Dr. Brian L. Wright has joined Dr. Mike Harry as a resident veterinarian at Waterfall Farms, Shelbyville. A 2001 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Wright has been involved in the Tennessee Walking Horse industry his entire life. The decision to become a veterinarian was influenced by the family business - his father, Dr.George Wright, is a veterinarian, and his mother, Donna, is a veterinary technician. They have a mixed animal practice in Old Hickory, TN, where Brian worked weekends and summers during high school and college.

“My family’s farm in Mt. Juliet is where my love for horses began. My brother Steve and I are third generation Tennessee Walking Horse owners, breeders and exhibitors,” Dr. Wright states proudly. His first show was in Tullahoma when he was 7 years old. That night he showed Ebony’s Sandman and won a blue ribbon. That same year he showed in the Celebration and has not missed one since. He exhibits in both amateur performance and yearling divisions.

The fine selection of the Wrights’ broodmares are descendants of Shadow’s Juliet who was sired by Go Boy’s Shadow and out of a Stately Allan mare. Her daughter, Master Perfection, produced many show horses including former 15.2 and Under Reserve World Grand Champion Pride’s Main Man and 5 time World Champion Gold Record . Today the Wrights have over 30 horses, including a breeding stallion, show horses, broodmares and their foals.

At Mt. Juliet High School Brian was a member of the Beta Club, Youth In Government, Mu Alpha Theta, the National Spanish Club, and the National Honor Society. In 1994 he graduated in the top 10% of his class and was selected for the Who’s Who Among American High School Students. That fall he began his undergraduate studies at Tennessee Technological University and was the 1995 recipient of the Walking Horse Auxiliary Scholarship. Majoring in Chemistry and maintaining a 3.7 GPA, Brian completed the pre-veterinary requirements in only three years and was accepted into the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. Brian moved to Knoxville in the fall of 1997 and joined the Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medication Association and the Veterinary Equine Club.

While at UT, Dr. Wright received the Middle Tennessee Veterinary Association scholarship and was a recipient of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association Scholarship, the V. Hal and Beville Hal Reagan Large Animal Clinical Sciences Scholarship, and was awarded the Sandra and Bill Johnson Scholarship from 1997 to 2001. As a senior, Dr. Wright received the prestigious Pharmacia and Upjohn Student Award for clinical Proficiency in Large Animal Medicine and Surgery. Dr. Wright is a member of the American Veterinarian Medical Association, the Tennessee Veterinarian Medical Association, Walking Horse Owners’ Association and the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association.

As a second, third and fourth year veterinary student Dr. Wright participated in the internship program at Waterfall Farms, completing a clinical rotation in equine reproduction. “We’re very proud to have dr. Wright on board. He’s an excellent addition to Waterfall Farms’ breeding department,” said Dr. mike Harry.

“Over 1,000 mares were bred at Waterfall Farms this past spring and Dr. Harry performed over 110 embryo transfers,” said Dr. Wright. “I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to work for such a productive and progressive organization,” he continued. Waterfall Farms’ breeding staff includes Tim Bates, Jeanine Stringer, Jimmy Henshaw, Roberto Padilla, Jackie Byrom and Alfonso Bravo, the stallion manager.