EQUIVET AUSTRAILA - NEWSLETTER - AUTUMN 2004

Welcome to the autumn newsletter of WEVS. I would like to tell you that there will be three more this year but I think it is a couple of years since the last one so I shouldn't be so ambitious. It is a good chance to take advantage of the slight lull before the storm (next breeding season) to bring everybody up to date with what is happening at the surgery.

Robyn and I are off to England again to work the Northern Hemisphere breeding season with Jonathan Pycock in Yorkshire. Only six weeks this year! We are off on the 15th of May and will be back at the end of June. Almost as soon as we are back we are off to Darwin for a major equine reproduction conference featuring stud vets from all over the world including Kentucky and Newmarket. It will give us a welcome update on all the latest equipment and techniques.

Many of you are kind to ask after my family- Sally is working at Qld Uni in administration. Her job is to try to attract overseas students to the Uni. She is currently in Malaysia doing just that! Tim is still enjoying the surf at Noosa but has finally discovered the work ethic. He works during the day as a landscape gardener and at night in swanky restaurant on Hastings St. He is off to Thailand next month (Bin Laden willing!!!) Penny (PK) is studying for a BA. with majors in psychology and industrial relations part time at Qld Uni and working to support herself at Brighteyes at Indoorpilly. She is off to the USA for six months at the end of the year. Robyn and I got back from England last year in time to celebrate my mum's 90th birthday. She is still as sharp as a tack and made it down to the Inglis sales at Easter with us again this year. I know I am very fortunate to have her.

The pig is dead; long live the goat! Many of you will remember hearing of the escapades of our pet porcine "Esmerelda". She was a somewhat misguided gift from me to my youngest daughter PK for her tenth birthday. Ezzy lasted till just three days short of PK's twenty-first birthday party and in her passing finally answered the question of how long pigs live!! She will be sadly missed.

We were all saddened last week to hear of the passing of our old friend Bob Williams who was well known and respected by the stud fraternity. We wish Jill and the rest of the family the very best.

We are in the progress of upgrading our Web Page. Have a look at it; hopefully you will find some fun and useful information on it. The address is www.equivetaustralia.com.au. Finally, many of you ask after Laurie Hughes; our wonderful assistant at the E.B.C. As you may know, Laurie has been battling some health problems but I am glad to report that he now seems to be on the mend. His problems certainly have not affected his wonderful sense of humour or his generosity of spirit. He and Judy have brought themselves a new farm at Mt Tyson but I hope he will continue to help us for many years to come. We wish him well as we do others of our clients who have been experiencing health problems particularly Ann Overell and Wendy Rosbrook. Both of whom I am glad to say, appear to be progressing well.

The Equine Breeding Centre continues to grow each year. This last breeding season we have had to put in more holding yards; built a large new veterinary barn (courtesy of our friends Greg and Wendy Rosbrook) and opened a new embryo transfer and frozen semen laboratory. Robyn handles most of the breeding work at the E.B.C. and has enjoyed another excellent result using frozen semen. She is still breeding mares at the moment and is aiming for a 100% result with the fabulous new Quarter horse stallion "Dual Rey" whose frozen semen has been imported from the U.S.A. for the first time by Richard Bull. Embryo transfer still occupies much of her time during the breeding season and despite its frustrations, she has achieved an excellent result.

We have a new vet! Many of you will have met the pretty young fraulein from Germany; Susanne Becker. Susanne is bursting with new knowledge and enthusiasm and we welcome her to the team. She has her own farm at Pilton and competes at carriage driving competitions with her Andalusians. Eric Klauii and Alex Newcombe joined us again last year for the breeding season and it was wonderful to have them. Eric is an excellent veterinarian and is a great asset to the practice. He and Alex are hoping to emigrate and be able to help us permanently. We will certainly be giving them all the assistance we can in that endeavour. This year we also had help from Patrick Traill who was also excellent. I hope he can join us again in the future.

Many of you will remember Sam Nugent who worked for me for several years. He left to work in Scone and later Newmarket in the U.K. We were fortunate last year to be able to attend his wedding to the delightful and beautiful Pommie Rachel (also a excellent veterinarian) They too are hoping to return to Oz and may help us for a while during the breeding season.

Robyn and I will see you again in July-just in time for the winter newsletter!! Remember if you need to contact us while we are away, phone the office or email us on equivetaust@hotkey.net.au.

Take care. Max and Robyn