Dr Tim Watson

Governor Profile

Dr Watson is an experienced equine veterinary surgeon and part-time farmer with a career that encompasses highly successful periods in academia, industry and general practice.  He has also held non-executive positions as Chairman of HorseScotland and as Senior Independent Director and Director for International Affairs at the British Equestrian Federation (BEF).

Dr Watson’s role at BEF involved overseeing the World Class Programme, which helped bring unprecedented medal success at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games. He also played a key role in the organisation’s 2017 governance changes.

A graduate of Edinburgh University, Dr Watson spent seven years at Glasgow University engaging in specialist training and research in farm animal and equine medicine, and was awarded a PhD for research into equine metabolic disease.  He received several national and international awards, and was a recipient of a Veterinary Scholarship from the Horserace Betting Levy Board and a Fellowship from the Wellcome Trust.  While at Glasgow, Dr Watson also taught veterinary medicine, spending time as House Physician and Locum Lecturer. He then took a role with Mars Petcare, later becoming Head of Veterinary Research.

Dr Watson then returned to frontline veterinary practice in Scotland and, after thirteen years, came home to the Cotswolds where he currently runs an equine veterinary practice and farms a small herd of pedigree Simmental cattle together with some native suckler breeds and a small flock of commercial sheep. 

He also continues to work as a freelance consultant, technical and scientific writer supporting animal health, biotechnology, pet nutrition and veterinary pharmaceutical industries. Dr Watson has over 50 publications in peer-reviewed journals, has co-authored book chapters, and edited a text book on Metabolic and Endocrine Problems of the Horse.  He has also given more than 25 invited presentations at national and international scientific conferences and given plenary lectures at the British Small Animal Veterinary Association, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and British Equine Veterinary Association.