Meet our Nursing Team

Laura graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Equine Science and Thoroughbred Management. As part of this degree, Laura spent a breeding season working as a veterinary technician at Eliza Park Stud in Melbourne. She also attended and completed a residential diploma course at the National Stud in Newmarket.

 

On leaving university, Laura was accepted as a trainee nurse at Donnington Grove Veterinary Group. She qualified as a veterinary nurse by attending block release at Myerscough College and training on the job.

 

On completion of her nursing qualification, she moved to Edinburgh to join the equine nursing team at The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies. This is a busy teaching hospital and Laura contributed to teaching final year veterinary students. She was introduced to and became very interested in diagnostic imaging, and developing skills as a Hallmarq MRI Technician. Laura then joined the BVEC team in August 2022 as our Head Nurse and brings a wealth of clinical experience with her. She runs many of our standing MRI scans and is a true perfectionist; priding herself on obtaining high quality, diagnostic images which benefits our imaging specialists when interpreting our patients' MRIs.

Chloe joined us at Bourton Vale in February 2018, and has always had a keen interest in horses from a young age.  Having grown up on a local stud farm, she has a particular love for foals and youngstock. Chloe’s equine experience extends to working on a hunt yard, and abroad in America at a racing yard. She followed her passion to work with animals, and completed an Animal Management course at Moreton Morrell in 2016, and passed with a Distinction.  Chloe started training as an equine veterinary nurse in 2019 and qualified in July 2021. Chloe was promoted to Deputy Head Nurse in February 2023 and oversees the running of our surgical theatre facility.
 

Outside of work, Chloe enjoys horse riding and team chasing, as well as spending time on the stud at home. She is very experienced in handling foals and youngstock, so is a particular asset to our team during the height of the stud season!

Sue has an HND in Biological Science and has worked with many types of horses including eventers, hunters and polo ponies. Prior to working at Bourton Vale, she spent five seasons with leading National Hunt Trainer Nigel Twiston Davies. In her spare time, she enjoys competing her own horse and baking delicious brownies (which sometimes we are lucky enough to sample..!).

 

Sue has been with us at Bourton Vale since 2006, so is a familiar face to many clients and a hugely valuable member of our team! She is responsible for managing our dispensary; ensuring our vets cars are stocked up with everything they need to service their patients. Sue is our lead bone scan technician; and spends many hours processing the images for interpretation by our team of vets.

Magda first joined the Bourton Vale team in 2007 as a groom. She had been working in Poland prior to this where she gained a qualification in Management and Marketing, with a specialism in Logistics. Magda is an experienced rider and, before leaving Poland, worked as a riding instructor and was a regular on the showjumping circuit. Deciding she needed to get back in the saddle, Magda moved to Newmarket and spent some time breaking in racehorses, before returning to the Cotswolds to work at local racehorse trainers, Richard Phillips and Martin Keighley. 

 

Magda thankfully decided to return to us again in 2018 as an Equine Nursing Assistant. Magda's extensive equine experience in saddle and on the ground means that she has a phenomenal understanding of horses, which is hugely beneficial to us in her role here. She works closely with our vets and their patient's to ensure the safety of both. Even the most nervous patients seem to relax when Magda is on the end of the lead rope.

 

In her spare time, Magda enjoys scuba diving and exploring the UK.  

Amy joined the Bourton Vale nursing team in July 2021. She started her career as a veterinary nurse in small animal practice, before securing her dream job as an equine nurse, working for an equine hospital in Wiltshire.

 

Despite passing her final exams in March 2019 to become a registered veterinary nurse, Amy has chosen to further her education by studying for a higher-level diploma in equine veterinary nursing at Hartpury College, starting in September 2021. Her areas of particular interest include equine behaviour, lameness rehabilitation, neonatal nursing and inpatient intensive care. Outside of work she enjoys visiting her family in Cornwall and riding her horse “Dashing Dexter”.

Vicki graduated from Hartpury University in 2021 as a Registered Veterinary Nurse. As part of her degree, Vicki spent a year working at B&W Equine Hospital in South Gloucestershire, where she stayed for 3 years before joining the team at Bourton Vale in January 2023. 

 

Vicki has always had a passion for animal care having grown up on a sheep farm in Lancashire and riding from a young age. Vicki has a particular interest in surgical and emergency nursing, including neonatal care. When not at work, Vicki can be found working on a local sheep farm, riding her share horse Bob, or playing rugby for her local rugby club.  

Dennis leads our in-house laboratory and is responsible for processing any samples that we send to external laboratories. Dennis will be graduating from university in July 2023 with a Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Science. His main interests are biochemistry, cytology, and diagnostic science. He has always loved animals and a career in supporting them alongside his interests in laboratory work is a dream.

 

Outside of work you’ll find him at the gym, reading manga or playing games.

Gemma joined the yard team at Bourton Vale in January 2022. She previously graduated from Hartpury College with a degree in Equine Science with Therapy. Gemma then stayed on at the college and worked in the therapy centre, and latterly at a dressage stud yard.

Outside of work Gemma enjoys spending time with her friends.