Photo credit: Jade Hanlon Art and Photography
The 15th Alltech-Hartpury Student Conference took place on 13 May 2026 at Hartpury University welcoming students, academics, and industry professionals for a day dedicated to research, collaboration, and innovation within the equine sector.
Held annually, the conference provides Higher Education students with the opportunity to experience the complete research dissemination process, from writing and submitting an abstract, through peer review and revisions, to delivering either an oral presentation or scientific poster to a conference audience. While scientific conferences can often feel daunting for students, the Alltech-Hartpury Student Conference offers a supportive and friendly environment in which students can present to their peers, supervisors, and a select group of industry experts.
The conference aims to introduce students to research dissemination in a professional yet encouraging setting. This year, more than 50 student abstracts were submitted for consideration, resulting in 12 theatre presentations, four speed presentations, and more than 25 poster presentations.
A wide range of contemporary topics were explored throughout the day, including behaviour and welfare, rider performance, therapy and rehabilitation, and the equestrian industry’s Social Licence to Operate. The standard of presentations across both undergraduate and postgraduate categories continued to impress, reflecting the growing quality of student-led research year on year. Delegates were engaged throughout the day by insightful presentations from students and keynote speakers alike, with opportunities for networking during dedicated poster sessions.
The morning session, chaired by Lorna Cameron, opened with a fascinating keynote presentation from Associate Professor Jennifer Burbage of University of Portsmouth, entitled Fit to Ride: Understanding Breast Health and Bra Function for Equestrian Athletes.
This was followed by presentations from students representing University Centre Sparsholt, Nottingham Trent University, Hartpury University, and Liverpool John Moores University. Topics included air quality in equine arenas, the impact of broodmare age on progeny Official Ratings, and the effects of clavicle injury on muscle activity in work riders and jockeys.
The afternoon session, chaired by Associate Professor Jennifer Burbage, began with a thought-provoking keynote presentation from Dr Richard Newton of the Equine Institute for Disease Surveillance, titled Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance: From Stable to State – Can We All Do Better in Infectious Disease Control?
Postgraduate oral presentations followed, featuring students from the University of Nottingham, Hartpury University, and Anglia Ruskin University. Research topics included PhD and Master’s projects such as Monitoring Normal Equine Behaviours Using Artificial Intelligence.
The final undergraduate oral presentation session featured students from Hartpury University and the University of Nottingham, covering a variety of applied topics including Mitigating the Strangles Vaccine Effect on Recumbency Times in Stabled Horses with Phenylbutazone.
The conference concluded with an engaging and inspiring keynote presentation from Dee So’oialo, a Hartpury alumna and founder of the globally recognised enterprises The Performance Hub and EQ Bands.
Prizes for the best theatre and poster presentations were judged by the keynote speakers alongside representatives from Alltech, the conference sponsor. Awards were presented at the close of the conference by Dr Helen Warren from Alltech.
The award for Best Undergraduate Theatre Presentation was presented to Elizabeth Clark from Hartpury University for Influence of Protective Boot Material on Post-Exercise Limb Temperature Recovery in Horses: A Pilot Thermographic Investigation. The award for Best Postgraduate Theatre Presentation went to Nicola Harrison from the University of Nottingham for Monitoring Normal Equine Behaviours Using Artificial Intelligence.
Poster presentation awards were presented to undergraduate student Rebekah Arthey from Nottingham Trent University for Investigation into Event Rider Perception of Ground Conditions and its Effect on the Studs Used for Cross-Country, and postgraduate student Kate Johnstone from Hartpury University for Exploration and Analysis of Embedding Equitation Science into Curriculum.
The prize for the conference’s first-ever speed poster presentation was awarded to Martyna Iruretagoyena from the University of Nottingham for Validating the Use of a Computer Vision Model to Detect Equine Sleep-Related Behaviours in an Academic Setting.
Both Alltech and Hartpury University would like to extend their sincere thanks to everyone involved in the event, particularly the keynote speakers and review panel, whose expertise and support helped make the conference another outstanding success.
Preparations are already underway for the 16th Alltech-Hartpury Student Conference, which will take place on Saturday 22 May 2027.
