Julian Allen, a Director of Friars Moor Livestock Health, has been named the winner of the Farmers Weekly Livestock Adviser of the Year Award. Julian has worked at Friars Moor for 26 years and during that time has become known as a dedicated and enthusiastic vet who goes the extra mile to support his clients. His practice Friars Moor is a proud member of the XLVets community of independent veterinary prctices, and another finalist for the award, Ed Hill at Thrums Veterinary Group, also hails from XLVets.

Julian Allen
Image credit: Farmers Weekly

The Livestock Adviser of the Year Award recognises those who have made a real difference to the operations of livestock farmers, and Julian has certainly done that, helping one large Dorset dairy farm reduce its antibiotic usage by two thirds over an eight year period. Julian focuses on dairy cow health and his particular interests include nutrition and benchmarking herd performance.

Julian explains how pleased he was to receive the award. “I was honoured to be named Livestock Adviser of the Year,” he said. “This work is my passion – I love working together with farmers, getting involved in all aspects of herd management and thinking through different options to improve herd health and productivity.”

Runners up for the award were Phil Baynes, Managing Director of Baynes Nutrition, and Ed Hill, veterinary surgeon at Thrums Veterinary Group. Ed Hill’s invaluable help and advice was also celebrated by Neil and Debbie McGowan, clients of Thrums Veterinary Group who won the award for Sheep Farmer of the Year.

Ed Hill

Other Farmers Weekly awards won by clients of XLVets member practices included Dairy Farmer of the Year, won by Robert Mallet, whose clear business focus and high herd health status earned the praise of the judges. Robert registered his appreciation for Drove Farm Vets for making a real contribution to the success of his farm. The Beef Farmer of the Year Award went to James Waight, who celebrated the help of Synergy Vets, while the Mixed Farmer of the Year Award went to Esther and Henry Rudge, who expressed their gratitude to Belmont Farm and Equine Vets. Esther and Henry also won the award for Farm Environmental Champion of the Year, thanks to their strong focus on protecting and enhancing the environment in their 173ha mixed farm in Herefordshire.

All of the above veterinary practices are members of the XLVets community of independent veterinary practices. Alice Renner, Farm Marketing Executive of XLVets, describes her reaction to the awards. “We were so pleased to hear of these awards going to such hard-working and deserving people,” she says. “And it’s a great accolade for our members – reflecting how XLVets practices strive for clinical excellence and really get invested in the success of their clients. We see the collaborative strength of the community every day in the way knowledge is shared to achieve the best outcomes for everyone’s clients, it is fantastic to see this celebrated publicly within the farming community at large.”

Cover image credit: Julien Allen © Tom Askew-Miller