Elizabeth Woolsey spent a long career as a veterinarian before becoming an author who honors other vets in her many published books and our 2024 $10,000 Equestrian Voices Creative Writing Contest Grand Champion prize winner with her narrative, A True Christmas Story– a memory from her many years in the field.
With her prize money earnings, Woolsey gave back to the horse and horse-care professional community in a spirit that encapsulates everything our contest represents. Though her act was entirely selfless, The Plaid Horse commends Woolsey for her outstanding $5,000 contribution to the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine to benefit vet students.
“I thought maybe something like this would inspire other veterinarians to do the same for the younger generation in our profession, which is sadly in need of good news and a lot of support,” says Woolsey. “A young woman from Auburn University wrote to me and said ‘I want to be the vet who goes out on Christmas and takes care of sick or injured horses.’ I was inspired, so, in honor of that young woman, I thought the gift was fitting.”
Auburn University is Woolsey’s alma mater and where she completed a master’s in Veterinary physiology and then a Doctorate (DVM) in 1984. She specified that her gift be given to an equine-oriented student who is a member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, an organization that supports, for Woolsey, “a profession that so graciously helped me in my early years.”
The Plaid Horse offers a $5,000 Grand Champion, $500 Champion, and $250 Reserve Champion cash prize and publication, in print or at theplaidhorse.com, to the top 16 entries of the $10,000 Writing Contest for the purpose of elevating equine community member voices and promoting fine, literary prose. There are no expectations for how winners choose to apply their awards, but Woolsey’s heroic donation is a reminder to us all that an investment in our community is always an investment well made.
Woolsey’s winning entry, A True Christmas Story, will be featured in the December/January issue of The Plaid Horse Magazine, and she’s also a guest on Plaidcast 408, sponsored by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services. Click here to listen.
And click here to learn more.
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