The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) honoured several equine veterinary professionals at its annual awards ceremony which took place during its four-day BEVA Congress in Birmingham last month.
The presentation party included outgoing BEVA President Imogen Burrows and Blue Cross Chief Executive Chris Burghes.
Equine Welfare Award
Phillippa Pritchard, a clinical supervisor at Liphook Equine Hospital, received the Blue Cross-sponsored BEVA Equine Welfare Award in recognition of her outstanding commitment to improving equine welfare and wellbeing.
Through her compassionate and progressive approach, Phillippa has championed initiatives that reduce fear, stress and anxiety for hospitalised patients, helping to create a calmer and more positive experience during treatment and recovery.
It is not the first time Phillipa has been presented with an award at the BEVA Congress. In 2024, she received the Nurse Empowerment Award for her research into owners’ perceptions of registered veterinary nurses.
Nurse Empowerment Award
This year’s recipient of the Nurse Empowerment Award was Cassie Woods, an equine veterinary nurse, partner and head nurse at Lower House Equine.
As the UK’s first equine nurse partner, Cassie has broken new ground for the profession, inspiring the next generation of equine veterinary nurses to pursue leadership roles and helping to redefine what is possible within equine practice.
One to Watch Award
Molly McLean was presented with the BEVA One to Watch Award in recognition of her outstanding achievements and remarkable potential.
The BEVA One to Watch Award was introduced in 2025 to celebrate an early-career equine vet who shows exceptional clinical promise, strong professional values, and a clear commitment to the future of the profession.
Since qualifying, Molly has rapidly established herself as a talented and compassionate equine veterinary surgeon and has also demonstrated impressive commitment to professional development by qualifying as a veterinary chiropractor.
As the recipient of the 2026 BEVA One to Watch Award, Molly receives a free year of BEVA membership, a Thursday and Friday ticket to BEVA Congress, a seat at the Annual Dinner and Dance with accommodation, and a career boosting opportunity to support her continued development.
Richard Hartley Clinical Award
Dr Euan Bennet won the BEVA Richard Hartley Clinical Award for the paper ‘Novel risk factors associated with fatal musculoskeletal injury in Thoroughbreds in North American racing (2009-2023)’, co-authored with Tim Parkin. The paper was published in the March 2025 edition of Equine Veterinary Journal.
The award, which is given in memory of BEVA founder and former president Richard Hartley, is presented to the first author of the best paper published in the Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) or Equine Veterinary Education with direct clinical application.
The £1000 prize is intended to support travel of the first author and/or co-authors.
The Peter Rossdale Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) Open Award
The Peter Rossdale Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) Open Award was presented to Camilo Morales for the paper ‘Vonoprazan pharmacokinetics and effects on gastric pH following administration to fed and fasted horses’, co-authored by Benjamin W. Sykes, Daniel S. McKemie, Philip H. Kass and Heather K. Knych. The paper was published in the January 2026 issue of Equine Veterinary Journal.
The award, which includes a £1000 prize, recognises the paper that best achieves EVJ’s mission to “publish articles which influence and improve clinical practice and/or add significantly to the scientific knowledge that underpins and supports veterinary medicine in relation to the horse”.
The Peter Rossdale EVE Literary Award
The Peter Rossdale EVE Literary Award was presented to to Pius Spiesshofer for the paper, ‘Injuries to the superficial digital flexor tendon branches: Clinical presentation, diagnostic features and outcome’, co-authored with V. O’Hara, K. S. Garret and R. K. Smith, published in the July 2025 issue of Equine Veterinary Education.
The award was introduced in 2022 in memory of Peter Rossdale and is sponsored by Rossdales Ltd. It recognises the best clinical research paper published in Equine Veterinary Education (EVE).
Images © Louis James-Parker.
