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Petplan Equine, the UK's leading specialist equine insurance provider is delighted to announce the finalists for the fifth annual Petplan Equine Vet of the Year Award. Once again, this 2012 people's award received a huge number of nominations for outstanding vets from all over the UK from which just three finalists have been chosen.

The winner of this prestigious award, which is sponsored by Petplan Equine, will be announced at the annual Animal Health Trust Equestrian Awards, which will be held at London's Lancaster Hotel on Thursday 1st November, 2012.

The 2012 Petplan Equine Vet of the Year Finalists are:

Jess Hill BVM&S MRCVS Woodlands Veterinary Clinic, Cheltenham, Glos, England

Jess, who qualified in 2003 at the University of Edinburgh Royal (Dick) School for Veterinary Studies, is described as simply "brilliant" for her outstanding calm, capable and kind approach to her work and the way in which she makes herself readily available to her clients. One nomination typifies all those received in praise of Jess' work: "She is incredibly knowledgeable and dedicated and nothing is too much trouble. She is great with horses – always quiet, kind and gentle. She works quickly and confidently, doesn't suggest unnecessary expensive procedures and is always cheerful and a pleasure to be with."

Keith Chandler BVMS Cert EP MRCVS, Kessock Equine Vets, Inverness, Scotland

Keith Chandler, a senior partner at Kessock Equine Vets received several nominations which credited not only him personally for his dedication, knowledge, pragmatic and caring approach but also his practice for its outstanding customer service. Upon receiving news of his nomination, Keith was swift to praise his team and explained: "This nomination reflects the exceptional team I have around me - together we strive to offer continuity, consistency and a minimum level of care to all our clients irrespective of which vet is in attendance."

Lee Paul, BSC BVM&S Cert EP MRCVS, Bushy Equine, Gwaelod-y-Garth, Wales

Nominations for Lee Paul, a specialist in internal and stud medicine who qualified at Edinburgh University's Royal Dick Veterinary School in 2002, unanimously praised his willingness to 'never give up' and to go beyond the call of duty. He is said to be highly dedicated and is praised for his willingness to always be available such as on the occasion when a horse he had been treating for a swelling in her throat presented complications during a weekend when he was not on duty. Despite this Lee, who had been contacted by the duty vet for background information, attended the call himself within an hour complete with the stethoscope he'd collected from the surgery en route and with his family in his car!

This year's judges were David Stickles, Head of Fund Raising at the Animal Health Trust, Alison Bridge, Editor of Horse & Rider magazine, Ben Mayes, President of the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) and Gil Riley, 2009 Petplan Equine Vet of the Year.

With a record number of vets nominated and of such a high caliber the judges have had a difficult task choosing just three finalists. Isabella Von Mesterhazy, Head of Marketing for Petplan Equine commented: "Anyone motivated to nominate their vet for this award must hold them in extremely high regard so once again we were very impressed by both the quality and quantity of nominations we received. It is heartwarming and inspiring to read the submissions that describe the outstanding contributions made by all the nominees in keeping owners happy and horses healthy. It has not been easy to select just three to go through to the final," she explained.

The Animal Health Trust Equestrian Awards are designed to recognise the amazing achievements made by horses, riders, owners and trainers in the equestrian world, and Petplan Equine has always had a strong link with the awards and the Trust. Since the Petplan Charitable Trust was founded in 1994, it has raised over £5 million, of which almost £500,000 has been donated to the AHT helping to fund research and development.

Horse welfare is of the utmost importance at Petplan Equine and as the UK's specialist insurance provider, the company is dedicated to promoting responsible horse ownership through its charitable contributions, wide range of policies and information and initiatives designed to help horse owners get the most enjoyment from their horses as safely as possible.

The winner will be posted on www.petplanequine.co.uk on Friday 2nd of November.

 

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For more information please contact the Petplan press office on:

Name	Telephone	Email
Charlotte Collyer	0208 707 8335	[email protected]

Petplan Equine is the UK's leading horse insurance provider offering a wide variety of flexible horse insurance and rider insurance policies which cater for all levels of experience.

Established more than 20 years ago, Petplan Equine is part of Allianz Insurance, one of the largest general insurers in the world.

For more information about a Petplan Equine horse insurance policy, please visit:
petplanequine.co.uk/insurance/quote.asp

Note to editors:

• Petplan Equine was founded in 1988.
• It is part of Allianz Animal Health, the largest provider of animal health insurance in the world and part of Allianz – one of the largest general insurers in the UK.
• In addition to horse and pony insurance options, Petplan Equine provides dedicated products for veteran horses and rider only insurance cover.
• It is the sister brand of Petplan, the largest provider of small animal insurance in the UK.
• Petplan Equine believes in supporting the equine community and provides more financial support to equestrian sports and activities than any equine insurance provider in the UK.
• The Pet Plan Charitable Trust was founded in 1994 to raise much needed funds for animal welfare and veterinary projects. Money is raised by Petplan and Petplan Equine customers giving an optional £1.50 to the Trust when they take out or renew their policy. To date, almost £5 million has been awarded by the Trust.
• Petplan and Petplan Equine are specialist insurers. As such, the company employs more horse riders and owners than any other and more former veterinary practice staff than any other to ensure the provision of specialist knowledge.
• Petplan Equine is the only insurer to offer illness and accident cover for older horses, up to the age of 25 as long as the policy is taken before your horse reaches the age of 20.