Dr. Chris Riggs Wins NEF Sir Colin Spedding Award

Professor Chris Riggs, BVSc, BSc, DEO, PhD, DECVS, FRCVS, Director Equine Welfare Research Foundation and Chief Advisor, Mainland Veterinary Engagement, The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), was announced as the winner of the Sir Colin Spedding Award March 5 at the 2026 National Equine Forum (NEF). The award was given in honor of Riggs’ dedication to improving equine welfare internationally.

NEF delegates were treated to a detailed insight into Riggs’ work in China, as he also delivered the Memorial Lecture this year, entitled “Changing priorities: The horse in China – evolving values and progress in equine veterinary care,” via an interview with Naomi Mellor, BVM&S, CertAVP(EM), MRCVS, Chief Executive of the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association.

Described by his award nominator as a “force of nature,” Riggs has worked tirelessly to advance veterinary education and clinical standards in China and across Asia. Through scholarships, advocacy, and the founding of the Equine Welfare Research Foundation, his impact has strengthened the care of horses globally.

Riggs has worked for the HKJC for more than 20 years. He led the creation of the HKJC Equine Welfare Research Foundation to provide funding to researchers working in the field of equine welfare, focusing on the Thoroughbred racehorse. He still directs the Foundation today.

During the Memorial Lecture, Riggs shared his passion for promoting the welfare of horses, especially Thoroughbreds. He explained aspects of his work in China to tackle some of the equine veterinary challenges on behalf of the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

He talked about initiatives to address the limitations of practical veterinary training, the obstacle of restricted access to licensed medications, and the professional perceptions of veterinary careers. With the current, growing cohort of enthusiastic and capable young veterinary graduates and various international collaboration programs, Riggs reported on his optimism for a continually improving, sustainable veterinary service. He emphasized that enhanced clinical training and improved access to treatment resources would help ensure higher standards of horse welfare while supporting the continued growth of equestrian sport and horse culture across China.

“I am honored, humbled and delighted to have won the NEF Sir Colin Spedding Award,” said Riggs. “Both this prestigious award and the opportunity to present the Memorial Lecture have enabled me to shine a spotlight on some of the great things happening on the Chinese Mainland, as well as some of the challenges there and the growing motivation to enhance equine veterinary care.

“I wish to emphasise that everything I have done has been made possible by the commitment of the Hong Kong Jockey Club to promoting high-quality equestrian sport and equine welfare,” he continued. “Without the generosity of the Club in doing good things for the horse, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve anything significant. I sincerely believe this award should be shared with the HKJC.”

Tim Smalley, founder and managing director of Bedmax, nominated Riggs for the Sir Colin Spedding Award. He said: “Thanks to Chris, there is now a much better knowledge in China to support the growing equine population. As an excellent communicator and clinician, he has been able to influence things, which in another culture and with a complicated system is not easy.

“Standards in HK racing might be argued to be better than anywhere else in the world, and Chris is behind this. However, his impact has been broader than just the racing industry, driven by general horse welfare across the Chinese Mainland.”

Amanda Bond, Head of Equestrian Affairs at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “Chris’s mission has been to ensure the quality care of horses throughout China, and he has never deviated away from this important task. With the rapidly developing equestrian industry in China, having enough suitably experienced veterinarians remains a challenge, but Chris has supported, through lobbying of government departments and other key stakeholders, better education and practical clinical experience opportunities for vets. In partnership with the Hong Kong Jockey Club, he is working on the enhancement of vocational training of graduate vets and personally he has mentored dozens of Chinese vets. He continues to passionately campaign for horse welfare. In my opinion, there is no better beneficiary of this award.”

Sir Colin Spedding was the founding chairman of the NEF and chaired the event for 20 years until his death in 2012. He ensured that representatives of all areas of the equine sphere were made welcome to the Forum and that topics of general interest and concern could be discussed openly and amicably. The award was introduced in 2013, in his memory. It is presented annually to an exceptional unsung hero or heroine of the equestrian world. Any individual or organization from any equestrian field in the UK is eligible, as long as their outstanding qualities have not been formally acknowledged elsewhere prior to the closing date of nominations.

Di Arbuthnot, the former Chief Executive of the charity Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) won the 2025 Sir Colin Spedding Award in recognition of her dedication to racehorse welfare. Joint winners received the award in 2024. Kirsty Withnall was recognized for her tireless determination as an RSPCA Case Officer, and Amanda Stoddart-West was acknowledged for her pioneering work to enhance equine well-being as a Coordinator at the Great Yorkshire Show. In addition, Anne Dicker, Managing Partner of the Catherston Stud, was highly commended as an award finalist for her work in helping unite the equine sector. The full list of Award winners can be found here https://www.nationalequineforum.com/roll-of-honour/.

The sessions from NEF26 will be released on the NEF YouTube channel soon. Visit https://www.youtube.com/c/nationalequineforum to find out more.

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