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BEVA welcomes new president
During his term as president Dr Pycock hopes to celebrate the positives of working as an equine veterinary professional.
VDS claims consultant inaugurated at congress

Jonathan Pycock of the Veterinary Defence Society (VDS) has been appointed as president of the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA).

Equine claims consultant Dr Pycock will take up his role at the end of BEVA Congress (13-16 September), taking over from Vicki Nicholls. Renate Weller will become president elect.

A graduate of the Royal Veterinary College (RVC),
Dr Pycock has been heavily involved in the BEVA’s clinical practice and ethics and welfare committees since joining the council for the second time in 2014.

During his term as president he hopes to celebrate the positives of working as an equine veterinary professional. He hopes to help members to achieve work/life balance, encouraging active participation in the association, as well as developing relationships between the BEVA and other equine organisations worldwide. He also wants to highlight the shortfall in research on equine reproduction and promote interest in this area.

He commented: “I feel honoured and privileged to have been given the opportunity to be BEVA president. It is a responsibility I do not take lightly. I am well up for doing my best and am 100 per cent ready for the challenging and exciting year ahead.”

Dr Pycock has a PhD in mare gynaecology. After working for private equine practices in the UK and the Southern Hemisphere, he took a job as assistant professor at the University of Utrecht Veterinary School in the Netherlands.

He set up his own equine practice in 1996 before selling the business to colleagues when he took on his current role at the VDS. He also lectures globally on equine reproduction and avoiding litigation in equine practices.

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Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

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News Shorts
BBC Radio 4 documentary addresses corporate fees

BBC Radio 4's File on 4 Investigates has released a documentary exploring how corporate-owned veterinary practices may be inflating bills to increase profit.

Released on 15 April, 'What's Happening To Your Vet Bills?' revealed the policies which many corporate groups have in place to increase their profits. This included targets and upgrades which veterinary teams are tasked with meeting on a regular basis.

It also features Anrich Vets, an independently-owned practice based in Wigan. Following the case of Staffordshire terrier Benjy, who is diagnosed with a tumour, the documentary shares how the team were able to offer contextualised care and advice to make the procedure as affordable as possible for his owners.

The documentary can be heard on demand on BBC iPlayer.