The Jockey Club announced today the recipient of the 2026 Racing Regulatory Veterinarian Fellowship, a loan repayment program that will award up to $25,000 in veterinary school loan repayment to an employed racing regulatory veterinarian.
Dr. Laurie Bohannon, Santa Anita Park's senior regulatory veterinarian since September 2019, is this year's recipient. Dr. Bohannon role includes supervising a veterinary regulatory team for three tracks, examining horses, performing official veterinary works, and monitoring racing and training.
"I am truly honored and grateful to receive The Jockey Club Racing Regulatory Veterinary Fellowship. Horses have been at the center of both my personal and professional life and being able to use veterinary medicine to protect their health, safety, and welfare is incredibly meaningful to me," Dr. Bohannon said. "I am thankful to The Jockey Club for recognizing the work of regulatory veterinarians and for supporting those of us committed to the future of the racehorse and the sport."
Dr. Bohannon received her A.A.S in veterinary research technology from Front Range Community College in May 1999 before heading to Colorado State University, where she received her B.S. in Animal Science in May 2003 and her DVM in May 2008.
Dr. Bohannon worked as a veterinary technician at multiple institutions before getting an equine internship in 2008 with Pioneer Equine Hospital Inc. From there, she participated in a large animal clinical fellowship in 2009 with Oregon State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital before transitioning to the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at UC-Davis where she spent three years honing her skills as an equine surgery resident, junior research specialist, and equine field service vet.
Dr. Bohannon served as the California Horse Racing Board Regulatory Track Veterinarian in 2016-2017 for both the Cal Expo Harness Racing meet and the Cal Expo State Fair Thoroughbred Meet. Dr. Bohannon then worked as an associate veterinarian for Granite Bay Equine, a private practice tailored to sport horses, and as a veterinarian specializing in racehorses before making her way to Santa Anita.
Applications for The Jockey Club's Racing Regulatory Veterinarian Fellowship will open in May 2027 on The Jockey Club website. To learn more about the Racing Regulatory Veterinarian Fellowship, click here.
