LEXINGTON, Ky. — Hagyard Equine Medical Institute has been named the official veterinarians for the 2011 HITS Desert Circuit in Thermal for the fifth year.

The show will feature six weeks of “AA” rated hunter/jumper competition from the end of January through mid-March. Hagyard veterinarian Dr. Duncan Peters will lead the team and is the FEI-accredited veterinarian.

Based in Lexington, Hagyard Equine Medical Institute’s Sport Horse program specializes in the care and maintenance of show horse athletes, aspiring to bring the same quality of treatment to sport horses that the institute has provided for the race horse and breeding industries.

As the FEI veterinarian, Dr. Peters will oversee all World Cup qualifying grand prix classes as well as the FEI grand prix classes. Hagyard also does the general administrative aspects of the horse show vets, including measuring horses and ponies by the USEF guidelines.

“I am looking forward to seeing how the grounds have matured,” noted Dr. Peters. “Last year we had beautiful weather so I am also looking forward to that same kind of weather. We’re going to have a number of riders competing out there that were competing during the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games that were held in Lexington. Riders from Canada like John Pearce, Jill Henselwood, as well as Guy Thomas from New Zealand will be there, and it is exciting to have good quality horses and good horsemen out there.”

Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, founded in 1876 and located directly across from the Kentucky Horse Park, is one of the oldest and largest equine veterinary practices in the world.

The facility at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute offers 13 Digital Radiology systems, 1.5 Tesla Siemens MRI, Nuclear Scintigraphy, a high speed treadmill, an on-site laboratory, an on-site pharmacy, full surgical services, ambulance and emergency services, and Hyperbaric Medicine. The practice is currently composed of over 60 veterinarians, with 12 board certifications in specialty areas of Medicine, Surgery, Critical Care, and Theriogenology.