Fond Farewells

Sadly the Equine Grass Sickness Fund has had to say goodbye to two key people recently, one to retirement, the other to pastures new.

Many of you will have met Joyce McIntosh, who ran the Fund in an enviably efficient manner since, well, before the fund began! Over the years Joyce built up an encyclopaedic knowledge of grass sickness, and personally knew you and the stories of your horses, and every grass sickness research project that crossed her desk. She dedicated an enormous amount of time to the fund, and was utterly committed to the quest to find cause of this terrible disease.

Kate Thomson, who has the formidable task of stepping into Joyce’s shoes said: ‘Thank heavens that Joyce is still on the end of the phone, as the ability to download information from one brain to another has not yet been invented!’ Happily Joyce is still involved with the fund, but is enjoying more time to spend living the high life, and we wish her all the very best in her retirement.

We also say goodbye to committee member Professor Elspeth Milne, whom the scholars amongst you will recognise from the many research projects she has undertaken into grass sickness. Professor Milne, BVM&S PhD Dip ECVCP DipRCPath FRCVS, is a world renowned expert in equine dysautonomia (grass sickness), and was recently awarded an honorary professorship for her work. She has been involved with the Fund for many years, and we have been very fortunate to have benefitted from Elspeth’s expertise. Elspeth moves on to head up a new clinical pathology service at Biobest, near Edinburgh.

The Chairman and Committee express their very warm thanks to both Joyce and Elspeth for their tireless work on our behalf, and wish them both well in their new paths.