Tim Mair BVSc PhD DEIM DESTS DipECEIM AssocECVDI FRCVS

Head of Hospital - Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine & Equine Surgery (Soft Tissue)

Tim graduated from the University of Bristol in 1980. He then worked for two years in a mixed practice in Kent before returning to the University of Bristol as a Horserace Betting Levy Board scholar to undertake research in equine immunology and respiratory disease. He obtained a PhD in 1986 and then stayed at Bristol as a Wellcome Trust Lecturer in Equine Medicine. He returned to mixed practice in 1990, and joined Bell Equine in 1992, becoming a partner in 1995.

He has obtained diplomas in equine medicine and surgery, and is a recognised specialist of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) in Equine Soft Tissue Surgery. He is a founding diplomate of the European College of Equine Internal Medicine, and is a European specialist in Equine Internal Medicine.

He has been editor of Equine Veterinary Education, the official journal of the British Equine Veterinary Association and the American Association of Equine Practitioners, since 1996. He has an interest in clinical research (currently concentrating on MRI, colic, neoplasia, parasitology, skin tumours, antibiotics and clinical audit), and has published widely in the professional veterinary literature (with over 2000 peer-reviewed veterinary articles). He has also written and edited several books on equine veterinary medicine and surgery. He has acted as an external examiner for veterinary undergraduates at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and the University of Bristol, and in 2007 he became a Visiting Professor at the RVC. He has been on the council of the British Equine Veterinary Association, serving as President in 2019-2020 and sits on several RCVS  and professional committees.

Tim leads the hospital services at Bell Equine and has special interests in equine medicine, colic, soft tissue surgery and MRI / CT. He also supervises our residency, intern and extern programmes, as well as being the Equine Veterinary Director of CVS Ltd.

Tim is married with four children. In the little free time that he has, Tim enjoys time with his family, walking, gardening and getting away from the telephone.

Evita Busschers DVM MVR FHEA DACVS DECVS DACVSMR MRCVS

Specialist in Equine Surgery & Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation

Evita graduated from Utrecht University in the Netherlands in 2002. After graduation she completed an internship in private practice and worked for a year as an equine ambulatory vet in the Netherlands. In 2004 she moved to the USA and completed an internship, residency and one year lecturer position at New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania, working with a wide variety of horses and training as a general equine surgeon.

She became a diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2009, after which she returned to Europe and worked as an equine surgeon in a referral practice in the Netherlands for a year and a half years. From 2011 she worked at the University of Bristol as a Senior Teaching Fellow in Equine Surgery, performing clinical work, research and teaching students and residents. She has been an invited speaker at national and international conferences and has several publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Evita has a specific interest in orthopaedics, minimally invasive surgery, sports medicine and rehabilitation. She enjoys the challenge of investigating and treating horses with poor performance as well as horses with back and riding problems. She also has a special interest in the field of preventing injuries. Evita became a Diplomat of the American College of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation (Equine) in 2014 and a Diplomat of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2015. She joined Bell Equine in 2018.

Outside work Evita enjoys spending time with her two young daughters and spending time outdoors walking her flat-coated Retriever Daico or going out for a run.

Michael De Cozar BSc (Hons) BVetMed DipECVS MRCVS

Specialist in Equine Surgery

Michael graduated from The Royal Veterinary College in 2011, before joining Bell Equine in May 2012 to undertake a hospital internship. He subsequently  spent several years on our ambulatory tream before joinging the hospital team to completed a three year residency in equine surgery. He obtained his European Diploma in Equine Surgery in 2024 and is now part of the hospital specialist clinical team.

Michael's main clinical interests are in all areas surgical, but particularly in soft tissue, orthopaedics and emergency surgery. Michael has published scientific research into post-operative complications in colic patients whish is another area of keen interest to him. He enjoys all areas of clinical practice, in addition to promoting animal welfare and maintaining the human-animal bond. 

Michael's outside interests include riding and schooling performance horses, swimming, urban dancing, keeping fit and scuba diving.

Alison Fairburn BVSc DipECVDI-LA MRCVS

Specialist in Diagnostic Imaging

After graduating from Liverpool University in 2008, Alison completed an internship in equine diagnostic imaging and orthopaedics at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket. She then moved to Lancashire and spent three years at a large equine practice where she continued to pursue her interest in lameness and imaging.

Alison then completed a four year large animal diagnostic imaging residency at Bristol University, where she obtained her European Diploma in Diagnostic imaging (large animal), before joining Bell Equine in 2017. She loves all aspects of equine diagnostic imaging and also enjoys lameness diagnosis and acute orthopaedic work (investigation of severe lameness, wounds, swollen limbs etc).

Outside of work she enjoys being outdoors, especially cycling, running with her labrador Betty and attemping to grown her own food!

Antonio Hinojosa LdoVet, MSc, CertAVM(ED), Advanced Practitioner in Equine Dentistry, MRCVS

Antonio graduated from Córdoba University (Spain) in 1994. After graduating, he headed to the USA where he undertook an externship program at Louisiana State University. He obtained further clinical training at Edinburgh University, from where he completed a specialised Master degree in Equine Reproduction. He then returned to the USA to undertake a clinical residency at Oklahoma State University. After completion of his residency he returned to work in Equine Practice in Ireland, the UK and Spain, before settling in the UK in 2009.

Antonio’s main focus nowadays is Equine Dentistry, setting up and developing an Advanced Dentistry Service in his last post in an equine hospital in Wiltshire. He has obtained his Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice (Equine Dentistry) and Advanced Practitioner Status in Equine Dentistry from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS).

Antonio joined Bell Equine in 2018 and is interested on all aspects of equine dentistry, from routine to advance level, and on the pathologies of the paranasal sinuses. 

Outside of work he enjoys family time with his wife and three children, and any spare time is dedicated to coaching basketball and outside activities like cycling, canoeing, sailing, and photography.

Rachel Jago BVM&S MScR DipECEIM MRCVS

Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine

Rachel graduated from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh, in 2006. She worked in a busy equine and large animal ambulatory practice for four years, prior to a two year internship at Newmarket Equine Hospital. She then completed a four-year residency in equine medicine and a MSc by research in equine grass sickness at the University of Edinburgh.

She returned to Newmarket Equine Hospital to work as a locum equine medicine consultant and then back to Edinburgh again for a Horserace Betting Levy Board PhD in the equine athletic heart. She is a diplomate of the European College of Equine Internal Medicine.

Rachel joined the team at Bell Equine in November 2021. Whilst enjoying all aspects of equine internal medicine, she particularly enjoys cardiology, ophthalmology and respiratory cases, together with the work up of emergencies and management of critical care patients.

Edd Knowles MA VetMB MVetMed PhD DipECEIM MRCVS

Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine

Edd graduated from Cambridge University in 2005. He worked in small animal practice at the PDSA for 18 months before joining BEVC as an intern in January 2007. After completing his internship he stayed at Bell Equine as an ambulatory vet for a further two to three years. In 2010 Edd undertook a three year specialist training program in Equine Internal Medicine in collaboration with the Royal Veterinary College and became a European Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine.

Edd has broad interests in all aspects of equine medicine with a particular interest in laminitis and hormonal disease. Edd also has a strong interest in clinical research. He has completed a PhD in laminitis at the Royal Veterinary College and continues to balance his clinical work with research into equine muscle disease, laminitis and metabolic disease. Edd works on laboratory medicine with Axiom Veterinary Laboratories - our partner diagnostic laboratory, and treats medical cases at the hospial

Outside work, Edd enjoys many outdoor pursuits including sailing, skiing, walking and climbing.

Ceri Sherlock BVetMed (Hons) MS MVetMed DipACVS-LA DipECVDI-LA DECVS MRVCS

Specialist in Equine Surgery and Diagnostic Imaging

Ceri graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2004 before joining Bell Equine as an intern. She spent 2 years with us predominantly in the hospital prior to embarking on a specialised surgical residency and Masters program in Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Georgia in America. She became a Diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2010. After completion of the residency and Masters programs, Ceri remained at the University of Georgia as a Clinical Instructor in Large Animal Surgery until 2011. She then returned to the U.K and took up an equine surgical position at The University of Nottingham.

In 2012, Ceri returned to Bell and has since completed a residency in Diagnostic Imaging in conjunction with the Royal Veterinary College. Ceri became a Diplomat of the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging in 2015. Ceri enjoys using her imaging expertise to decipher the problem and treat her surgical cases. She enjoys all types of surgery and plays an active role in the emergency service.

When not looking at horses, Ceri is normally found looking at MRI or CT images in a dark room but occasionally enjoys walking her dog whilst keeping up with her two young turbo-charged daughters!

Janine Astrid Terschuur DVM MRCVS

Janine graduated from the University of Madrid in 2016, and then went on to complete internships at the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Kentucky and the University of Cambridge, before undertaking a 3-year European College of Veterinary Surgeons residency in Equine Surgery at Cotts Equine Hospital in Wales. After completing her residency, she stayed on as a consultant in lameness and surgery at the Cotts Equine Cowbridge branch, whilst also covering the out of hours service at their hospital in Pembrokeshire.

Her main area of interest lies in emergency and general / soft tissue surgery, but she also has a keen interest in lameness diagnosis and treatment, and working to getting horses back to peak performance alongside physiotherapists and farriers.

Outside work she enjoys travelling, discovering new restaurants and wine, going for endless walks with her cocker spaniel Grace and bringing her homebred mare Delilah on to be a future show jumping star.

Maxime Vandersmissen DMV MSc DIP.ECVDI-LA MRCVS

Specialist in Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging

Maxime graduated from Leige University's Vet School in 2013 and worked as an equine vet before focusing on diagnostic imaging in 2016. Maxime completed a residency in large animal diagnostic imaging from 2018 to 2021 at Leige University under supervision of Valeria Busini and Laurence Evrad, earning diplomate status from the ECVDI in 2022. Subsequently, Maxime serves as a senior radiologist in Leige whilse persuing a PhD.

Maxime has joined BELL's imaging team, reading and reporting advanced imaging studies.

Emily Nicholls MRCVS

Emily graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2023 and joined the hospital team to complete an 18 month internship that same year.

Emily enjoys all aspects of hospital work but has a keen interest in internal medicine and diagnostic imaging.

Outside of work, Emily enjoys city breaks and pub trips with friends!

Olivia (aka Livvy) graduated in 2023 from the University of Nottingham and joined the team in 2024.

She is excited to gain experience in all aspects of veterinary hospital work but has a keen interest in lameness.

In her spare time she enjoys travelling and spending time with friends.

Sam Sant BSc (Hons) BVM MRCVS

Sam graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2024 and joined the intern team in the hospital straight away!

Sam lived in Cheshire previously, but is really enjoying his move down south! His main veterinary interests include medicine and surgery, but enjoy all aspects of equine veterinary care.

Outside of work, he enjoys skiing, hiking and watching ice hockey or rugby!

Richard Jones MA VetMB CertEP MRCVS

Richard founded the practice in 1989 after spending twenty years in mixed practice based in Maidstone. At that time it was clear to him that there was a need for a practice specialising in equine work to develop in west Kent. The practice grew rapidly thanks to the dedication of the team that he built up, and he continued to steer and develop it in order to maintain our position as a 'centre of excellence' dedicated to serve the horses and their owners in the community.

Richard retired from the Partnership at the end of 2005, but continues to be involved in the practice.