Meet the team – Belmont Farm and Equine Vets

Mark Wrathall

Mark joined Belmont in January 2021. Mark graduated from Lancaster University studying Biological Sciences, once he finished university Mark took part in an expedition to Chile with Raleigh International followed by working in the veterinary laboratory at Sun Valley (Cargill meats). Mark is currently studying entomology at Harper Adams university, so will happily extol the virtue of Vespula vulgaris or germanica.

Mark enjoys touring the county visiting different farms and farmers being reminded how pretty the county is and a younger life of holidays on his grandparents North Yorkshire hill farm.

Mark has an interest in photography, food and rugby, and thoroughly enjoys dragging his children out for a walk or up a hill.

Nick Gibbon

Before joining Belmont Farm and Equine in 2013 Nick worked in West Wales and Cheshire in large animal practice. He enjoys all aspects of large animal work and has particular interests in ruminant systems, helping clients build sustainable businesses through excellent animal health and performance. He completed the Diploma in Bovine Reproduction in 2018 and is a dairyCo mobility mentor. He is also very interested in genetics and delivers Clarifide genomic testing for the practice. Nick joined the business as a Director in 2017 and in his free time he juggles his two young children with as much fly fishing and shooting as possible.

Hannah Mitchell

Hannah graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2016. She initially spent several years in mixed practice in Tewkesbury before returning to her homelands of Herefordshire and joining Belmont in January 2019.
Hannah now spends most of her time on the equine side of the practice but still thoroughly enjoys treating farm animals, especially during lambing, kidding and calving season!
She enjoys all aspects of equine practice and is hoping to study towards a certificate in Advanced Equine Practice in the foreseeable future.
Outside of work Hannah can be found having fun and competing locally with her cheeky Welsh Cob, Piglet, or helping with the various animals on the family farm in South Herefordshire. If time allows she also likes to steal her Dad’s Off Road racing car for the occasional weekend of Rallying fun!

Joel Galloway

Joel joined Belmont in November 2020, originally from Newcastle upon Tyne, graduated from RVC in 2016. He worked in a farm animal practice in North Devon for 3 years. After this he travelled to New Zealand with his wife, working for 3 months during calving season in Waikato, North Island. He spent 6 months working in Pembrokeshire, Wales before joining Belmont in November 2020. Outside of work he keeps fit trail running and going on long walks with his spaniel.

Antoine Premont

Antoine joined the practice in November 2020. He qualified from the veterinary school of Lyon in France in 2018 and completed an internship in a busy equine veterinary clinic in Paris. He is dividing his time between his work in the practice as an equine vet and research at the University of Surrey where he is working towards his PhD in equine cardiology.

Antoine has a very keen interest in sports medicine and lameness. Always trying to improve his clinical skills, he is working his way towards his certification from the International Society of Equine Locomotion Pathology (ISELP). Outside of work, he enjoys walking his rescued shepherd Eliot, running and horse riding.

Sarah Watson

Sarah graduated from Bristol University in June 2020. She spent 6 months completing an internship for the Food and Agricultural Organisation supporting countries with the control of Foot and Mouth disease before starting at Belmont in January 2021. She is interested in all aspects of farm animal medicine, particular infectious disease control. Out of work Sarah enjoys any outdoor adventure, her current challenge is paddling the River Thames in stages in an inflatable kayak when time allows!

Louise Lafin

Louise joined us from France at the beginning of September. She graduated from Cardenal Herrera University located in the beautiful city of Valencia in June 2019. Right after her graduation, she completed a one-year internship in a busy equine hospital near Paris, she also worked as a vet on the weekends on the Parisian racetracks. Louise is now very happy to be working in the field and experiencing living abroad. Her main area of interest is equine internal medicine, and she wishes to specialise in the field in the not too distant future. Louise is particularly fond of pony breed, and she is very interested in equine laminitis treatment and endocrine disorders. Outside of work, she enjoys horse riding, walking in the Malvern with her dog and sight-seeing as many places as she can in England and Wales.

Laura Langford

Laura joined the practice in 2017 and is a valuable member of the team. She has a level 3 Extended Diploma in Agriculture. You will find her in our Bromyard office supporting the vets and organising all aspects of TB testing. Laura is also Bromyard offices AMTRA R-SQP. Laura is not to be messed with! She is two time champion of National Tug of War. In her spare time Laura enjoys walking her Springer spaniels Misty and Ruby and socialising and competing with her fellow young farmers.

Sadie Davies

Sadie joined the team in July 2020 and is based in our Bromyard office, you will recognise her cheery voice on the end of the phone. Sadie loves her animals and has two Labradors, two cats and an African Grey Parrot, a husband as well as a little girl – some may say she come’s to work to actually talk to a normal human being (Husband aside). In her spare time, she can be found going on adventures with her little family.

Lucy Hughes

Lucy joined the support staff in July 2020 and is based in our Ledbury Office. Lucy grew up in Ludlow, and went to school and college in Hereford. Lucy is a keen equestrian and has two horses, Alfie and Peggy-Sue and Whisper the Beagle. Outside of work you will find Lucy either out walking or on the Netball pitch.

Millie Whitlock

Millie joined the Belmont team in July 2019, you will find her behind our reception desk in the Hereford office. Millie heads up our social media pages and carries out many of our admin tasks. Coming from a farming background and previously working at a local livestock market she knew many clients already. Away from work she spends a lot of time on her family farm. In her spare time Millie enjoys catching up with friends and going to social events.

Petre Balanescu

Petre was born and raised between the Vineyards Hills in South East Romania. He graduated in 2007 from Bucharest University of Veterinary Medicine. He loves the process of making wine … and the tasting! When he is not testing cattle you will find him on the open roads on one of his motor cycles. Be careful, blink and you will miss him! When he is on farm he is pretty speedy, if the cattle behave.

Diego Sainz Garcia

Diego is a TB Tester from La Rioja, Spain. He graduated from the University of Zaragoza in 2005. Working in Spain as a Vet in an abattoir and also with large animals close to the small mountain village where he lives, last year he decided to say goodbye to his life in Spain and to join the Belmont Vets team in January 2019. He loves to visit the farms because this reminds him of his family farm back home. He also enjoys being able to drive through woodland to work and being outside in the countryside. He has a passion for all the creative arts, for literature, poetry, design and music. He is also a multi-discipline artist. Above all, he cherishes the time he spends with his wife and two children.

Ovidiu Mercia Oltean

Ovi graduated in 2004 in Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania. After graduating he had his own companion animal practice before coming to the UK with his family. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his son. You can always rely on Ovi being at our socials, especially if we go paint balling. He is fuelled by strong black coffee and Red Bull. One of Ovi’s favourite hobbies is ballet and he is also partial to a bit of Leona Lewis, voice of an angel.

Vicky Tully

Vicky joined us in January 2020 in our Bromyard office, where her role varies from answering the phones to packing surgical kits and everything in between. Vicky studied at Holme Lacy College and has an NVQ Level 2 in Horse care and a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Horse Management. Vicky grew up in Herefordshire but loves to visit Wales for walking and long weekends. In her spare time Vicky likes to be out competing on her horse Dave or walking her rather bouncy Labrador Harvey.

Alice Mainwaring

Alice grew up in North Herefordshire and joined the Hereford office in September 2016, coming from an Equine AI background. Alice is Team Leader of the support staff, does the marketing for the practice, and most importantly she is Belmont’s in house cake maker! In her spare time she loves to bake and walking her dogs. She has her hands full at home with her toddler Harry, Sven the Cocker Spaniel and Luna the Labrador, so she comes to work for a break!

Charlotte Watkins

Charlotte joined the practice in September 2017. She qualified from Nottingham University and joined us after completing an agricultural study tour of New Zealand. She is a farmer’s daughter from the Black Mountains and is very involved with their pedigree Texel flock. Charlotte has a keen interest in dairy medicine; especially fertility and calf health. She also enjoys the variety that veterinary brings and is never happier than when she is kept busy!

Andrew Cooke

Andrew, now one of the four Directors at Belmont, joined as an assistant in 2013. He previously worked for nearly seven years in mixed practice in Leicestershire and Rutland. He graduated from Glasgow university in 2006 and has slowly been working his way southwards ever since!

He enjoys all aspects of large animal veterinary work, particularly disease control and fertility work, with cows, bulls and sheep! When he manages to find 5 minutes to take off his wellies and waterproofs Andrew spends his free time with his young family and rescue Pointer ‘Murphy’. He is also a keen cyclist, so you might spot him on his bike exploring the hills and lanes of Herefordshire.

Sybil Legge

Sybil has been with the practice since 2005. She is the manager of the Bromyard office, all would fall apart without her. If you need to know anything you can just ask Sybs, she is the oracle. When Sybil is not at her desk you can find her relaxing at Butterley, red wine or Prosecco in hand enjoying her beautiful gardens. She also enjoys spending time with her Daughter Lisa, son Robert and new puppy, the adorable Betty. She is the glue of the Bromyard office and we would be lost without her.

Sophie Powell

Sophie joined the practice in July 2019, and is mainly based in our Hereford office. She is very involved in producing the Herd Health Plans, as well as keeping an eye on the TB diary and is a qualified SQP. Sophie comes from a farming background and can be regularly found in the lambing shed in springtime. In her spare time Sophie likes to socialise with her friends and travel the world.

Mike Bellamy

Having grown up in Suckley, Mike returned to the local area having graduating from Nottingham Vet School in 2011. After 3 years working in true mixed practice in Ledbury he undertook an internship at Three Counties Equine Hospital, gaining his Certificate in Equine Practice, before taking time to locum in Droitwich, New Zealand and the Shetland Isles. Now settled in Ledbury, with his wife Beth and their Labrador Pepper, he considers himself a practical allrounder, with an enthusiasm for most outdoor pursuits and a work hard play hard attitude.

James Hipperson

Originating from his family’s pig farm in South Norfolk, James headed West and graduated from Bristol School of Veterinary Science in the summer of 2018. Post graduation he spent 16 months in a truely mixed practice in Ledbury before deciding to switch to solely Large animal practice, with the aim of developing further as a large animal vet. James’ main interests lie in all aspects of cattle and small ruminant work and he is considering his options on further specialisms at the moment. Outside of work you will typically find him up the scaffolding or on the roof of his family home that he is currently renovating. He admits it’s a labour of love but as with most projects taking a little longer to complete than expected.

Rosalynd O'Sullivan

Ros joined the practice in April 2019. She has a Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, with an emphasis on nutrition and is currently studying for her SQP qualification. Ros has a particular interest in dairy goat herds and their niche place within the farming industry. She also finds the health planning side of the business very interesting and along side Laura produces the health plans. Ros is a very hands on person and is keen to study for her Vet Tech qualification so that she can get out on farm. In her spare time Ros enjoys walking with her three whippets, camping and horse riding. You will find Ros in our Ledbury office most of the time.

Andrea Smith

Andrea joined the Hereford support team in July 2017. Since being with us she has got married and gone from part time to full time. We all fondly know her as Aud. She has a mixed skill set and brings experience from MoleValley farmers and livery yards. She is a skilled seamstress in her spare time.

Pam Strange

Pam is a well-seasoned Belmonter! She joined the practice in 1977 as a nurse. She has had many roles over time and has now returned to the fold to the reception desk. She will be a very familiar face to all of you and is an integral part of the support team in Hereford.

Caroline Brewer

Caroline (Caz) joined Belmont in 2013 having worked at a local mixed practice. She is involved in all large animal work but particularly enjoys small ruminants, heading up most of the dairy goat and sheep work we do at Belmont. She lives in Ross with her dairy farming husband and is involved on the farm as well as at work, a very busy girl!

Will Allman

Will joined us from the cold wastelands of the North in autumn 2017. He qualified from Edinburgh in 2012 and went straight to a busy mixed practice in Yorkshire. He is a local farmer’s son and has been involved with cattle from a young age and returns to Herefordshire to develop further as a large animal vet. His interests lie in flock and herd health and he loves getting stuck in with all things large animal. When not on farm you will find him at home with his young family or on the Rugby field.

Harry Walby

Originally from a farming background in Gloucestershire, Harry graduated from the Royal Veterinary College back in 2016 and went to work in a farm practice in Worcestershire. Harry joined Belmont in September 2018 with the view to developing and broadening his knowledge on all farm species. His farming background stands him in good stead to cope with the challenges of farm veterinary work. Harry’s areas of interest include surgery and lameness. Outside of work Harry enjoys working his spaniel, shooting and sailing.

Tudor Patcas

Tudor comes from Ordea in Romania. He qualified from the University of Cluj-Npoca in 2009 and went straight into clinical Veterinary practice. He was the sole vet on a dairy farm of 400 cows and then came to work in the UK for Eville and Jones doing meat inspection and abattoir work. He trained as a TB tester through XL Farmcare and joined the team at Belmont in February 2018. He lives in the Forest of Dean and in his spare time enjoys exploring the UK and further afield.

Matt Pugh

Matt is a very experienced farm animal vet, highly motivated by herd and flock health. He likes to work in partnership with clients, aiming to help find them solutions to enable them to make improvements in their farm’s efficiency and production and hence the welfare of the animals under their care. He has an unhealthy interest in all things that ruminate and everything that makes them tick.

Outside of work he has three children and a menagerie of animals to keep him entertained and has been known to attempt to run & bike. He is trying to rekindle his cricket career but the social side is going better than the cricket! Matt has been a Director in the practice since 2004.

Dom Alexander

One of the four Directors; Dominic has been at Belmont Farm & Equine Vets Ltd since 2004. Dom will turn his hand to all aspects of veterinary practice but has a particular interest in donkeys and farm animal and equine ocular disease. Many clients have been very helpful in assisting Dom collecting data for a research project in cattle. The aim is to help improve the knowledge of eye diseases and, hopefully, treatment. Dom is a coffee snob and aims to have coffee machines in both practices in addition to the kettle!

Bill Main

Bill is the most experienced of the Belmont team. He came to Hereford as a new graduate in 1982 and then joined the partnership in 1990 when the practice was still mixed. He has been a driving force in the growth and development of the practice and has seen it go from 4 mixed vets to 15 large animal focused practitioners over his career.

Bill spends most of his time working with cattle, where he excels in fertility and medicine. He can also be found working with equine lameness and dentistry and is more than capable with all the species we deal with. Bill retired as a director in 2015 but is still going strong in clinical practice.

Sharon Powell

Sharon has worked for Belmont since 1997. She joined as office manager and soon became practice manager working for Belmont Veterinary Centre. When the practices spilt she continued to work for both Belmont Vets and Belmont Farm and Equine Vets as practice manager. Her role is very varied with no two days being the same. She likes the variation of working for both businesses and ensures both practices comply with the ever changing legislation set down by the government and the RCVS.

In 2007 she successfully gained her ILM diploma in management and the certificate of veterinary practice managers. In her spare time she likes to travel, socialise with friends and family and spends a lot of time walking her crazy cocker spaniel “Tia”.

Michelle Harris

Michelle joined us as a Receptionist in May 1998 when the practice was mixed. She was promoted to Head Receptionist within a few years of starting and stayed under that heading with many other responsibilities added until the businesses split. She now heads up the Hereford branch as office manager. Along with cooking and socialising she loves a long walk to the pub with her lurcher Ede and a large glass of wine as a reward!

Vets

Matthew Pugh

Dominic Alexander