15 Sept 2023
Princess Anne addressed delegates and met exhibitors on the opening day of the 2023 gathering.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Image: © @JasSansi
The Princess Royal paid tribute to the work of the equine veterinary sector on the opening day of the 2023 BEVA Congress in Birmingham.
Princess Anne, who has been the association’s patron since 2003, addressed the opening session of the congress, before presenting the annual BEVA awards and touring the event’s exhibition hall.
She told delegates she hoped they would feel “rejuvenated, more confident and more happy” in their career choice after attending the annual event.
She also praised the association’s efforts to tackle the sector’s workforce pressures “head on” and expressed hope that work to enhance the role of nurses would make greater progress than in other disciplines.
In his opening remarks, BEVA president David Rendle said the association was “grateful” for the time the princess dedicates to both the profession and the wider equine world.
BEVA chief executive David Mountford later added: “It was a delight and a great privilege to have our esteemed patron in attendance this year.
“Our award winners were especially appreciative of the bonus of receiving their awards from Her Royal Highness.”
The awards ceremony included the inaugural presentation of the association’s new Nurse Empowerment Award to Marie Rippingale and the second Peter Rossdale EVE Literary Award, which went to Iran-based Sirous Sadeghian Chaleshtori as lead author of a clinical research paper examining heart valvular regurgitation.
Other winners included Jim Green, co-founder of the British Animal Rescue and Trauma Association (BARTA), who received the Equine Welfare prize, and Tania Sundra who collected the Richard Hartley Clinical Award as lead author of a paper on the use of ertugliflozin in managing hyperinsulinaemia and laminitis.
The Peter Rossdale Equine Veterinary Journal Open Award was presented to Edward Knowles as lead author of a paper examining predictors of laminitis development in ponies.
The winner of the Sam Hignett Award for clinical research presentations will be announced after congress.
