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LOCAL LIFE
Great Scot ! Doug ’ s loving Down Under
by Greg Martin
Doug Fountain laughed when I asked him if he was considering starring in his own television series .
Doug is a member of the expert staff at Clarendon ’ s Hawkesbury Equine Veterinary Centre and had been tending to my beloved ’ s beloved pony , Bella , so I had walked outside to introduce myself .
To Doug , not Bella . ( I think I might have over explained that !)
The instant he opened his mouth , I knew there was a story in him !
Doug hails from Bonny Scotland but has called Australia and the Hawkesbury home since 2000 .
“ OK , let ’ s cut to the chase and explain about your opening paragraph ,” I sense you , dear reader , asking .
Doug was a member of the University of Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicine graduation class of 1994 .
Don ’ t know whether it is something in the water in Glasgow , but the UG School of Veterinary Medicine is famed for producing not only highly qualified veterinarians but media personalities .
The list of course includes the most famous of them all – Alf Wight – who , under the pseudonym , James Herriot , authored a string of books about the life of a country vet , including the much-loved “ All Creatures Great and Small ”.
Other members of the Glasgow alma mater to make a success of venturing into the media include Michael Findlay ( a BBC regular ), BBC ’ s Eddie Straiton ( BBC ’ s TV
Vet ), and author and television personality , David “ The Zoo Vet ” Taylor .
Closer to home , two graduates from Glasgow University , Mike Whiteford and Chris Allison , have starred in the BBC Scotland and ABC Australia , 12-episode series ( 2020 ), Scottish Vets Down Under .
Doug was always a shoo-in to become a veterinarian – following both his parents Dougie and Sheila into the profession . $ 1000 to the Unknown Soldier ’ s Mother if you can guess where they did their veterinary studies !
His career as a fully-fledged vet began with a two-year stint at a mixed practice in the English Midlands after which Doug caught a bad dose of the Wanderlust and wandered Down Under .
The young veterinarian spent a year in Orange and Wingham working as a locum before heading back home after finding full-time employment at an equine practice in the outskirts of London .
Mmm ! Despite being nearby , Doug passed up the opportunity to head over to the British Broadcasting Corporation ( BBC ) and chat about a career in television !!
“ I fell in love with Australia during my time at Orange and Wingham and it was always on my mind to return – doing so in 1998 and linking with the team at Hawkesbury Equine Veterinarian Clinic ,” Doug said .
To say Doug loves working with our equine friends is to say James McDonald can ride a racehorse !
Yes , tending to horses really is Doug ’ s favourite place .
This is the way we brush our teeth , brush our teeth ! Doug Fountain performing dental work on one of his many satisfied equine patients . Photo : Kathryn Johnston .
The majority of Doug ’ s work is with performance horses – those that race , play polo , go on endurance rides , and those which strut their stuff in equestrian arenas .
His particular interests are in lameness investigation and artificial breeding .
And no , Doug didn ’ t need to go the way of artificial breeding in becoming a loving father to Ava and Max .
Since making Australia home , Doug discovered a love of scuba diving and snowboarding but for him , his greatest passion ( apart from the kids ) is tending to the needs of our equine friends .
Doug , as they say in Scotland , “ Lang may yer lum reek ” - ( live a long and healthy life ).
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8 ISSUE 162 // NOVEMBER 2023 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT