Maria Candelaria Chunco Azcoitia, MV

Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Dr. Candelaria Chunco knew from a young age that she would dedicate her life to horses. She felt that the best way to do so would be by protecting their health as a veterinarian. Inspired by her father, Dr. Chunco grew up riding horses and played the Argentine national sport of “Pato” (a sport resembling basketball on horses) for several years.

Dr. Chunco pursued her degree in veterinary medicine at the Universidad de Buenos Aires. Throughout her studies, she completed many externships at FEI sanctioned eventing, endurance, and show jumping events. Taking an interest in equine reproduction, Dr. Chunco completed externships where she assisted veterinarians with embryo transfers, fetal sexing, pregnancy diagnoses, artificial inseminations, natural coverings, and handling stallions and foals for treatments. She gained experience with treating racehorses while externing at San Isidro’s Racecourse in Argentina, and further dived into sports medicine while studying at Anglesey Lodge Equine Clinic in Kildare, Ireland.

Dr. Chunco worked in the Argentine army veterinary service for three years where she treated jumping and eventing patients and took on the role of dental assistant to the primary veterinarian. Dr. Chunco was eager to work in a busier clinic setting with more exposure to different doctors of varying specialties. She decided to pursue an opportunity with Palm Beach Equine Clinic and relocated to Wellington, Florida, in 2018 initially as an intern and currently as a mentoring veterinarian.

Dr. Chunco is a FEI Treating Veterinarian and is most interested in lameness, internal medicine, and ophthalmology cases. When not at the Equine Hospital, “Cande” can be found spending her time outside by traveling to different parks and hiking destinations, running, skiing, fishing, and in the saddle.