofit corporation.

Endurance has taken Dr. Foss around the world, but he has never, never forgotten that the original fun of endurance is based right here in the Pacific Northwest.