About Elizabeth Thompson & Lizzi Tremayne

Awarded, unpretentious, eminently readable contemporary and historical fiction, veterinary fiction, and horse-owner nonfiction… by a horse vet!

Elizabeth Thompson DVM MANZCVS (better known to many readers as Lizzi Tremayne) is a UC Davis-trained equine veterinarian, award-winning author, educator, inventor, and lifelong horsewoman.

Her writing spans historical fiction, contemporary veterinary fiction, children’s books, and practical horse-owner education—all grounded in decades of real-life experience with horses.

Award-winning New Zealand historical novelist Deborah Challinor describes Lizzi’s historical fiction as:

“Very descriptive, rich with research woven into the narrative, fairly informal and therefore eminently readable.”

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Two names… one author

You may notice both Elizabeth Thompson and Lizzi Tremayne on this website.

Elizabeth writes veterinary and horse-owner nonfiction under her professional name, while Lizzi Tremayne is the pen name she uses for fiction. Whether writing about the Pony Express, Tsarist Russia, Colonial New Zealand, veterinary life, or a Kiwi farm through a child’s eyes, horses are never far away.

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From California to New Zealand

Elizabeth grew up riding through California’s Santa Cruz Mountain redwoods before earning her veterinary degree from the University of California, Davis in 1988.

After practising in California’s Pony Express and Gold Country, she emigrated to New Zealand, where she built a referral equine dental practice treating horses, ponies, miniature horses, donkeys, zebras, alpacas, and even white rhinoceros.

She later gained Membership of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists (Equine Dentistry), a Graduate Diploma in Teaching from Waikato University, and certification in veterinary acupuncture.

Alongside clinical practice, Elizabeth has lectured for veterinarians, published more than thirty veterinary articles, and designed the Equi-Still Portable Equine Stocks, now used by veterinarians around the world.

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Award-winning writing

Elizabeth’s professional writing has received multiple awards, including the 2010 and 2023 Best Practitioner Publication awards from the Equine Veterinary Association of the NZVA.

Under the name Lizzi Tremayne, her debut novel A Long Trail Rolling received multiple honours, including:

• 2016 True West Magazine Best Western Romance
• 2015 RWNZ Koru Award (Best First Novel)
• 2014 RWNZ Pacific Hearts Award

See the full Awards page →

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Beyond the books

When she’s not writing or working with horses, Lizzi can often be found driving a carriage, fencing or shooting a bow in medieval costume, singing, or enjoying life on her New Zealand hobby farm with her partner, family, and grandson.