Claude Bourgelat

Born in Lyon in 1712, Claude Bourgelat was a French scholar, horse expert, and veterinary surgeon who became one of the key figures in the early history of veterinary science. He is best known for bringing a more systematic, evidence-based approach to the study and treatment of animal disease at a time when the field was still taking shape.

Bourgelat founded the veterinary school at Lyon in 1761, widely recognized as the first veterinary school in the world, and later helped establish a second school at Alfort near Paris. Through these institutions, he played a major role in creating professional training for veterinarians and in building veterinary medicine into an organized discipline.

He also wrote about horsemanship and animal health, reflecting his deep interest in both practice and theory. Bourgelat died in 1779, but his influence continued through the schools he founded and the model of veterinary education he helped create.