By NAF
Dr Nicholas Larkins, the vet, researcher and foundational force behind supplement company NAF died on 29 January following a short illness, aged 78.
Born in July 1947 to Bill and Kitty Larkins, Nick spent his early years in Leura in Australia’s Blue Mountains. He was educated at St Ignatius’ College, Riverview, in Sydney, then the University of New South Wales to pursue veterinary science. From the beginning he showed the hallmarks that would define his life’s work: a scientific mind, fascination with the natural world and an instinctive empathy for animals and people.
He met Miranda in 1979 and the pair married in 1981 and embarked on extensive travels through South America and the United States. Their time working in veterinary practices from Beverly Hills to Santa Ynez to Virginia broadened Nick’s professional horizons and forged lifelong friendships.
In 1985 Nick and Miranda returned to the UK, settling in Dorset where Nick established his own veterinary practice. In the late 1980s a chance meeting with Richard Cleeve led to one of the most significant partnerships in the equine nutrition world.
Nick’s collaboration with Richard began with a shared passion for innovation. At a time when targeted nutritional support for horses was still in its infancy, Nick championed ingredients such as MSM and glucosamine, now staples of modern equine care but novel in the UK market at the time. He was drawn to unusual ingredients and novel mechanisms, always asking how horses could be supported better, more safely and more holistically, taking them back to nature.
His scientific brilliance and relentless curiosity helped shape what became NAF, Nick working alongside Richard for nearly 35 years.
He is survived by Miranda and the many friends, colleagues and riders who will continue to feel the impact of his work for decades to come.
