![\"Portrait](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ashlyn-grotegut.jpg\")
<\/p>\n The school\u2019s purpose is to serve rural and regional communities, and Britt Conklin
\n can personally relay the benefits of living in such areas.<\/p>\n
\t\tCREATORS<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Dr. Britt Conklin<\/a> traces the arch above an \u201cH\u201d brand embedded in hide. Dust particles and hair linger He chuckles to himself as he explains his actions to the Texas Tech University<\/a>\u00a0 School of Veterinary Medicine<\/a> students who surround him in the arena of Mariposa Station<\/a> in Amarillo. They shuffle closer through the dirt to hear each word from the associate \u201cThis was one of my past patients,\u201d Conklin explains, his mind racing back more than \u201cIt was mind blowing at times that people gave us the responsibility to deal with Conklin earned this trust over the decades, first working as a farrier by removing He is two in one, eliminating the need to pass along a diagnosis for treatment. The Conklin\u2019s intervention slows the progression of disease. To a caretaker, he is considered \u201cI used to believe in what I did enough to think I could cure colic with a horseshoe, The students understand enough about their instructor to respect him as an expert It\u2019s awkward for the first timers as Conklin makes the balancing act look easy. They \u201cHe\u2019s taught me that if you\u2019re ever looking at any case or any problem, just break In a true circle, Conklin has become the kind of faculty member with real-world experience He is eager to answer the array of questions he receives that day, such as the most \u201cBritt is proof that you have a choice when life tries to knock you down,\u201d she says. Conklin doesn\u2019t mind sharing his past with pupils, but he warns that it\u2019s a \u201clong Finding His Footing\u00a0<\/p>\n From a young age, Conklin was told the old wives\u2019 tale, \u201cIf you wear out one pair His humble upbringing began with what he describes as a tumultuous childhood, having \u201cI remember working for $3.25 an hour,\u201d he muses. \u201cI thought I was rich.\u201d<\/p>\n That was far from reality. At one point they resided in a nearly 400-square-foot adobe \u201cMy first impression of him was in junior high band class,\u201d she recalls. \u201cHe was often This phase didn\u2019t last long for Conklin. His mom was diagnosed with cancer when he Barely a teenager, he stayed by her side as she fought the disease for five years.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI had the pouring-in of so many different people, even through the long years of Conklin had just begun his senior year when his mother passed away. He could\u2019ve been \u201cHis godly character definitely showed,\u201d she says. \u201cHe handled it with such grace A young man with a need for a firm foundation more than ever, Conklin\u2019s next home At an impressionable age, he faced a fork in the road and could foresee one path would \u201cThe good Lord watched over me as I broke free from a horrible environment,\u201d he acknowledges. Several families in Friona selflessly boosted Conklin back onto his feet, particularly With a newfound support network, Conklin began to push himself academically, driven He worked hard not only in the classroom, but on farms and ranches, driving a tractor \u201cI kind of had to raise myself and work to supply all of my funds, whether it was By the time of his 1993 high school graduation, Conklin was not hardened by his struggles, \u201cI think that\u2019s what really ties me deeply to that sense of community,\u201d he shares, And he had full intentions to pay that kindness forward in some small town, someday.\u00a0<\/p>\n Boots on the Ground\u00a0<\/p>\n As Conklin transitioned into a Red Raider, many of his peers were focused on celebrating He frequented the places that began to forge him as he earned his animal science degree, Along with loans and grants, Conklin soon discovered another way to keep afloat. He At first, Conklin was merely interested because he was \u201ctoo cheap\u201d to pay someone \u201cIt was a good way to make a living,\u201d he recounts. \u201cI could go to class, then go find Unbeknownst to Conklin, this side-gig was not only padding his wallet but also instilling By shaping hooves, he reset not only the horses, but his career trajectory. It was Even though he was a bit behind course, Conklin wasn\u2019t deterred. He scrambled to enroll Conklin graduated from Texas Tech in 1997 with all the boxes checked to apply to the The more Conklin learned, the more he could visualize his individual role as a veterinarian.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI enjoyed the fact that maybe I wasn\u2019t so skilled in the small-animal side, but I Conklin juggled veterinary school with his responsibilities as a farrier and his relationship \u201cAt the time, we were so young,\u201d she reminisces, \u201cbut I loved and supported that he Three years after they walked down the aisle, Conklin crossed the stage and earned Big Horseshoes to Fill \u00a0<\/p>\n Conklin\u2019s revelation led him to an opportunity to provide cutting-edge individual \u201cBeing able to work on somebody\u2019s prized backyard horse or a junior rodeo horse, you\u2019re Another thrilling venture developed for Conklin in 2004, when he became part owner Yet, something felt off in Conklin\u2019s personal life. He and Lee Ann welcomed their \u201cA lot of what I dealt with down there was kind of show agriculture,\u201d he explains. \u201cI wanted my children raised back where I was raised. I wanted them to sit on a tractor. In 2012, Conklin informed his partners that he was moving closer to his hometown, In an \u201cinteresting transition\u201d for Conklin, he began to represent and support Boehringer-Ingelheim Each time his plane landed back in Amarillo, flying over sections upon sections of \u201cComing back here reset the kids,\u201d he affirms. \u201cThey realized the value of hard work What he didn\u2019t know was the greater purpose for his relocation. That wouldn\u2019t be revealed
\n around his hand as he makes the connection with this horse, one he realizes he first
\n met in another place, at another time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n dean for clinical programs and professor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n 20 years ago when he was a part owner of Reata Equine Hospital in Weatherford. It
\n was there this hoof care specialist turned veterinarian developed a state-of-the-art
\n podiatry center that cared for cutting and quarter horses \u2013 some valued at multimillions.
\n \u00a0<\/p>\n
\n those animals,\u201d he recalls.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n horseshoes, methodically scraping out packed dirt, trimming and rasping hooves to
\n create the ideal shape and length for better balance. But what truly sets him apart
\n in this trade is the perspective he gained during his transformation into a veterinarian.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n combination of his expertise enables him to guide his patients not only to comfort
\n and relief, but optimal performance through prescriptions like mechanical horseshoes
\n that reduce tension and provide sole support.<\/p>\n
\n a miracle worker as they witness the progression of a horse struggling to train, exercise
\n and endure the normal wear and tear of everyday life to an entirely new animal, improving
\n mobility once the stress on their limbs, feet and joints is alleviated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n but that\u2019s just not possible \u2013 and a bit arrogant,\u201d Conklin jokes.<\/p>\n
\n in the diagnosis and treatment process for lameness issues. They pay the utmost attention
\n to Conklin as he demonstrates how to bend a horse\u2019s leg and secure the hoof between
\n his knees.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n won\u2019t even scratch the surface of farrier work during this lesson, but former student
\n and equine veterinarian Patrick Guerrero can attest to the payoff of listening to
\n Conklin\u2019s advice from the ground up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n it down into simple pieces, take a deep breath and go from there,\u201d Guerrero notes.
\n \u201cBy following Dr. Conklin\u2019s advice, I\u2019ve started to realize, \u2018Hey, I know what I\u2019m
\n doing. All the training I\u2019ve had up to this point has prepared me for this.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n he can remember gravitating toward as a veterinary student at Texas A&M University
\n in the late 1990s. He apprenticed under a Ph.D.-level farrier and worked alongside
\n others who were doing cutting-edge research on diseases of horses\u2019 limbs and feet
\n during those formative years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n common area where abscesses form. In special cases he even opens his home practice
\n to students interested in more complicated podiatry cases. His wife Lee Ann has had
\n the unique vantage point to observe her high school sweetheart investing in someone
\n just as many others have in him. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\n \u201cHe didn\u2019t let his circumstances define him. If a young person is willing to try,
\n God will provide people to help and put opportunities in front of you that are yours
\n for the taking.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n convoluted story.\u201d The telling of it requires him to toss out the technical jargon
\n and open up, despite his crossed arms.<\/p>\n
\n of shoes in the Texas Panhandle, you\u2019ll never leave.\u201d While he was unsure whether
\n that was true, that happened to his boots in Friona, Texas, a town of nearly 4,000
\n people at the time on the western edge of the Texas Panhandle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n never met his biological parents and his adoptive parents divorcing when he was young.
\n Conklin remained with his mother, and they made ends meet by hoeing cotton in the
\n summers until the heat was unbearable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n home. But despite facing financial woes, Lee Ann considered him a class clown.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n called out for misbehavior, so I thought he was a troublemaker.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n was just about to begin high school.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n my mother\u2019s destructive cancer,\u201d he remembers. \u201cI would go stay with different people
\n and they would bring food. It was the true community feel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n angry and resorted to acting out, but Lee Ann witnessed a much different response.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n and strength that everyone in the community was in awe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n was afflicted with alcoholism and addiction. He has never fully brushed away the intense,
\n frightful moments he endured.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n lead to destruction. Conklin did not necessarily choose the other route because it
\n was easy, but it was the one he believed would build a more solid future.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n \u201cSome children unfortunately go the other way \u2013 it leads them back to alcoholism and
\n addiction. But I did not want to end up back in the environment I had been exposed
\n to, and so that was a motivator that drove me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n his best friend\u2019s parents and Lee Ann\u2019s family. She, along with her parents, grew
\n to admire his work ethic, wise decision making and his ability to remain an athlete
\n and honor student despite his circumstances.<\/p>\n
\n mainly by determination. To get beyond his circumstances \u2013 to rise above the example
\n set for him \u2013 he needed to take his education seriously.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n and gaining experience with horses.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n for college or whatever it was,\u201d he explains. \u201cI did not want my upbringing to define
\n me \u2013 I wanted to be able to define it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n but sharpened by his accomplishments and skills that earned him admission to Texas
\n Tech. With Friona in his rearview mirror, he felt increasingly partial to his hometown
\n as he left it for Lubbock.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n \u201cbecause of all those things that great salt-of-the-earth people did for me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n their newfound independence by partying. He admits he had fun but was too focused
\n to be tempted off track.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n such as the University Library<\/a> and the Texas Tech horse farm. His worn boots served him well there as he led breaking-and-training
\n classes despite being a student himself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n had become handy enough at the horse farm that a farrier took to him, teaching him
\n the ins and outs of equine hoof care.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n else to shoe his horses. He didn\u2019t think anything would come of the trade, but that
\n changed the more he practiced.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n four or five horses to shoe or do whatever needed to be done, and so it gave me a
\n manageable income.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n in him ideals that would eventually become his unwritten mission statement: to care
\n for God\u2019s creatures and humans in a way that glorifies him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n his final year of college when he recognized he could forgo the ups and downs of a
\n career on a farm or ranch by practicing veterinary medicine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n in summer classes and complete his prerequisites. His steady commitment led to what
\n he calls a \u201cdecent\u201d GPA and a resume of experience that featured his entry-level positions
\n at veterinary clinics: work he considered fun.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n Texas A&M University School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. He was accepted
\n on first application, with the admissions committee sharing that they were looking
\n for students like him from rural areas who could share insight about large-scale production
\n agriculture and the feedyard industry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n had much more significant experience than most of the students on the large-animal
\n side,\u201d he says. \u201cI felt really ahead of the curve at times when I was there, in that
\n regard. So, it felt like a great match.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n with Lee Ann, marrying her in 1998.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n had high aspirations. Vet school gave him yet another chance to prove to himself that
\n he could rise to the occasion.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. He and Lee Ann moved to the Weatherford area ready
\n to make a living, and he discovered the best way would be through the rare set of
\n skills he combined as both a farrier and a veterinarian.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n animal care through the Alpha Equine Hospital and Breeding Center, which was an industry
\n leader in cutting and quarter horse veterinary care and breeding. This is when his
\n niche became performance podiatry, and he considered all his patients valuable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n sustaining an emotional connection,\u201d he says. \u201cThen the other end of that is sustaining
\n an asset: working on a $50 million animal and doing everything you can to make it
\n successful. The scope of that is what made it most exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n of Alpha Equine and renamed it the Reata Equine Hospital. He went on to form the Podiatry
\n Center at Reata, which was a goal of his for years and furthered the operation\u2019s reputation
\n as one of the top equine hospitals in the nation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n third child in 2009, and he wanted them to experience the epicenter of true agriculture
\n in the Panhandle, where he developed his strong morals.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWhat I mean by that is, a horse was not an animal that was used as a tool; it was
\n used as a showpiece. So, the connection to real agriculture was kind of distant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n I wanted them to dig a post hole. I wanted them to ride horseback and brand. I wanted
\n them to feel what I felt because it developed my character.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n just an hour away, in Bushland. From there he worked with the animal health company
\n Boehringer-Ingelheim as a senior equine professional services veterinarian, after
\n which the company grew into the largest equine health provider in the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n products that aligned with his skillset and assisted with their further development.
\n The company sent him all over the globe to educate and train veterinarians with pharmaceuticals
\n and techniques through continuing education.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n farm and ranch land, Conklin was reminded he had made the right decision for his family
\n \u2013 despite all the changes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n and grit that\u2019s right here in the Panhandle.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n until around 2019, the same year he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the
\n Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n