Horsepower fuels charity bid by Professor David Bardell
David Bardell, Professor in Veterinary Anaesthesia at the University’s Leahurst campus, is about to set off on a motorcycle tour of Europe…with a difference.
That’s because David will be part of a 12-strong team lecturing on all aspects of equine health, during a 3,000-mile round trip to the Czech Republic, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium, which also aims to raise thousands of pounds for charity.
The planned tour, starting on Wednesday, 29 May, is the latest adventure from Vets with Horsepower, an initiative established in 2010 by then University of Liverpool professor, Derek Knottenbelt, after he won a Harley Davidson motorcycle in a raffle.
Vets with Horsepower
The win prompted Derek, a non-rider, to not only gain his motorcycle license, but to combine his professional knowledge of horses and equine veterinary treatment with his new-found passion for riding, to help raise money for both animal and human charities.
Derek’s plan involved recruiting fellow vets who also rode, to go on tour offering lectures to students, veterinary nurses and vets on all aspects of equine health, as part of a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programme which would be supported through company sponsorship and donations from vets, nurses, horse owners and students who would come to listen to the talks at the stop-off points along the route.
Fast forward 14 years, including a break during the Covid-19 pandemic when the team fundraised online in a 24-hour virtual CPD marathon, and David is ready to get in gear to take on the latest challenge.
David’s story
David (pictured above far left) is currently Head of the Anaesthesia Service in the veterinary hospitals at Leahurst. Whilst principally an equine vet, colleagues may also know David for his work at the small animal hospital, as well as for field research projects conducted with researchers in the School of Environmental Services. He joined Vets with Horsepower 10 years ago and cannot wait to get on the road once more.
During the tour, David will regularly lecture on post-operative pain management, analgesia of colic cases and anaesthesia of the late-term and foaling mare.
On his experience of Vets with Horsepower, Professor David Bardell said: “I cannot wait to get back in the saddle and take our lectures into central Europe.
“As well as allowing us to educate and develop equine professionals worldwide, our annual tours enable us to raise much needed funds for a range of charities. And if that isn’t enough, I get to spend my time with great people, seeing new places and meeting ambitious and truly devoted vets and veterinary support staff along the way.”
David will be on the road for 12 days, with the aim of passing through villages, towns and cities beginning with every letter of the alphabet whilst incorporating lecture stops, and he’s prepared for all eventualities, saying: “We’ve driven through torrential rain, thunderstorms and hail, heatwaves which not only cause you to overheat but your bike too, we’ve had a few mechanical failures, the odd spill and more on my recent adventures so there’s not much that phases us and I know I can rely on the comradeship of the group to get through even the most challenging circumstances.”
Making a difference
To date, Vets with Horsepower has raised over £1 million for good causes, with monies raised helping people and animals all over the world. Here is just a snapshot of what they have achieved:
- Provided financial stability, equipment and facilities for the Bamako riding school for disabled children rehabilitation programme in Mali and equipped the Mali and Mauritania centres with modern diagnostic and surgical equipment (SPANA)
- Funded 550 cleft palate operations in India (Smile Train)
- Built and equipped a new hospital and educational centre in Makasutu, Gambia, including a horse ambulance and X-ray equipment (Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust)
- Provided funds and equipment for veterinary care of working horses and donkeys in some of the poorest areas of South Africa (Highveld Horsecare Unit and Bizana Project)
- Funded a new kitchen, bathroom and laundry facilities for Ethelbert Child and Youth Care Centre, South Africa
David continues: “I had the good fortune to visit the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust’s hospital several years ago so I have seen first-hand the potential for the amazing impact that Vets with Horsepower has in the global equine community and in some of our most deprived regions.”
David and his colleagues will be hitting the road very soon and we wish him a safe journey!
Support Vets with Horsepower on their latest tour
You can support David and the rest of the 2024 Vets with Horsepower riders by donating on their website (they are a registered charity) or visiting their Facebook page.