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Bishopton Farm Vets Team

Drawing on years of experience and expertise

Our dedicated team of farm vets are committed to providing a high level of veterinary care for farmers across North Yorkshire.

Jonathan Statham
Ripon
Jonathan Statham
MA VetMB DCHP MRCVS
RCVS Recognised Specialist in Cattle Health
PartnerVet - Ripon
A bit about me...
Jonathan graduated from Cambridge Veterinary School in 1996. He is a cattle vet, partner & chair of Bishopton Veterinary Group, a 40 vet practice in Ripon, North Yorkshire (a member of XL Vets) and is director and Chief Executive of RAFT Solutions Ltd (an innovative veterinary research, consultancy and knowledge exchange company). He is past-president of the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) and the Yorkshire Veterinary Society and has sat on the GB ‘Cattle Health & Welfare Group’ (CHAWG), GB ‘Sheep Health & Welfare Group’ (SHAWG), the Veterinary Policy Group (VPG) of the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and is a past director of Cattle Health Certification Standards (CHeCS) and member of the ‘Farmskills’ Steering Group. He is an examiner for the University of Liverpool, member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Advanced Practitioner Panel, a member of the Nottingham Dairy Innovation Forum, the International Embryo Transfer Society & served on the Veterinary Residues & Products Committees (VRC & VPC) of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD). He currently sits on UK Animal Science Advisory Board (ASAB) Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN), is a fellow of Askham Bryan College & is a non-executive director of the Animal Health & Welfare Board of England (AHWBE). Main veterinary interests include reproductive technologies, nutrition, mastitis control and progressive herd health & production management. He has published a wide range of papers, articles and book chapters and is a co-author of textbook ‘Dairy Herd Health’. He holds the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Diploma in Cattle Health & Production, is a RCVS recognised specialist in Cattle Health & Production and was named UK Dairy Vet of the year 2015. He became visiting Professor of Sustainable Livestock Health & Welfare at Harper-Keele Veterinary School, Institute of Sustainable Health & Welfare (InSHAW) in 2020. 
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Phil Alcock
Ripon
Phil Alcock
BVetMed CertCHP DipRN MRCVS
PartnerVet - Ripon
A bit about me...

Phil's interests involve all aspects of cattle work in particular herd health management, nutrition and lameness control. As a founding director of RAFT Solutions, Phil is principally interested in livestock skills development and is very active in farm training initiatives and knowledge exchange. This training interest led to the establishment of the national ‘FarmSkills’ programme delivered by XLVets in the UK.

Phil has provided technical input for a variety of industry bodies including pharmaceutical companies, milk recording organisations, milk and meat processors, feed companies and the AHDB and has contributed across a wide range of the farming press. He holds the RCVS Certificate in Cattle Health and Reproduction, a Diploma in Ruminant nutrition from Harper Adams University College and is a licenced Category 1 foot trimmer.

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Phil's spare time interests involve playing and watching just about any sport.
Neil Eastham
Ripon
Neil Eastham

BVSc DBR NSch MRCVS

PartnerVet - Ripon
A bit about me...

Neil joined Bishopton Veterinary Group in July 2007 after graduating from Liverpool University. An upbringing on a dairy and sheep farm in Lancashire played a large role in him deciding to specialise in farm animal work. 

Neil is actively involved in the delivery of Bishopton's dairy, beef and sheep health schemes and enjoys all aspects of veterinary work.  Neil's main interests are fertility and dairy genetics. He is actively involved in the delivery of specialist advanced breeding techniques (ET and OPU/IVF), as well as working with clients to utilise female genomic testing.  Neil has achieved his Diploma in Bovine Reproduction from Liverpool University and was awarded a Nuffield Farming Scholarship in 2018 to explore how UK dairy farmers could benefit from the use of genomics. 

 

Did you know?
Neil is a committee member and previous chairman of North East Holstein Breeders Club. He is also a council member on Yorkshire Agricultural Society, Senior Holstein Steward at the Great Yorkshire Show and a board member of Future Farmers of Yorkshire.
Mark Spilman
Ripon, York
Mark Spilman
BVSc MVM MRCVS
PartnerVet - Ripon, York
A bit about me...

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. After 3 years in practice at Bishopton Mark spent a year in New Zealand to widen his knowledge and experience of block calving and grass-based systems. Mark returned to Bishopton following his time in New Zealand and became a partner in 2018. Mark's main interests lie in herd health and cattle reproduction. He is advanced breeding director for RAFT Solutions Ltd, performing embryo work, bull fertility assessments and semen collections. He leads the SemenRate laboratory at RAFT, and was awarded a Master in Veterinary Medicine (MVM) for work looking at AI in cattle and objective semen analysis.  

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Outside of work Mark now has a young family with his wife Olivia, but when possible he still plays for Helperby in the Nidderdale cricket league enjoying some friendly rivalry with farm clients. Old age has caught up with him and he has now retired from playing rugby. Mark has started a small herd of Aberdeen Angus at his parents’ farm and aims to utilise ET and AI to improve the herd.
Miles Middleton
Ripon
Miles Middleton
BVSc NSch MRCVS
PartnerVet - Ripon
A bit about me...
Miles originates from a sheep and dairy farm near Askrigg in Upper Wensleydale where his family still farm. He attended Wensleydale school in Leyburn prior to heading to South to attend vet school. After graduated from the University of Bristol in 2008, Miles worked in Northallerton for just over four years before joining Bishopton Veterinary Group in 2012. At the beginning of 2022 Miles become a partner. 
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Out of work Miles enjoys farming, playing rugby and spending time with his wife Leanne and their family.
Katharine Shepherd
Ripon
Katharine Shepherd
BVMS CertAVP (Cattle) MRCVS
Vet - Ripon
A bit about me...

Katharine was brought up in Ayrshire prior to attending Glasgow University Veterinary School. Following graduation in 2008, Katharine spent two years working in rural mixed practice in Dumfries and Galloway before making the move south of the border to focus on farm animal practice here at Bishopton. Katharine has achieved the RCVS Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice (Cattle).

 

Did you know?
Outside of work, Katharine keeps active hill walking, marathon running or scuba diving and is a keen musician, playing violin with various ensembles.
Katie Fitzgerald
Ripon
Katie Fitzgerald
PartnerVet - Ripon
A bit about me...

Katie ‘Fitz’ graduated from Nottingham Vet School in 2012 and joined the team at Bishopton. After a three year stint at the practice she got itchy feet and took some opportunities to gain different experiences through time in farm practice in Lancashire, Derbyshire and back at the University of Nottingham teaching final year vet students. The call of God’s own country was too strong and Katie returned to Bishopton in 2020. Katie's main interests are calf health, cattle housing and mastitis and her time in the peak district has given her a real appreciation of working with beef and sheep enterprises.

Did you know?
Outside work Fitz enjoys walking her giant hound Gelert. She is looking forward to getting back in the boxing ring now she’s returned to Ripon and cant quite decide whether to dust off her rugby boots for a final season or two.
Alex Oliver
Ripon
Alex Oliver
BVetMedSci BVM BVS
Vet - Ripon
A bit about me...
Alex grew up in Selby and graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2017. After graduation he spent a year as a herdsman on a 1400 cow grass based dairy farm in New Zealand. Returning to Yorkshire, Alex joined the Bishopton team in August 2018 to focus on farm animal vetting rather than farming itself. He enjoy all aspects of farm vetting but especially enjoys dairy work.
Did you know?
Outside of work Alex is a keen rugby player and plays for Ripon RUFC most Saturdays and in the off season enjoys shooting and a bit of fly fishing.
Laura Eden
Ripon
Laura Eden
BVMedSci (Hons) BVM BVS (Hons) MRCVS
Vet - Ripon
A bit about me...
Laura graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2019 but is originally a local lass growing up just outside of York. Not from a farming background, Laura has developed an interest in the industry and has experience of running a flock of sheep on rented grassland around York. As a student, Laura enjoyed spending a lot of time at Bishopton, as well as completing a dairy externship in California and working on farms in North Yorkshire. 
Did you know?
She enjoys being outdoors, attending country shows and taking part in activities throughout the farming calendar, including wool wrapping at shearing time!
Amelia Briggs
Ripon
Amelia Briggs
MRCVS BVSc 
Vet - Ripon
A bit about me...
After graduating from Liverpool University, Amelia worked as a Farm Vet in Chippenham/Bath, before deciding to come back home to North Yorkshire! Since returning home, she has spent the last year working at local practices in the Leyburn area, predominantly doing farm animal work. Amelia enjoys being involved with all aspects of farm animal work, in particular sheep and flock planning. 
Did you know?
In her spare time, she loves nothing better than being outside, running, cycling or hiking up the nearest mountain or hill with her Labradoodle Jessie - usually to justify a roast and/or pint at the pub afterwards! When not outside, Amelia is a keen artist, painting animals and pets of all shapes and sizes.
Ed Noblett
Ripon, York
Ed Noblett
BVSc MRCVS
Vet - Ripon, York
A bit about me...
Ed graduated from Liverpool University in 2018, and has worked in mixed practice in both Herefordshire and East Yorkshire, before moving to Bishopton to pursue his interests in farm practice. Having grown up on a sheep farm in Pembrokeshire, Ed has a particular interest in flock health and medicine, however enjoys all aspects of the job. Ed will be based at York but also doing a few days in Ripon.
Did you know?
Outside of work he enjoys mountain biking, playing rugby, and sheep shearing.
Milly Eaton
Ripon
Milly Eaton
MRCVS BVSc.
Vet - Ripon
A bit about me...

Milly graduated from Liverpool University in 2021 and has been drawn back to North Yorkshire where she grew up. With close connections to the livestock industry and having worked on farms back at home, she always knew she wanted to pursue a career in farm animal practice.

Did you know?
Milly is a keen golfer and also enjoys walking, running in the countryside and showing her herd of Herdwick sheep.
Kath Gray
York
Kath Gray
BVM BVS MRCVS
Vet - York
A bit about me...
Kath graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2018. Originally from Wales, she made the move to Yorkshire in 2020 just before lockdown. Her family used to have bucket calves. fattening cattle and sheep at home, but Kath brought a few of her pet cows and her flock of pedigree Dorset Down sheep up here with her. Based in York, Kath has a keen interest in beef, sheep and herd health planning. 
Did you know?
Kath works for us part time and spends the rest of the week working with sher other half, who now manages a large arable farm. She enjoys cultivation/land work, and also enjoys getting out mountain biking at quieter times of the year!
Ben Walker
Ripon
Ben Walker
BVM BVS MRCVS
Vet - Ripon
A bit about me...
Ben is a local lad having grown up Richmond before graduating from Nottingham Vet School in 2022. He had a year out between college and uni when he spent time working on a 90,000 acre cattle station in Australia. Ben enjoys all aspects of farm practice but is particularly interested in youngstock health.


Did you know?
In his free time Ben is a keen runner and cyclist.
Luke Johnson
Ripon
Luke Johnson
BVM BVS MRCVS
Vet - Ripon
A bit about me...

Luke is originally from a mixed livestock farm in Dorset and enjoy all things rural, so he is looking forward to moving up to Yorkshire into the beautiful countryside!

Luke has spent the last five years at the University of Nottingham where he has picked up hobbies such as cycling, clay shooting and triathlon.

Within veterinary Luke has a keen interest in data analysis and enjoys working with sheep. 

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