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XLVets get on their bikes....

XLVet member practices will be getting on their bikes and cycling to this year’s Dairy Event & Livestock Show, at Stoneleigh Park and raising money for two charities along the way.

The two XLVets calves will also be making the journey; one is starting at XLVets Northvet practice in Orkney and the other at XLVets Rosevean practice in Penzance.  The calves have to be on the XLVets stand at the 2009 Dairy Event, so the 42 XLVet member practices are getting on their bikes riding between practices and by working together, will get the calves safely to the show.

The event will herald the start of the XLVets autumn calf campaign, which focuses on promoting good calf husbandry.  Following on from the journey of the two XLVet calves, a series of autumn calf health meetings will take place across the UK.  The campaign will help raise awareness with farmers of the positive contribution that proactive veterinary involvement can make to the health of calves – the future of the herd.

As a nationwide group XLVet members work together, sharing experience, knowledge and skills in order to define and deliver the highest standards of veterinary practice, animal health and productivity.  They strive to be at the heart of their farm client’s business; as the primary source of highly valued on-farm advice and the central co-ordinating consultant for other farm services.

The bike ride will be raising money for two farming charities.  The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) is a charity that supports members of the farming community facing need, hardship or distress.  The second charity, Farm Africa, is an international charity that provides training and support for poor rural communities to identify their needs and implement appropriate solutions to the key problems they face. 

XLVet member practices will be cycling throughout August and during September, finishing with the arrival of the two calves at the Dairy Event & Livestock Show on Wednesday 16 September 2009.  Progress of the cyclists and calves can be monitored by visiting the XLVets website www.xlvets.co.uk. 

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Progress updates from the XLVet member practices:

Andy Cant from Northvet Veterinary Group, Orkney;

"Magnus the calf set sail on the Hascosay tonight which appropriatley enough transports all the livestock out of Orkney. He had a nice few days here enjoyed seeing our newly refurbished premises in Kirkwall and had a few refreshments with the Kirkwall City Pipe Band before heading out to the Hascosay to be transported FOC by our friends at Northlink Ferries to Aberdeen. He inspected his livestock cassette trailer which are all nice and new and shiny, he watched the loading of the boat but unfortuneately took fright had to be sedated with bubble wrap and was eventually man handled on to the boat by the Captain himself."

Linda Forsyth from Ardene House Veterinary Practice, Aberdeen

"Magnus took a wee while to get over his trip on the ferry but once he’d settled down we put him to work supervising the builders working on our extension.  As a reward for his good behaviour he had an outing to the seaside and got fairly frisky at feeling the sand between his cleats.  No trip to Aberdeen beach is complete without a visit to the Inversnecky but unfortunately the sign on the door said ‘No animals’ so Magnus had to settle for a 99 outside.