Industry award sponsored by Harper Adams

Posted 25 October 2013

The winner of an animal health industry award sponsored by Harper Adams University was presented with their prize at a special ceremony in London.

Alison Holloway, who works at Fenwold Veterinary Practice in Lincolnshire, won the Harper Adams Mastermind Award at the 2013 Over the Counter Awards held at the London Marriott County Hall on Wednesday.

Compere Sean Sparling and Over the Counter editor Catherine Paice were joined by TV vet and guest speaker Zara Bowland and 100 industry guests.

The awards, now in their ninth year, showcase individuals and companies from the animal health sector who go that extra mile for their customers and act as ambassadors for the industry.

The award sponsored by Harper Adams is a Mastermind-style competition that seeks to find a Suitably Qualified Person (SQP) or store manager who is on another level in terms of their depth of knowledge on disease management, animal health, and the farming and food industry.

Alison, from Spilsby, said: “I‘m very excited. It’s a huge privilege to be here today in such a lovely setting. Coming from a rural place it’s very special to be here in London.

“It’s quite humbling as I know the standard of SQP across the country is tremendously high. There are an awful lot of people out there doing a great job so I am pleased to have got recognition with this award for doing what I do.”

A Suitably Qualified Person (SQP) is the legal term for animal medicine advisors who form a category of professionally qualified people who are entitled to prescribe and/or supply certain veterinary medicines in the UK under the Veterinary Medicines Regulations. 

A potential SQP must register with the Animal Medicines Training Regulatory Authority (AMTRA), as the body holding the professional register, but Harper Adams awards the necessary academic credits, whether assessment takes place at the university or at another centre.

Carwyn Ellis, Head of the Animal Production, Welfare and Veterinary Sciences Department at Harper Adams, who presented the award to Alison, said: “Harper Adams are pleased to sponsor this important award. We are impressed again this year with the quality of the applicants. All of the applicants are worthy of recognition and reflected well the knowledge base of SQPs.”

The runner up this year was Andrew Pattison of RM Jones, who received a highly commended certificate.