The American Association of Equine Practitioners honored Dr. C. Wayne McIlwraith 
with the Distinguished Life Member award for longtime service to the association during the association’s 55th annual convention in Las Vegas, Nev.
Dr. McIlwraith, Professor and Director of the Orthopaedic Research Center in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University, was recognized during the association’s annual awards ceremony at the Dec. 8, 2009, President’s Luncheon.
An AAEP member of more than 30 years, Dr. McIlwraith served as AAEP president in 2001 and was a member of the board of directors from 1992 to 1994. He has been chair of the Educational Programs, Research, President’s Advisory, and Professional Conduct and Ethics committees as well as a member of several other committees and task forces. He is the current chair of the Foundation Advisory Committee.
In addition, Dr. McIlwraith participates in the AAEP’s On Call Program, which provides veterinary expertise to print and broadcast media during major equine sporting events. Dr. McIlwraith has provided “On Call” expertise during the Breeders’ Cup Thoroughbred World Championships since 1995 as well as at major American Quarter Horse races.
Dr. McIlwraith holds the Barbara Cox Anthony University Endowed Chair in Orthopaedics at Colorado State University. In 2009, he was named as a University Distinguished Professor, the highest recognition awarded by the University to a faculty member for outstanding accomplishments in research and scholarship. He is a past president of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and the Veterinary Orthopedic Society. He is widely recognized as a leader in the field of equine orthopaedic surgery and orthopaedic research.
The American Association of Equine Practitioners, headquartered in Lexington, Ky., was founded in 1954 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the health and welfare of the horse. Currently, the AAEP reaches more than 5 million horse owners through its nearly 10,000 members worldwide and is actively involved in ethics issues, practice management, research and continuing education in the equine veterinary profession and horse industry.
