EQUINE NEWS

Story: Nicole Weidner

Congratulations to Dr. James Raeside, Professor Emeritus at the University of Guelph! Dr. Raeside is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the field of Equine Reproduction, presented at the International Equine Reproduction Symposium, held in Cambridge, UK July 22nd-28th, 2018.

Dr. Raeside has had a long and illustrious career, adding quantity and quality to the Equine Reproduction literature. A quick search will find his name attached to publications on topics ranging from estrogen metabolism in the equine embryo, to stallion fertility, and non-invasive assessments of pregnancy in the feral horses of Sable Island. Dr. Raeside has contributed to several important projects that have been funded in part by Equine Guelph, including studies looking at early pregnancy failure in mares and steroid metabolites in equine embryos.

Dr. Raeside cites 2 main discoveries as his favourite career highlights. The first he says, “was finding estrone sulfate, a biologically inactive form of estrogen, in stallion testes—to answer the conundrum of high masculinity in the face of exceedingly high estrogens in stallion urine.” He names the second as “finding dehydroepiandrosterone in horse fetal gonads--leading to the discovery of the feto-placental unit as the source of high amounts of estrogens in the urine of pregnant mares.”

The Lifetime Achievement Award, established in 2017, is presented to those who have made substantial and lasting impact, through research or clinical practice, in the field of Equine Reproduction. Candidates have shown a lifetime of dedication to, and outstanding achievements in, the discipline. It’s clear that Dr. Raeside has earned this honour. Equine Guelph extends hearty congratulations for these significant achievements in research and the well-deserved recognition of this award.

Interested in learning more about research projects funded by Equine Guelph? Check out current projects here.