Dr. Nixon graduated fom the University of Sydney in 1978, practiced for a year and a half, and then completed a residency and research degree in large animal surgery at Colorado State University, leading to board certification in American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1985. He worked at the University of Florida for 5 years before moving to Cornell University in New York in 1988, where he provided service in clinical orthopedics and neurosurgery, and served as chief of surgery from 2002-2006. He was also director of the Comparative Orthopedics Laboratory and JD Wheat Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory at Cornell University, and was the inaurgural Chief Medical Officer at Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists, a Cornell owned equine private practice hospital alongside the Belmont racetrack in New York City. Besides his extensive experience in orthopedic surgery, Dr Nixon has a long career in musculoskeletal research, with grant support from numerous external agencies, including The Morris Animal Foundation., Grayson Jockey Club, Quarter Horse Association, The Arthritis Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health, for studies targeting cell and gene therapy for joint disease.  

He has over 200 published papers focusing on equine orthopedic disease and surgery, with a particular interest in minimally invasive surgery, cartilage injury and repair, and novel regenerative medicine approaches to joint disease in racing and sport horses. He is also editor and author of two books, Equine Fracture Repair (now in 2nd edition), and Diagnostic and Surgical Arthroscopy of the Horse (in 4th edition). Dr Nixon was inducted into the University of Kentucky Gluck Equine Research Hall of Fame in 2009, and awarded the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, Founders Award for Lifetime Achievement, in 2015.

Dr Nixon retired from Cornell University at the end of 2020, and continues his teaching, research, and clinical roles as an emeritus professor in equine surgery at Cornell, adjunct professor at the University of Florida, and as a consultant to several private practices in the US and abroad. He continues his teaching roles as a faculty member for the AO-Vet Fracture Repair Courses, and as faculty member in Equine Arthroscopy courses in the US and Europe.

Martin qualified from the Free University of Berlin, Germany in 2001 and finished is Doctoral Thesis at the Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich in Switzerland in 2003. Thereafter, he got accepted for an Internship in Equine Medicine and Surgery at the Kansas State University followed by an AO/ASIF fellowship at Texas A&M University, USA. Subsequently, he completed an Equine Surgery Residency (surgical specialisation) at The Ohio State University. He became a Diplomate of the American and European College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2009. Following his residency, he returned to the University of Zurich as a large surgeon. Thereafter, he accepted a position as clinical teacher at the University of Helsinki before returning to his home country Germany.

In 2014, Martin became a partner of the Equine Hospital Aschheim in the greater Munich area. There, he established the Equine Diagnostic Center Munich with focus on advanced imaging such as computed and magnetic resonance tomography. Martin established the first equine hospital worldwide, in which MRI of stifles are routinely performed independent on age, breed, gender and size of the horse. Furthermore, he is focussing on advanced imaging techniques, e.g., computed tomography, myelography and myelo-CTs.

His daily work includes diagnosis and therapy of lameness. Martin's surgical interests are minimal invasive surgery, fracture repair, spinal and particularly wobbler surgery. Worldwide, he is one of the few surgeons, who performs wobbler surgery routinely and therefore, the Equine Hospital Aschheim developed into a European referral center for this procedure.

Martin has published several clinical articles in peer-reviewed veterinary journals and lectures regularly at national and international courses/conferences, e.g., ACVS, BEVA, ECVS, GEVA.

Roger Smith is Professor of Equine Orthopaedics at the Royal Veterinary College, London, UK. He qualified as a veterinary surgeon from Cambridge University (UK) in 1987, having obtained a First for his undergraduate degree and a Cambridge Blue at swimming. After 2 years in practice, he returned to academia to undertake further clinical training as a Resident in Equine Studies at the Royal Veterinary College. Following his residency, he undertook a 3 year research project culminating in the award of a PhD for his studies on the extracellular matrix of equine tendon.

He remained at the Royal Veterinary College, first as a Lecturer in Equine Surgery, then as Senior Lecturer in Equine Surgery before his appointment as Professor in Equine Orthopaedics in December 2003.

He holds the Diploma of Equine Orthopaedics from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and is a Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Specialist in Equine Surgery. He is a Diplomate of the European Colleges of Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, and is also a Large Animal Associate of the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging.

In 2016, he was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons for meritorious contribution to knowledge and was elected to president of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons in July 2017.

He divides his time between running a specialist orthopaedic referral service within the Royal Veterinary College, where he is involved in lameness diagnostics, imaging and orthopaedic surgery, and continuing to direct research into equine tendon disease. His principal research interests are understanding the pathogenesis of tendon disease, diagnostics for tendon and ligament disease, and stem cell therapy for tendons in both horses and humans.

He is married to a medical doctor and has two sons.

Tim qualified from The Royal Veterinary College in 1983 and first came to Liphook in 1987. He then left to undertake a surgical post at The Animal Health Trust in Newmarket before returning to the practice and becoming a partner in 1995. Tim has RCVS and ECVS Diplomas in Equine Surgery and is recognised as an RCVS and European Specialist in Equine Surgery. He has been an examiner for both RCVS and European Diplomas in Equine Surgery and a member of the Board Of Regents of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons. He has published on a wide range of subjects and has lectured extensively both in the UK and further afield. Tim also acts as a peripatetic consultant surgeon to other equine practices, both in the UK and abroad. In his spare time Tim enjoys his family, his dogs, all sports and anything to do with the sea.