Equine surgeon Keith Latson, DVM, DACVS, will represent the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ On Call program and assist NBC Sports with horse-health information during the May 1 and 2 live racing telecasts at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.
Latson will be available to provide timely health reports to the media concerning the equine athletes involved in the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby as well as the supporting stakes races. He succeeds Larry Bramlage DVM, MS, DACVS, who served as the AAEP’s On Call spokesperson for Thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown events since 1993.
The On Call program serves all nationally televised equestrian events. Nearly 20 AAEP-member veterinarians in the United States and Canada share their veterinary expertise as On Call spokespersons. The program received the 2008 Special Eclipse Award for its contributions to Thoroughbred racing.
Latson is in private surgical and performance equine practice, focusing on Thoroughbred racehorses in Southern California. He also provides professional and surgical services for non-profit Thoroughbred retirement and retraining organizations in the region.
Latson is a 2001 graduate of Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and received his board certification in surgery from the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2006. He has published and presented several peer-reviewed scientific papers related to equine surgery.
A past recipient of the AAEP’s Good Works for Horses Award, Latson also serves on the AAEP’s Racing Committee. He resides in Sierra Madre, California, with his wife and two sons.
The American Association of Equine Practitioners, headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, 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 over 9,000 members worldwide and is actively involved in ethics issues, practice management, research and continuing education in the equine veterinary profession and horse industry.