Two veterinarians from Palm Beach Equine Clinic (PBEC) in Wellington, FL, are preparing to attend the 2024 Olympic Games this summer in Paris, France. Dr. Weston Davis and Dr. Christopher Elliott will support equine athletes across disciplines on-site.

Photo: Dr. Weston Davis will attend his first Olympic Games in Paris this summer. Photo by Jump Media

This will be Elliott’s third Olympic Games. His first was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2016, where he was a volunteer treating veterinarian for the Olympics and treating vet Team Leader for the Paralympics. Since graduating from the University of Queensland in his native Australia in 2007, he has worked in more than 20 different countries on behalf of the Fédération Equestre International (FEI), the international governing body of equestrian sport, in various roles.

Dr. Christopher Elliott of PBEC at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games

“The Olympics are magic, and they hold a very special place in my heart,” enthused Elliott. “I love all Olympic sports. I was a kid back home watching the 2000 Sydney Olympics when I discovered that there were vets who worked at the Olympics. That’s when I decided it was what I wanted to do. Three years later, I started vet school, and 16 years later — after many sacrifices and hard work — I made it to Rio 2016. The magic of the Games is indescribable.”

Elliott’s second Olympic Games, held in 2021, were in Tokyo, where he was appointed by the FEI as the Veterinary Services Supervisor. For the 2024 Olympic Games, the FEI veterinary department selected Dr. Elliott as an International Technical Official (ITO), and he will work as one of two Limb Sensitivity Examining Veterinarians.

Dr. Christopher Elliott of PBEC at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games and 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Photos courtesy of Dr. Elliott.

They will examine the legs of all the jumping horses prior to competition to ensure they do not have altered sensitization. This veterinary examination not only helps to ensure fair, equal, and clean sport but also bolsters equine welfare by checking that every horse is fit to compete.

“Working for the FEI is always in addition to my normal daily role of an equine veterinary sports medicine and rehabilitation specialist,” explained Dr. Elliott. “My main passion is helping equine athletes and their riders achieve their goals. Keeping horses fit and healthy is my day job; it’s why I wake up in the morning. I love helping my clients; the FEI work is the icing on the cake.”

Another key aspect of Dr. Elliott’s role in Paris will be implementing the FEI heat management protocol, as the 2024 Olympic Games can be very hot. Veterinarians will closely monitor horses during training, warm-up, and competition for the early signs of heat stress. The veterinarians will use a thermal imaging camera as a remote monitoring tool to identify horses potentially at risk of heat stress. Once identified remotely, a veterinarian can examine a horse, take its temperature, and undergo active cooling if required.

Dr. Davis will attend his first Olympic Games as the private veterinarian for Heidi Humphries of Zen Elite Equestrian Center of Fort Lauderdale, FL, who owns the two dressage horses Bohemian and Helix. Helix, with his rider Adrienne Lyle, has been named as one of the three horses on the team, while Bohemian and Endel Ots are the traveling reserve combination. Davis will work alongside the U.S. dressage team veterinarian, Dr. Laura Faulkner, to ensure optimal care for the horses.

Dr. Davis said, “I am extremely grateful to be a small part of this team; the owner and trainers are amazing humans, and Helix and Bohemian are both the kind of horses that a veterinarian is lucky to get the chance to work with once in a lifetime. I feel very blessed to have this opportunity and so excited to go to my first Games.”

Palm Beach Equine Clinic is proud to have Dr. Davis and Dr. Elliott on its team supporting the U.S. athletes in Paris. To learn more about PBEC, visit EquineClinic.com.