Vet Cetera magazine 2015

“(VETERINARY MEDICINE)
IS A FAMILY TRADITION, AND
I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO
WRITING MY PART OF IT.”
“Oklahoma State has a special
place in my heart and in my family’s
heart,” Holt says. “I chose to
come here in part because it is a family
school. My grandparents graduated
from OSU the last year it was
Oklahoma A&M. My dad, aunts and
uncles and cousins have all been
here, so there was a lot of appeal
from that standpoint, and I wanted
to get away from home for a bit, too.
“I made the decision to pursue the
MBA after several long conversations
with my parents. My dad owns
and operates Kentucky Equine Medical
Associates, and my mom helped
run the practice when it was first
started. They know how important
business training is and felt it was
somewhere that my dad had fallen
short in his training. They had the
wisdom and the foresight to recommend
that I not make the same mistake,”
he adds.
“My practice is a racetrack practice,”
says his dad, Phil. “We spend eight
months a year at Churchill Downs
in Louisville, Ky., and four months
at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark. As
a little guy, Holt liked to tag along to
the track when he could. He enjoyed
being around the animals and the
people. Holt has always done well
in school and was able to get some
scholarships. We knew he would
do something in agriculture. OSU
has one of the best animal science
departments in the country. I told
him, ‘It is your education, and you
are only going to do it once, so you
might as well go to the best place.’
Of course, once he came to Stillwater
and the campus, he fell in love
with the people and the university.
He was accepted at both Auburn
University’s and OSU’s veterinary
colleges but decided to stay at OSU
for his veterinary degree.”
“I don’t know if there is any one
part of vet school that I can pinpoint
as my favorite,” says Holt. “The late
nights in the anatomy lab studying
with friends; the early mornings
cramming for exams together — it’s
the friendships and the relationships
that you develop that really make vet
school special and bearable because
it certainly is a challenge.”
For those interested in pursuing a
career in veterinary medicine, Holt
has this advice.
“It is a diverse profession with a lot
of opportunities,” he says. “I would
discourage you from being pigeon
holed into any one portion of the
field because there is plenty of room
for individual interests and pursuits.
Don’t feel restricted in the form of
practice that you pursue.”
During his second year of veterinary
college, Holt teamed up with
Dr. D.L. Step, professor and food
animal extension specialist.
“Holt is an excellent communicator.
He keeps his word and keeps
you informed,” says Step. “We did a
review of vaccines in receiving cattle
and published the results. Holt
is always thirsty for knowledge and
to learn something new. I am honored
to have had the opportunity to
work with him.”
Holt’s father hooded him on
commencement day.
Holt married this summer, and
the young couple moved to Canada.
“I have accepted a position with
G.K. Jim Farms in Alberta, Canada,”
says Holt. “I will be working
as a professional services veterinarian
and director of cattle operations
for a large privately held cattle feeding
company. I’m excited. It’s a family
tradition (veterinary medicine),
and I am looking forward to writing
my part of it.”
To see a video of Tripp,
visit OKLA.ST/1CBTH01.
2015 Oklahoma State University 75