Annie Knox

Annie’s love for off-the-track racehorses was sparked by her eighteenth birthday present, a Thoroughbred mare. After graduating from The University of Queensland with an Associate Diploma in Applied Science in 1997, Annie leapt at the opportunity to work in Europe, riding elite dressage horses. Yet it was the commonplace off-the-track Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds that continued to captivate her most.

Annie completed a Bachelor of Veterinary Science at The University of Queensland in 2004. Her special interest in animal welfare drew her from a career in private practice to roles with the RSPCA and Principal Racing Authorities in Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales. Annie is a strong advocate for intergroup perspective-taking and social learning, believing it critical to constructive progress in animal welfare.

In 2017, Annie pioneered an off-the-track program for the Tasmanian racing industry that prioritised integrated horse-human education and accessible hands-on support. So that she might make a more evidence-based contribution to equine welfare, Annie returned to the University of Queensland in 2020 to undertake a Master of Animal Science. Her research focus is behavioural characteristics of off-the-track racehorses.

Annie applied for a 2023 Churchill Fellowship to study innovative strategies that are increasing opportunities for off-the-track racehorses in the UK and USA, and to gather data that will enable further research into retraining and rehoming outcomes.In 2017, Annie pioneered an off-the-track program for the Tasmanian racing industry that prioritised integrated horse-human education and accessible hands-on support. So that she might make a more evidence-based contribution to equine welfare, Annie returned to the University of Queensland in 2020 to earn a Master of Animal Science. Her research focus was behavioural characteristics of off-the-track racehorses.

Annie has been awarded a 2023 Churchill Fellowship to study innovative strategies that are increasing opportunities for off-the-track racehorses in the UK and USA, and to gather data that will enable further research into retraining and rehoming outcomes.