Renate Weller receives WCF Honorary Fellowship
Renate Weller with WCF Master Steven Wilson FRSA FIoD FIED. Photo Credit Sam Lane.
Professor Renate Weller Dr Med.Vet, PhD, MRCVS, FHEA has received the Worshipful Company of Farriers (WCF) Honorary Fellowship in recognition of her “outstanding contribution to the craft of farriery and the welfare of the horse”.
The presentation at a recent Court meeting in London was made following nomination for this distinguished award. Renate is only the 33rd recipient of this award, made by the Court “to a person who has rendered distinguished service to the Company and/or the craft of farriery”, since its introduction in 1923.
The WCF Honorary Fellowship came as a “total surprise” to Renate, and is a particularly special one. “To be recognised within your own industry is one thing but to be recognised in such a special way by an allied profession is another. It is an amazing award and I am delighted to accept it”.
Renate’s interest in farriery developed through recognising that farriers have an essential role to play in “preventing lameness before it occurs. A high percentage of horses that come to vets’ attention through lameness do not go back to the job they were doing before. Prevention is better than cure and we need to optimise what we do”.
“Professor Renate Weller’s work for the benefit of horses, in particular with reference to lameness, is well known and is very much in accordance with the Worshipful Company’s aims in the support of welfare”, Immediate Past Master David Buckton commented. “In particular she was instrumental in setting up the Royal Veterinary College’s Graduate Diploma in Equine Locomotor Research. The Diploma offers professional farriers an opportunity to develop the skill set to produce original research increasing the evidence base behind farriery. This initiative is specifically designed to assist farriers to meet the scientific and presentation requirements of examination for the Fellowship of the Worshipful Company of Farriers”.
Currently Director of Veterinary Education at CVS, Renate is also senior vice-president of BEVA, RCVS Specialist in Diagnostic imaging and a diplomate of the American and European College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation.
