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Minnesota Star Tribune

"The horse comes first," how vets protect Canterbury thoroughbreds

As deadly horse racing injuries mount elsewhere, the Shakopee track still sets a standard thanks to a hands-on approach from state veterinarians.

By Leila Navidi

May 25, 2023 at 7:38PM
Veterinarian Dr. Rebecca Butler performs an exam on a horse that has not raced in 180 days or more at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn.
Dr. Lynn Hovda, second from right, talks to the starting crew, including starter Darrin Hall, center, and assistant starter Tim Neal, right, at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn.
Dr. Lynn Hovda gets a hug from Vinny Panetta, an assistant starter at the starting gates of Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn.
Dr. Rebecca Butler, from left, sits as the stand-in for a horse as she is pulled into an equine ambulance during a Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA)-mandated preseason drills run by Dr. Lynn Hovda and assisted by Dr. Christy Klatt at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn.
Veterinarians Dr. Rebecca Butler, from left, Dr. Jennifer McDonald, and Dr. Christy Klatt walk out to the barns to perform exams on horses that have not raced in 180 days or more at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn.
Veterinarians Dr. Rebecca Butler, center, and at Dr. Christy Klatt, right, make the rounds performing exams on horses that have not raced in 180 days or more.
Veterinarian Dr. Rebecca Butler performs an exam on a horse that has not raced in 180 days or more at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn.
Veterinarian Dr. Rebecca Butler checks the tattooed ID inside the lips of the horse Hot Shot Kid while performing exams on horses that have not raced in 180 days or more at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn.
Dr. Lynn Hovda walks along the track at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn.
Veterinarian Dr. Christy Klatt has a quick snuggle with Hot Shot Kid while performing exams with the other veterinarians on horses in the barn at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn.
Dr. Lynn Hovda works in her office, looking through the information on every horse that will race, to get ready for race day at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn.
Dr. Lynn Hovda carries a clipboard with a list of Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA)-mandated preseason drills they must perform that day at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn.
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Veterinarian Dr. Rebecca Butler performs an exam on a horse that has not raced in 180 days or more at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn. (Leila Navidi, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writer

about the writer

Leila Navidi

Photographer

Leila Navidi has worked as a staff photographer for the Minnesota Star Tribune since 2014. She worked at the Las Vegas Sun from 2007-2013.

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