Dannevirke: Practice receives further recognition

Vet Services Hawke's Bay veterinarian Richard Hilson accepting the Alan Baldry Award for services to the sheep and beef cattle industry. Photo / Phil Stewart

Vet Services Hawke's Bay veterinarian Richard Hilson is this year's recipient of the Alan Baldry Award - given out annually to a member of the Society of Sheep and Beef Cattle Veterinarians of the New Zealand Veterinarian Association who has made a significant contribution to the country's sheep and beef cattle industry.

The award - a shepherd's crook - was presented at the Sheep and Beef Cattle veterinarians and Deer veterinarians' conference in Queenstown this month, and was something of a surprise, Mr Hilson says.

"I was pretty happy to receive it though as it is a significant award within production animal vet circles and represents a lot of veterinary endeavour by many well-known vets across many aspects of our work."

The award was instigated in New Zealand in February 1989 in memory of Alan Baldry, a distinguished member of the British Sheep Veterinary Society who died in a car crash while in New Zealand.

Among those to receive it since then have been other Vet Services Hawke's Bay veterinarians - Dave Quinlivan, Bert Middelberg and Richard Lee.

It's a record no other practice is likely to better, suggests Mr Hilson, and reflects how closely the practice is aligned to its sheep and beef clients.

He made special mention of two vets who had had an impact on his career.

One, the late Bert Middelberg, was an original Vet Services (HB) owner, practice manager and also Richard's father-in-law.

"He taught me most of what I know about professionalism, service, ethics and cynicism as well as instilling in me a very parochial attitude towards Hawke's Bay as our practice area."

The other was Ron Jackson, who practised in Bert's era, and worked with Richard during the Bearing study in 2001-2002.

"He showed me the practical interaction between vet practice and science when undertaking research ... " Mr Hilson said.

-Born in Central Hawke's Bay, Mr Hilson has been with Vet Services Hawke's Bay for 24 years and was the original recipient of the Lycette Trust Award.