Meet the Team
Small Animal Vets
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Leslie Cox - Partner
BVM&S, MRCVS
In 1973 Les graduated from the Royal (Dick) Veterinary College in Edinburgh and then spent two years in a mixed practice in North Cheshire before deciding to move to Ripon in 1976. Les became a partner in the practice in 1978.
Now Senior Partner Les works in the small animal department. His interests in alternative medicine lead him to gain an Acupuncture certification from the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society in 1997. His hobbies include reading, history and showing ponies.
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John Smith - Partner
BVSc, MRCVS
John qualified from Liverpool University in 1978. After a couple of years in Large Animal practice in Cumbria he spent several years in Zululand, South Africa where he had the opportunity to work with a variety of exotic animals. John joined Bishopton Veterinary Group in 1984 where he has specialised in Small Animal work with a particular interest in surgery and avian work.
Hobbies include marathon running, fly fishing and quail breeding.
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Andrew Bodey – Associate Partner
BVSc, CertVR, MRCVS
Andrew Bodey graduated from the University of Bristol in 1989. He worked in mixed practice in the Midlands doing mainly large animal work, and after several years in companion animal practice in the south east joined BVG. An active interest in diagnostic imaging resulted in him gaining the RCVS Certificate in Veterinary Radiology, and the acquisition of the current ultrasound facility. Responsibility for the radiation safety of staff followed, and this role has become much more involved since he established the first treatment centre in the north for hyperthyroid cats, using radioactive iodine. He is currently actively involved in a clinical research project into the treatment of hyperthyroid cats, in collaboration with the University of Cambridge. Other clinical interests include canine and feline behavioural medicine. When not at work he may be found sailing or involved in folk music.
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Anne Norton - Assistant
MA, VetMB, MRCVS
Anne Norton qualified from Cambridge vet school in 1995 and worked in mixed, mainly large animal practice in Hampshire and the Cotswolds for 5 years. After moving to North Yorkshire in 2000 and a short spell working in small animal practice in Teeside, she joined Bishopton Veterinary Group as member of the small animal team, where she has enjoyed working ever since. Aside from veterinary medicine Anne splits her time between looking after her small boys, cross country running, playing the violin and riding horses!
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Gill Howard - Assistant
BVSc, MRCVS
Gill Howard qualified from Liverpool University in 1991. Following two years in mixed practice she worked at a small animal practice in Harrogate for ten years. In 2006 Gill moved to Ripon and joined Bishopton Vet Group. She works in the small animal department, dividing her time between Bishopton and Toft Lodge. Gill has an interest in cardiology and is studying for a certificate in this subject. She is also keen to promote health care programmes for our older pets by encouraging use of our senior pet clinics.
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Kate Clarke - Assistant
BVM&S, MRCVS
Kate graduated form the Royal Veterinary College in 1996 and spent her first year working in a large mixed practice in Cambridgeshire where she developed an interest in Small Animal practice. She then worked in dedicated Small Animal practices in Southampton and Leeds before taking up a post at Bishopton Vets in 2002. Kate enjoys working with the friendly Bishopton team and our clients and is interested in chronic medical conditions such as diabetes and establishing effective treatments. Kate has a particular fondness for rabbits and Labradors.
Equine Vets
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Richard Sutcliffe - Partner
BVM&S, MRCVS
Richard graduated from Edinburgh University and is a partner of Bishopton Veterinary Group, a mixed practice with 15 vets which is split into small and large animal divisions with large animal interests in pigs, dairy, beef & sheep, equine and embryo transfer. His clinical involvement is mainly with equine work but he also helps with the general large animal caseload. His responsibility within the partnership is for the practice dispensary. At home he spends time with his family and when it all gets too much he retreats into his workshop – creating or repairing anything from children's toys to JCBs. (We think it's a "Farmer's son" thing!)
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Kate Blakeman - Assistant
BVSc, MRCVS
Kate qualified from Liverpool University in 2007. She moved up from Somerset and joined the Large Animal team in November 2007. Kate enjoys all aspects of large animal work but has a particular interest in equine and sheep work. She has a keen interest in equine stud medicine. After qualifying she spent time as a volunteer for SPANA, a horse and donkey charity, based in Marrakesh, Morocco.
Farm Animal Vets
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Jonathan Statham - Partner
MA, VetMB, CertCHP, MRCVS
Jonathan M E Statham graduated from Cambridge Veterinary School and spent two years in general practice at Skeldale veterinary centre, Thirsk and then moved to Bishopton Veterinary Group, Ripon, North Yorkshire in 1998 to focus on farm animal practice and in particular cattle health & production. Developing dairy and beef herd health schemes; he became a partner in the practice in 2003 and gained the certificate in cattle health & production in 2005.
Jonathan has interests in cattle fertility, mastitis and nutrition. He runs 'Bishopton Cattle Breeding Services' with the other members of the cattle team, which offers embryo collection and transfer, bull breeding soundness and semen evaluation, semen collection for stud and repeat breeder investigations including dye-testing. A longstanding commitment to herd health and farmer training has seen the development of 'RAFT' (Ripon Agricultural and Farmer Training) and he holds a DEFRA license as supervising veterinary surgeon for DIY AI training.
In 2005 Jonathan joined the council of the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) becoming chair of health planning in 2006. He is a member of the Nottingham Dairy Herd Health Group and International Embryo Transfer Society (IETS). After serving on council for several years he became president of the Yorkshire Veterinary Society in 2007. He has published articles and papers widely and spoken at BCVA and World Buiatrics Congresses. He is married to Sian (also a veterinary surgeon) with two children: Katy and Ben.
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Philip Alcock – Partner
BVetMed, CertCHP, MRCVS
Phil's interests involve all aspects of cattle work in particular dairy herd health management and suckler cow fertility. As a founder member of RAFT Phil is particularly interested in livestock skills development and is very active in farm training initiatives in Yorkshire and Humber. Phil has provided technical input for a variety of industry bodies including MDC and EBLEX and has contributed across a wide range of the farming press. Phil holds the RCVS certificate in cattle health and production. Spare time interests involve playing and watching just about any sport.
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Mark Spilman - Assistant
BVSc, MRCVS
Mark was born and bred in North Yorkshire growing up on a mixed livestock/arable farm. He qualified from Liverpool Vet School in 2006 and joined Bishopton straight from university having seen practice there. In his 2 years at Ripon, Mark has furthered his interest in Herd health work in beef and dairy cattle and is also part of the advanced breeding team. This work includes flushing pedigree beef and dairy animals, transferring embryos and bull fertility testing. Mark enjoys keeping active in his spare time playing cricket in the Nidderdale league and rugby for Harrogate RFC.
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Neil Eastham – Assistant
BVSc, MRCVS
Neil graduated from Liverpool University in 2007. An upbringing on a dairy and sheep farm played a large role in him deciding to specialise in farm animal work. Neil still enjoys helping out at home when possible, especially showing and developing his own "Tristar" herd.
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Ruth Buxton – Assistant
Ruth graduated from Edinburgh University in 2007 and worked in her home county, Norfolk for 2 years in a farm / equine veterinary Practice. Though her father enjoyed her being on call for his suckler herd 7 days a week, Ruth decided to move to North Yorkshire and join the Bishopton team of cattle vet and further develop her dairy and beef cattle interests.
Out of work, Ruth enjoys playing tennis and hockey as well as horse riding (on other peoples horses) and when back in Norfolk helping out on the family farm.
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Andrew Crutchley – Assistant
BA, VetMB, MRCVS
Andrew was born, bred and buttered in Northern Ireland before graduating from Cambridge Veterinary School in 2009. Andrew joined the large animal team at Bishopton straight from university and is looking to forward to developing his interest in all aspects of large animal work.
In his spare time Andrew enjoys rock and ice climbing and any other sport with more than a hint of danger involved.
Pig Vets
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Nigel Woolfenden - Partner
BVSc, MRCVS
Nigel qualified with honours from Liverpool University in 1986. He worked in mixed large animal practice before specialising in pig medicine 10 years ago. Currently a partner with Bishopton Veterinary Group, a 15 vet team based in Yorkshire in the North of England, working full time with commercial pig herds. He has specific interests in preventive medicine, training pig farmers and managing health to optimise growth.
Past President of the Yorkshire Veterinary Society and a Director of Vetscore Ltd responsible for gathering abattoir surveillance data on behalf of the British Pig Health Scheme.
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Richard Evans - Partner
BVetMed, MRCVS
Richard saw practice at Ripon as an under graduate and eventually took up a position in 1978 after having worked further south. Similarly to most vets he started in general practice but soon started working in pig practice.
Richard is a partner at Bishopton Veterinary Group and Toft Lodge Veterinary Centre and his special interests are the management of pigs and photography as a hobby.
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Duncan Berkshire – Assistant
MA VetMB MSc CertPM MRCVS
Duncan joined the pig department at Bishopton Vet Group in 2009 having previously worked extensively with pigs in Yorkshire since graduation. He qualified from Cambridge Vet School in 2004 and obtained his Masters in Livestock Health and Production with the Royal Veterinary College while in practice. Duncan also holds the RCVS Certificate in Pig Medicine. Improving herd health and reproductive physiology are particular areas of interest, along with farm based investigations to introduce preventative medicine programmes on unit.
When not immersed in the world of pigs, Duncan enjoys throwing himself down mountains on skis, and training other people to do the same thing.
