A newly qualified animal medicines advisor beat off competition from almost 1,000 other students to scoop the top prize at a national awards ceremony.
Stephanie Batehup, who works at Carrs Billington’s Longtown and Carlisle Country Store branches, was honoured at the Animal Medicines Training Regulatory Authority (AMTRA) Awards for the best performing students.
Stephanie came top in the all-species category, gaining the Simon Fleet Cup sponsored by Zoetis, and then from the four categories was the top overall student and winner of the AHDA Cup sponsored by Elanco.
She was presented with her two trophies at the 35th Animal Health Distributors Association conference gala dinner in Birmingham.
After passing her studies, Stephanie is now an SQP or Suitably Qualified Person, meaning she has the required professional expertise to prescribe a range of veterinary medicines.
Stephanie said she was delighted her hard work had paid off. She is now putting her training to good use coming up with solutions for farmers, equine owners and pet lovers all looking for the best care for their animals.
Stephanie, who also has a First in Applied Animal Sciences, said: “It was very exciting and it’s always good to be recognised for the effort you’ve put in.
“The best part of the job is we get people coming in and telling us about what’s happening with their animals or on their farms. It’s all about the communication with those customers.”
AMTRA Secretary General Stephen Dawson said: “This is a demonstration of both high levels of knowledge and the ability to put that knowledge into practice for the benefit of customers and their animals, as well as the commitment of the individual and the effective support of the business in training her.”
Carrs Billington employs more than 140 SQPs within its branch network and field sales staff backing its commitment to UK farmers and supplying products and services to the rural community.
Carlisle and Longtown branch Manager Paul Dinsdale said: “We are really proud of Steph’s achievement, particularly as we train our staff in-house. The hard work and dedication of our Registered Animal Medicine Advisors helps us to provide tailor-made animal health solutions for our valued customer base.”
