BEVA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Education Committee
Angela graduated from the University of Bristol in 2009. After completing an internship in Pembrokeshire, she worked in a large equine clinic in The Home Counties for 6 years and was the clinical lead in their Berkshire based hospital. She moved to The Cotswolds in 2016, completed a Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice in Equine Medicine in 2017 and advanced to the role of clinical director. Angela is also an FEI Permitted Veterinarian. Angela joined the Equicall team in January 2023, alongside digital content creation for a veterinary flexible working initative. Angela is passionate about flexible working and it's implementation at all levels of the veterinary industry. With the aim of providing practicing vets with the much needed time out required, in order to have the capacity to thrive in clinical practice. Veterinary interests aside, Angela loves running, swimming and yoga. But most of all she enjoys exploring The Cotswolds with her little ones and their dog, George.
Job Titles:
- Membership Administrative Apprentice
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Chairman of Our Clinical Practice Committee
- Member of Our Health
Bruce Bladon, a member of our Health and Medicines Committee provides an update on what the committee has been working on following a recent meeting they held. He shares an update on the work the committee has been doing on antibiotic usage. Bruce highlighted the challenges with this work as we are unable to easily monitor what is being used in equine practice and then shared what they are doing to try and start tracking how many antibiotics are being used. If you are interested in monitoring
Chair of our Clinical Practice Committee, Bruce Bladon, provides an update on what the committee have been up to following their meeting on Thursday 15 February 2024. Weatherby App Concerns have been raised about the Weatherby app as it has not been working as smoothly as hoped. As a result, we have written to Weatherby to raise these concerns and look forward to a discussion with them on this. Sedating Guidance We have just published new guidance for sedating for non-veterinary procedures.
Bruce Bladon graduated from Edinburgh University in 1988. He spent one year in mixed practice and then six years in two equine practices (Endell Veterinary Group in Salisbury and O'Gorman Slater and Main in Newbury), before joining Bristol University as Resident in Equine Surgery. He was awarded the Certificate of Equine Practice in 1992, the Diploma of Equine Soft Tissue Surgery in 1999 and Diploma of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2001. He returned to Donnington Grove Veterinary Group (as it is now) in 1998, and is now a Clinical Director. He has been recognised as a Specialist in Equine Surgery since 2000, and was awarded Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2016. He has lectured extensively, including to the British, South African, Australian, New Zealand, Dutch, Italian and Israeli Equine Veterinary Associations, international meetings in Brazil Canada, Spain, Germany and to the European and American Colleges of Veterinary Surgeons. Bruce is the principle equine surgeon at Donnington Grove Veterinary Surgery. The practice treats a large number of racing Thoroughbreds, but also has a substantial leisure horse population, including a large referral case load. The practice performs a significant number of scintigraphy bone scans and a very large number of MRI scans, using the Hallmarq® standing low field scanner. Bruce's key interests are surgery, especially fracture repair and colic surgery, though he undertakes all procedures presented to him. He is also very involved with advanced imaging, particularly MRI. Bruce Bladon was Emergency Services Team Leader at the Rio 2016 Olympics. Bruce is an eco warrior and drives a zero emissions vehicle. He is a (low level) rugby union referee. He can't really run under 5 min per km pace anymore and can't remotely keep up with his son (or wife). He does manage to squeeze in the occasional ski trip, but otherwise is not allowed out, and spends his time either in an operating theatre or looking at black and white images.
Job Titles:
- Northern Ireland Representative
Colin Roberts is a graduate of the University of Bristol Veterinary School. After graduation, he spent just over eight years in an equine practice at Ashford in Kent, during which time he obtained the Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons by examination (subject: Equine Internal Medicine). Leaving practice, he joined the Physiology Unit of the Animal Health Trust in 1987. In 1993, he became a RCVS Recognised Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine and in 1995 was awarded a PhD for a thesis entitled 'Aspects of respiratory function during exercise in the Thoroughbred horse in health and disease'. As a Senior Scientist in the Centre for Equine Studies of the Animal Health Trust he was responsible for the clinical treadmill exercise testing programme as well as being engaged in research in the field of equine respiratory function and disease. From 2001 to 2006 he was a member of the equine clinical team in the Department of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Cambridge. Since 2007, he has been an independent consultant in equine veterinary matters and he is an Affiliated Lecturer in Veterinary Anatomy in the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience. Colin is the Director of Studies in Veterinary Medicine at Sidney Sussex College. He is a member of the Federation Equestre Internationale's (FEI) Veterinary Committee and an FEI Official Veterinarian. Colin is a member of the Scientific Advisory Group of the British Equestrian Federation. In 2012, he became a Fellow of the Society of Biology. He is an author of many scientific papers and has acted as a treating veterinarian at many top-level horseracing, show jumping and eventing competitions. In 2012, Colin led the Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Sampling Team for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in Greenwich Park and he has also acted as an Official Veterinarian at the Asian Games as well as numerous World Championships, European Championships and Showjumping World Cups. He has competed in point-to-pointing, show jumping, dressage and hunter trials. His professional areas of interest include equine internal medicine, disorders of the equine upper airway, equine welfare and performance-related disorders. Colin's leisure interests include chess, cricket, rugby union, theatre, cinema and history.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Chairman of Our Health and Medicines
- Health & Medicines Committee Chair
- Our President - Elect
Health & Medicines Committee Chair Dave Rendle give us an update on what the Committee have been working on, including antimicrobial and anthelmintic resistance.
Dave Rendle, chair of our Health and Medicines committee provides an update about what they have been working on recently. In the update he shares information about the work they are doing on antimicrobial use, the infectious disease working group who are looking at developing more guidance documents, and an update on the flu vaccine shortage. Dave also invited members to put themselves forward to support the Health and Medicines Committee.
Our President-Elect, Dave Rendle, has recently arrived near the Polish/Ukrainian border to assess the situation and veterinary standards. He is continuing to provide updates via video to us and we will continue to post them to this page as we receive them. Whilst some pharmaceutical and veterinary supply companies are engaging with us we still need others to help with providing deals on veterinary medicines and supplies. To support the effort please email info@beva.org.uk and we will arrange fo
Following graduation from The University of Bristol in 2001, David worked in farm animal and equine practice in Somerset before and completing an internship at Liphook Equine Hospital. A 3-year Horserace Betting Levy Board residency at The University of Glasgow and Liphook Equine Hospital enabled him to train as a specialist in equine internal medicine and to gain a masters by research into equine asthma and an RCVS certificate in equine medicine. David spent a number of years at Liphook Equine Hospital and had spells at The Royal Veterinary College and Charles Sturt University in Australia before moving to Rainbow Equine Hospital in Yorkshire where he became a director. David returned to his Westcountry roots in 2020 and now works as an independent equine medicine and therapeutics consultant.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of the Education Committee
- Chairman of Our Equestrian Sports Committee
- Equestrian Sports Committee Chair
Chair of our Equestrian Sports Committee Fran James gives an update following their latest meeting. Topics of discussion included: FEI Sports Forum held in Lausanne in April and Lutz Goering's presentation on herpes. Watch his full talk here. Latest news from industry bodies including the FEI, British Equestrian and the BHA. Horse transport changes post-Brexit.
Fran James, BEVA's Equestrian Sports Committee chair gives us an update on their second meeting of 2020 and what they're working on. During the update Fran tells us that unsurprisingly COVID-19 and its impact on equestrian sports is their biggest concern, particularly in terms of its long term effect on economics and welfare. She shares the work of the BHA in coping with horses in training who have been abandoned during this crisis as well as discussion on re-commencing racing behind closed d
Helen graduated from the University of Bristol in 2008, spent two years as an intern at NEH and has been in ambulatory first opinion equine practice ever since. She has a particular interest in lameness, sports medicine and vettings and completed a certificate in equine orthopaedic surgery in 2015. She is an FEI permitted treating vet and was team vet for the British team at the CCI3*-S European Cup eventing championships in 2017 and 2019. Helen is currently a clinical director at Valley Equine Hospital in Lambourn. Outside work Helen is kept busy with her two young daughters and their ponies.
Job Titles:
- Clinical Practice Committee Chair Provides an Update on the Projects the Committee Are Currently Working on.
Huw Griffiths, BEVA's Clinical Practice committee chair provides an update on the projects the committee are currently working on. In the update Huw tells us about the pre-purchase manual BEVA are currently putting together. The manual will be a how-to guide for vets and we are hoping it will be ready in the next few months. The committee has also been developing an equine events tool kit to support vets attending equine events and ensure they have all the tools and information they need to do
Ian qualified from the RVC in 2006. He completed an internship at NEH in 2008 and then travelled to New Zealand where he worked as a repro and racing vet. In 2010 Ian joined Baker McVeigh in South Africa. In South Africa ian and his wife Laura began a road trip home from the southern to northern-most points in Africa. Ian moved to Chantilly, France in 2012 and returned to Newmarket in 2013 before joining the Baker McVeigh Lambourn practice in 2017. Ian joined BEVA as a Council member in 2021. He enjoys playing with his kids, watching football and riding his bike.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of the Education Committee
- Chairman of Our Ethics and Welfare Committee
Chair of our Ethics and Welfare Committee, Imogen Burrows, provides an update on what the committee have been up to. Our committee members have been involved in a number of working groups on topics including equine obesity, social license and one called suitably mounted which is addressing rider weight. We are pleased to announce the Obesity Tool Kit is now live on the BEVA website. We've worked really hard on this over the last couple of years and would welcome members feedback on the res
Imogen graduated from the RVC, London in 2000 and was awarded the RCVS Certificate in Equine Medicine and Advanced Practitioner status in 2014. She works in first opinion equine practice and mentors new graduates as a VetGDP advisor; she has also been an RVN clinical coach. She is responsible for overseeing veterinary undergraduate rotations in the clinic and examines at the University of Surrey. Imogen is a BEVA council member, sitting on the Education Committee and is current Chair of the Ethics and Welfare Committee. She is passionate about education, improving standards of clinical care and welfare.
Job Titles:
- Council Member
- Deputy Chair
James graduated from Edinburgh in 2001. After four years in mixed practice, he transitioned into equine stud practice and now leads the team at Equine Reproductive Services (UK). In 2010 he gained the RCVS Certificate in Stud Medicine and became an honorary lecturer at the University of Liverpool, teaching and examining CertAVP candidates. James continues to perform and publish practice-based research and collaborates widely. He is an Advanced Practitioner in Equine Stud Medicine, a BEVA council member and trustee of the International Equine Reproduction Trust. In 2022, he was awarded an RCVS Fellowship for meritorious contributions to clinical practice.
BEVA Council member James Crabtree represented BEVA in discussions along with other equine industry representatives, over a strategy of how best to approach the 2024 breeding season in the face of the ongoing unavailability of Equip Artervac (Zoetis) and confirmation that the vaccine will be unavailable until at least the back end of 2024. Meetings involved Zoetis, DEFRA, members of the Eqiune Infectious Disease Surveilance (EIDS) team, BEVA and representatives of the Thoroughbred Breeding Indu
For his first 8 years, John practised in the UK, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, before starting the Liphook Equine practice where he worked for 30 years. He retired in 2004, and worked as a Visiting Fellow at the University of Melbourne then subsequently as a Visiting Professor at the Swedish Veterinary School.
Job Titles:
- Formerly Co - Director of Mayes
Formerly co-director of Mayes and Scrine Equine Veterinary Practice, now Member of the Electoral College of the BVA, Judy is founder and chair of the Equine Sustainability Group within Vet Sustain, mentor and committee member: crazy adventure marathoner (often dressed as a witch) and obsessive fundraiser for Breast Cancer Now.
Job Titles:
- Sustainability Group Member
Julia qualified in 2007 and has worked at Ashbrook Equine Hospital in Cheshire since 2009. Julia enjoys all aspects of hospital and ambulatory equine practice, but particularly enjoys medicine, having been an Advanced Veterinary Practitioner in Equine Medicine since 2013. Julia is passionate about enabling positive change to do the best for our patients, our colleagues and the environment, loving all things QI and sitting on the VetPartners Equine Clinical Board. Julia is a keen gardener (for edible produce and wildlife) and all her hobbies involve being outdoors.
BEVA Sustainability Group member Julia Shrubb discusses sustainability in equine wound management. Bandaging is often a key part to wound management and results in large volumes of waste. There are also significant environmental costs, using energy and resources, to produce, transport and dispose of bandaging materials. Many people do not stop to consider what happens to waste once it has been put in the bin. There are of course financial and environmental costs to disposing of anything. "
Kate has worked in equine practice for over 15 years both in the UK and multiple stud seasons in Australia. She joined council in 2020 determined to represent the ambulatory equine vet. Her husband is a farm vet and they have young children. Kate has been involved the continue development of the leg up scheme for new graduates. She is expanding the coaching scheme to help support other BEVA members who might require specific coaching and support- especially following return to work.
Job Titles:
- President
- Chairman of Our Ethics & Welfare Committee, Provides an Update on the Work of the Committee. the Committee Has Had a Busy Few Months Including Working on
- Welfare Committee Chair
Lucy Grieve, Chair of our Ethics & Welfare Committee, provides an update on the work of the committee. The committee has had a busy few months including working on: 1. the next step for the obesity project is a toolkit for vets to help address the issue 2. looking at how physical and chemical restraints can be better used as well as behavioural training 3. the work FEEVA are doing around bit trauma 4. looking at how we can better manage end-of-life care. Find out more about the Ethics and
Job Titles:
- New Graduate Representative
Job Titles:
- Member of the Education Committee
Neil graduated from Bristol University in 2004 and after a brief period in mixed practice joined Liverpool University as an intern, followed by a surgery residency at Edinburgh University. He re-joined Liverpool University in 2010 before joining Three Counties Equine Hospital in 2015. He holds European Diplomas in both Equine Surgery and Equine Dentistry. In May 2023 he set up his own Equine Dentistry and Surgery business. Neil was co-opted onto the Allied Professionals Committee of BEVA Council in from 2013 - 2015 before being elected in 2016. He has served on the Allied Professionals committee and served and been chairperson of the Allied Professionals and Careers committees. He is currently on Allied Professionals, Clinical Practice and Ethics and Welfare committees. He became a Trustee of the Association in 2018.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Education Committee
Phil graduated from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh, in 2005 and went on to do an internship at the Equine Medical Center of Ocala, Florida and then an equine surgical residency at Michigan State University. He is a Diplomate of the American and European Colleges of Veterinary Surgeons and is an American, European and RCVS Specialist in Equine Surgery. He has worked at Oaklands Equine Hospital and Rainbow Equine Hospital and is currently a director at Hambleton Equine Clinic, which he set up with two other directors in 2012. He is interested in all aspects of equine surgery, especially upper airway surgery and orthopaedics. He currently sits on BEVA Council, the BHA Veterinary Committee and the ECVS Exam Committee.
Phil Cramp, BEVA Council Member, explains what the BEVA Careers Committee have been up to recently including our new and popular Vet School Tour series that Phil has been leading on. Find out more about the BEVA Career Committee
Job Titles:
- Marketing and Member Engagement Manager
Rebekah Sullivan BVSc Cert AVP (EM) MRCVS, Lead Vet for Medicine at The Donkey Sanctuary and co-ordinator of veterinary department sustainability group. Member of VetSustain Champions Team and One Health Advocate, having just completed One Health MSc.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Education Committee
- Chairman of Our Education Committee
- Professor of Equine Orthopaedics at the RVC
Roger Smith, Chair of our Education Committee, provides an update following their recent meeting. The primary purpose of the meeting was to plan the 2025 CPD programme. We will continue to run our regular courses but we are also planning some exciting, new courses for 2025. Further details on the 2025 programme will be available in the summer. 2024 CPD courses have proved popular with many of the places on these courses already booked. We look forward to welcoming you to a BEVA CPD course but
Roger Smith is professor of equine orthopaedics at the RVC and has particular interests in orthopaedic surgery, imaging, lameness, and tendon research. He qualified from Cambridge University in 1987. After two years in practice, he undertook a surgery residency at the RVC and then a PhD on equine tendons. He remained at the RVC and was appointed professor in December 2003. He holds the Diploma of Equine Orthopaedics, is Diplomate of the ECVS and the ECVSMR, and an RCVS Specialist in Equine Surgery. He was awarded an RCVS Fellowship in 2016 and was ECVS President in 2017. He is currently Junior Vice President of BEVA
Job Titles:
- World Horse Welfare As Chief Executive
Roly joined World Horse Welfare as Chief Executive in January 2008. He qualified as a veterinary surgeon from Cambridge University in 1992 and having spent a short time with the Blue Cross, he joined the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, which included a posting as the Veterinary Officer at the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment in London. After the army, he went to work for World Horse Welfare until 2003, when he left to take up the post of Development Director at the Perse School in Cambridge. He returned to World Horse Welfare in 2008. Since then Roly has played an active role on the steering group of the Equine Sector Council for Health and Welfare and established the Equine Disease Coalition, of which he is Chair.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Education Committee
Safia qualified from Bristol University in 1998 and after a couple of years in mixed practice, did an equine surgical residency Edinburgh University. She stayed on at the University as a Lecturer and then Senior Lecturer in Equine Surgery for a further 9 years. During this time she sat the RCVS Certificate (2002) and then Diploma (2008) in Equine Soft Tissue Surgery, and gained the European College of Veterinary Surgeons Diploma in Equine Surgery (2005). After finally leaving academia in 2012, she spent 5 years working in large private equine hospitals before setting up her own peripatetic surgical consultancy in 2017 providing advice, overground endoscopic and surgical services to practices in the UK and abroad. She has over 90 peer reviewed publications in the veterinary scientific literature and currently sits on the Editorial Consultants Board for Equine Veterinary Journal. Her clinical and research interests focus on the equine upper respiratory tract, equine dentistry, minimally invasive soft tissue surgery (laser surgery and laparoscopy) and imaging of the equine skull. She regularly lectures at CPD meetings and conferences and outside of work is a keen kitesurfer.
Sophie has spent the majority of her career in ambulatory practice in Devon and has always had a keen interest in communication and mentoring junior colleagues. Developing myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/chronic fatigue syndrome) in 2020 added a new set of challenges to work in equine practice. Being forced to work part-time, Sophie enrolled on a coaching diploma; this lead to accepting a teaching position at Surrey Vet School. Having been elected on to BEVA council in 2022, Sophie is passionate about supporting the well-being of equine vets and improving equality, diversity and inclusion within the equine profession.
Wendy graduated from Cambridge in 1997 and, after completing an internship at The Animal Health Trust, went to Scarsdale Vets in Derby where she was subsequently made a partner in 2006 and worked there until 2021 after joining IVC in 2019. Wendy has a certificate in Equine practice and completed an MBA at Nottingham in 2017 and the Climate Emergency programme at Oxford in 2021. Wendy is now an Honorary Fellow of the University of Nottingham Business School and an investor in early-stage businesses in Human and Animal Health and those looking to provide solutions to the Climate Crisis. She supports young and growing businesses and the people in them and is an advocate of the Investing in Women Code. She believes are so many exciting things happening in our equine veterinary industry, alongside the challenges that the world faces, so we must seek out the opportunities to do the right thing in a business setting - being part of the BEVA Sustainability working group is important to help shape our ways of working for the future and encourage collaboration across groups.