The Infinitive History of Veterinary Practice: W P ‘Bill’ Howey
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As a fringe dweller himself and a raconteur of note, long time Scone veterinarian W.P. 'Bill' Howey has been well situated to chronicle the input over the past half century of the wild men of the Hunter Valley horse world, particularly those in his profession and stud owners and their staff. He has done this in a light hearted way in a 250-page book entitled "The Infinitive History of Veterinary Practice in Scone."
Much of it is centred around Scottish born Murray Bain, a veterinary surgeon who died in mid age in 1974 after just on a quarter century based in Scone. He was regarded by many as the father of thoroughbred stud practice, conceiving and introducing techniques that are now standard use by practitioners in Australia.
After Murray Bain's death, Bill Howey, John Morgan and Nairn Fraser, the veterinary surgeon husband of Kate, a granddaughter of the legendary business tycoon and stud owner W. J. "Knockout' Smith, conducted a practice covering the whole of the Hunter Valley under their names and then as Scone Veterinary Hospital. At one time they were responsible for the veterinary services for over 10,000 mares, more than in England and Ireland combined.
Bain, Howey, Morgan, Fraser and Rodger are but four of the many veterinary surgeons who have practiced together since World War 11. Prior to that era much of the veterinary attention was delivered by experienced stud hands.
"The Infinitive History of Veterinary Practice in Scone" reviews many of these vets and reports on some of the skeletons in their closets that were not only of equine variety, of their long trips, day and night, to tend to sick horses and at times themselves to get 'poisoned' by some of the brews kept on hand in case of snake bite.
Howey tells tales of the legendary George Ryder, for a time the biggest breeder in Australia from his base at the Woodlands Stud, and his henchmen Ron Jefferies and Jim Gibson, also of Cliff Ellis who spent half a life time in the Widden Valley, of the Widden Stud Thompsons and so many other men and women who have been part of the lives of Scone veterinarians.
Printed by Pritchards Press, Muswellbrook, The Infinitive History of Veterinary Practice by W.P. 'Bill; Howey was launched at the Howeys' Scone home before a gathering of many of the characters in the book and many others in veterinary science, horse breeding and racing by Murray Bain's daughter Morag Borsje on Saturday evening November 25.
It is available from Hunt-a-book, Kelly Street, Scone or from Bill and Sarah Howey, P.O. Box 509, Scone, 2337, email howeywp@westnet.com.au at a cost of $50 including postage costs.
By Brian Russell from Breednet.com.au
