BEVA names Kate Blakeman president at 2026 Congress

The British Equine Veterinary Association used its 2026 Congress to make two messages clear: leadership transition and professional recognition. Dr. Kate Blakeman, an equine clinician and academic at the University of Nottingham, has been appointed BEVA president for 2026/27, succeeding Imogen Burrows at the end of the September 9-12 congress in Birmingham. Alongside the leadership change, BEVA honored six award recipients for clinical research, welfare work, nursing leadership, and early-career promise. (equimanagement.com)

The appointment comes at a high-profile moment for the association. BEVA Congress is the group’s flagship annual event and one of Europe’s biggest equine veterinary meetings, with more than 100 exhibitors this year and on-demand access to lectures after the event. BEVA’s 2026 annual general meeting was also scheduled during congress, reinforcing the meeting’s role not just as a continuing education venue, but as a place where the profession’s direction is set. (beva.org.uk)

Blakeman brings a mixed practice-and-academia resume that helps explain the choice. According to BEVA and EquiManagement, she graduated from the University of Liverpool, spent 16 years in ambulatory equine practice with a particular interest in stud medicine, completed multiple breeding seasons in Australia, and joined the University of Nottingham in 2023 as assistant clinical professor in equine practice. She has served on BEVA Council for six years and has recently led updates to pregnancy guidance, supported career programs such as Leg Up and Back in the Saddle, and chaired BEVA’s Clinical Practice Committee. (beva.org.uk)

In BEVA’s announcement, Blakeman framed her presidential year around workforce connection rather than a narrow clinical agenda. She said she wants to focus on “the people who make equine practice what it is,” and on creating more opportunities for professionals in ambulatory practice, referral practice, academia, and industry to learn from one another. That emphasis fits with BEVA’s recent visible investment in career support, student and new-graduate access, and nurse inclusion at congress and across its programming. (beva.org.uk)

The awards presented at congress add context to that message. BEVA’s Equine Welfare Award went to Phillippa Pritchard for work advancing both physical and emotional wellbeing for hospitalized horses and for supporting pet parents facing difficult welfare decisions. The Nurse Empowerment Award went to Cassie Woods, recognized for promoting ambulatory nursing and supporting student nurses. Molly McClean received the One to Watch Award for early-career clinical promise. Research honors also went to Dr. Euan Bennet for work on fatal musculoskeletal injury risk factors in Thoroughbreds, Camilo Morales for research on vonoprazan pharmacokinetics and gastric pH in horses, and Pius Spiesshofer for a paper on superficial digital flexor tendon branch injuries. (beva.org.uk)

For veterinary professionals, the bigger takeaway is that BEVA appears to be tying professional recognition more closely to workforce sustainability. The leadership slate now includes Blakeman as president, James Crabtree as president elect, and Nicky Housby-Skeggs as junior vice president, while new council and nurse committee members were also named. That combination suggests continued attention to how equine practice recruits, supports, and retains clinicians and nurses, especially as the field balances ambulatory care demands, advanced referral medicine, and teaching the next generation. This is particularly relevant for practices thinking about mentorship, return-to-work support, and how to make equine careers more durable over time. (equimanagement.com)

There wasn’t much independent outside commentary available immediately after the announcement, but BEVA’s own materials point to a broad industry-facing agenda. Congress this year highlighted not only scientific sessions, but exhibitor engagement, student bursaries, and career-development access, which supports the view that the association is trying to widen participation and lower barriers to staying in equine work. That’s an inference from BEVA’s recent announcements, rather than an explicit policy statement, but it aligns with Blakeman’s stated priorities. (beva.org.uk)

Why it matters: For equine veterinary teams, leadership changes at BEVA can translate into practical shifts in guidance, education, and professional support. Blakeman’s track record suggests her term may put as much weight on workforce wellbeing and career pathways as on clinical standards alone. For practices, that could mean more emphasis on resources that support retention, interprofessional teamwork, and smoother career progression for vets and nurses. (beva.org.uk)

What to watch: The next signals will be whether BEVA rolls out new people-focused initiatives during Blakeman’s 2026/27 term, how those connect to existing programs like Back in the Saddle, and when the organization announces the delayed Sam Hignett Award result from the 2026 congress clinical research sessions. (beva.org.uk)