Fran Jurga on Muck Rack

Fran Jurga

Verified
(She/Her)
Gloucester
As seen in: Medium, The Horse Magazine, Equus Magazine, Horse Illustrated, The Hoof Blog
Covers:  equestrian and outdoor sports, natural history, animal health, dressage, farrier, veterinary, equine, hoofcare, pets, maritime history, agriculture, gardening, horses, US history, British tv drama
Doesn't Cover: investments, real estate, human health,
My ears are up! Pro writer for animals, nature news, #equine health, #equestrian culture/sport. Follow @hoofblog, too. PS: Yes, you can hire me! Please do!

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Fran Jurga’s Biography

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Fran Jurga specializes in reporting on horse health and lameness problems, with a keen interest in all equestrian sports culture and the outdoors. She is founder of Hoofcare Publishing and manages its many print, media, and continuing education projects related to the study of the horse's foot and equine lameness.

Two of Fran's specialty projects are The Jurga Report, an award-winning news and commentary site on horse health and equestrian culture hosted since 2006 by The Equine Network for EQ…

Fran Jurga’s Journalist Portfolio

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Europe Plans for Eco-Friendly (Re)wild Horses on the Edge of the Landscape

Europe Plans for Eco-Friendly (Re)wild Horses on the Edge of the Landscape

European ecologists envision a future landscape for their continent where horses are put to work doing what t…

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Head Girl at Cheltenham: Gail Carlisle, National Hunt Groom

Head Girl at Cheltenham: Gail Carlisle, National Hunt Groom

“The ferry leaves at 5 a.m. I’m not packed.” The voice at the other end of the line sounded pretty calm, c…

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Wipeout: How the battle over the Big Lick Walking horses changed access to information on the wel...

Wipeout: How the battle over the Big Lick Walking horses changed access to information on the wel...

Ten days after the inauguration of President Trump, the USDA edited its website. It removed the records of vi…

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Free Range in Paradise: The "Wild" Horses of the Caribbean Attract Tourists and Research

Free Range in Paradise: The "Wild" Horses of the Caribbean Attract Tourists and Research

It's not just tourists who are chasing the "wild" horses on the Caribbean island of Vieques these days. This …

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Holocaust History: Jan Liwacz, the Blacksmith of Auschwitz, and the Smell of Burning Hoo...

Holocaust History: Jan Liwacz, the Blacksmith of Auschwitz, and the Smell of Burning Hoo...

Jan Liwacz was a Polish blacksmith and prisoner at Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. One day,…

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Big Horses, a Cute Puppy, and An Epic "Awwwww...": Budweiser Clydesdales' 2014 Super Bowl Comm...

Big Horses, a Cute Puppy, and An Epic "Awwwww...": Budweiser Clydesdales' 2014 Super Bowl Comm...

It's coming! It's time for the 2014 Budweiser Clydesdale commercial created for the Super Bowl XLVIII on Febr…

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Articles

Royal Veterinary College appoints equine lameness surgeon Andy Fiske-Jackson to lead equine practices

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By Fran Jurga Verified
| The Hoof Blog
England's Royal Veterinary College (RVC) announced today that equine surgeon Andy Fiske-Jackson, BVSc, MVetMed, FHEA, Dipl.ECVS, MRCVS will be the new Head of its "RVC Equine" division. Fiske-Jackson is known for his research in diagnostic techniques for digital flexor tendon sheath injuries, clinical applications of objective gait analysis, and treatment of poor performance cases.
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Soring regulation: USDA further postpones Horse Protection Act's 2024 amendments for Tennessee walking horses

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By Fran Jurga Verified
| The Hoof Blog
A press release has been provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which is charged with enforcing the American Horse Protection Act, a federal legislation passed in 1970 to stop the intentional "soring" of Tennessee walking horses and racking horses in order to enhance show ring gaits. Soring techniques manipulate the gait by deliberately inflicting pain on the horse, often by chemical means.
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The legacy of a laminitis fighter: Dr. Agne will run in stakes race at Saratoga on August 28

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By Fran Jurga Verified
| The Hoof Blog
News flash: Dr. Agne, an up-and-coming two-year-old racehorse named for the late equine podiatry veterinarian Bob Agne of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, will make his second career start on Thursday, August 28 in the Grade 3 With Anticipation Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Saratoga. What you need to know: Race 7, The With Anticipation Stakes,begins at approximately 4:25 pm. The start time may vary on the day.
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Interview

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What was your first job as a journalist?

A ski report newsletter with an odd collection of useful information, weather, and mountain insider gossip!

Have you ever used a typewriter?

Absolutely. I owned an indestructible blue Selectric. It cost more than an iPad Air does now. It's probably still in use somewhere.

How is social media changing news?

That's an essay question! But it actually shouldn't change news, it should change how people use news.

Awards

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American Horse Publications

2019 - Editorial and Design

From 1985 to 2019 (so far!), the judges for the American Horse Publications annual competition have granted more than 20 awards to Fran Jurga, including coveted "General Excellence" (equivalent to "best publication") and two awards for "best blog" as well as several second-place awards for The Jurga Report and Hoof Blog. Also: best cover design, best cover illustration, best cover photograph, feature graphic design, blog writing, web photography, multiple editorial categories and a special award for authoring best horse-related book. The newest project, the HoofSearch index of equine research, received two awards in 2019, the first year it was eligible.

Equestrian Social Media Awards 2012-2014

2014 - Three awards for online journalism and web content

In the three years that the Equestrian Social Media Awards were given, my blogs were perennial finalists. The awards covered the entire world of equestrian sport journalism, and my blogs won against contenders in several languages, representing five continents. I was also a winner of the inaugural Equestrian Digital Awards for a multimedia project designed and written for a corporate client.

Spot Castle Laminitis Awareness Award

2011 - Journalism, web content, public awareness

Special award from the 2011 International Equine Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot for publicizing information to prevent and treat equine laminitis.

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