Canadian-based performance horse practitioner Karen Nyrop, DVM, will join the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ board of directors as a director-at-large during the 57th Annual Convention. Dr. Nyrop will be formally inducted to the position during the Nov. 21 President’s Luncheon, with her term ending in 2014.

Dr. Nyrop specializes in English performance horse care with a focus on lameness, pre-purchase exams and exercise physiology. She graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 1981 and completed a large animal residency in surgery at Kansas State University in 1984. She practiced at a referral hospital in Scottsdale, Ariz., before establishing her own practice. She joined Equine Services, Ltd., of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, in 2001.

In addition to facilitating performance horse table topics and task forces, Dr. Nyrop has served as a member of the AAEP’s Educational Programs and Student Relations committees. She is a current member of the Foundation Advisory Committee.

Dr. Nyrop feels fortunate to have been part of the volunteer veterinary staff for eventing competitors in the 1996 Olympic Games, the 2010 FEI Alltech World Equestrian Games and numerous Rolex Kentucky Three-Day events. She is a current member of the United States Eventing Association’s Equine Welfare and Research Committees and the United States Equestrian Federation’s Veterinary Committee.

When she’s not practicing, Dr. Nyrop enjoys riding in eventing competitions. She also takes pack trips through the Rocky Mountains in Alberta and Montana.
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.