Peter qualified from the Univeristy of Liverpool in 1981 and has worked at Skeldale for longer than he cares to admit!  He worked with Alf White and Donald Sinclair, the original James Herriot and Siegfried Farnon, and enjoys telling the younger vets tales from his time with them which leaves them wondering if he ever made an appearance in the James Herriot books!  Peter enjoys small animal internal medicine as well as equine work, but is also regularly seen out on farm visits.  When not working, Peter enjoys playing Bridge, gardening, takes part in tractor rallies, and spending time with his family.

Tim qualified from the Univeristy of Liverpool in 1984 and aside from being a practice partner is also our go-to “Mr. Fix-It” if anything breaks down.  He is an active family man and enjoys both watching and playing rugby.  He is a skilled orthopaedic surgeon, performing both routine procedures such as cruciate repairs and also emergency fracture fixation.  Like Peter, Tim also worked with Alf White and Donald Sinclair and if pressed has many great stories to tell!

Julian qualified from the University of Cambridge in 1996.  He is particularly passionate about small animal medicine, including cardiology, opthalmology, dermatology and obstetrics as well as soft tissue and orthopaedic surgery.  He is the practice action man, regularly competing in triathlons, Iron Man races, and is a world record holder for 24 hour indoor rowing!  He was selected for the GB age group duathlon team in 2014 and is proud to compete for his country.  As if all that isn’t enough, he also participates in ski mountaineering!  When he isn’t competing himself, he spends time with his wife Anne, also a vet, transporting their two sons to various sporting events and walking his Jack Russell Emy.

Sarah qualified from The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh in 2010 after receiving a BSc in Animal Sciences with a specialization in Equine Sciences from Rutgers University in her home state of New Jersey in the US.  Before joining the Skeldale team, Sarah worked in Malton, specializing in equine reproduction after spending a year in ambulatory equine practice after first qualifying.   Despite the American accent, Sarah much prefers to identify with her Yorkshire heritage and enjoys walking her two terriers, Tucker and Dotty, and her red lab, Pigeon, throughout the beautiful countryside.  Professionally, Sarah still pursues her interest in equine medicine, with a keen interest in equine reproduction and the management of colics, but now also enjoys canine and feline internal medicine and is enjoying the change to a mixed practice. 

Ruth, originally from the Black Isle in the Highlands, qualified from The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh in 2013.  She moved down to Yorkshire to experience an adventure across the border.  She is interested in all aspects of general practice with a particular interest in farm work, soft tissue surgery, and pain management.  Outside of work she can be found attempting (with varied success) to train Rhum the labrador for field trials when he isn’t too busy terrorising Simon the cat and Gertrude the rabbit, rescues from the practice.

Alison qualified from the Royal Veterinary College, London in 2014 and also holds a degree in Animal Sciences from the University of Leeds. Originally from Harrogate, Alison is enjoying being back in her home county and experiencing true Yorkshire veterinary life. Alison can often be found with one of her dogs or out horse riding.  Professionally, Alison enjoys small animal and equine medicine as well as a strong interest in animal welfare and ethics.

Sarah acts as the practice mother hen who keeps everyone in line, or at least tries to!  She qualified from Askham Bryan in 2011 after studying at Harper Adams and has been working at Skeldale since 2008 and became head nurse in 2012.  As head nurse she supports not only the other nurses but the vets as well.  She is also the Clinical Coach for our two student nurses, Rachel and Katy, and spends time teaching them the practical and theoretically skills which they need to become nurses themselves.  When she’s not at the practice, Sarah enjoys hunting and eventing her horse Bertie, picking up during the shooting season, and playing her clarinet.  She has Rosie, a little rescue terrier she adopted from the practice, as well as a pack of spaniels and labradors which keep her busy.

Katy is in her second year of training to become a qualified Veterinary Nurse, training at the College of Animal Welfare in Leeds.  When not at Skeldale, Katy also works at a local gastropub.  During the rare occasions when she is not working, Katy is a member of the Thirsk and Sowerby Harriers and runs in 10K races, mostly so she can eat lots of cake afterwards!  Katy also enjoys photography and spends the winters shooting and picking-up.

Helen is one of our qualified veterinary nurses and is always a ray of sunshine in the practice!  Helen qualified from Plumpton in 2003 and started working at Skeldale in 2005.  Helen particularly enjoys anaesthesia and monitoring surgical patients, but is also just as happy in the front running regular nursing clinics - including her favourite, our free weight watchers clinics where she works with clients on a one-to-one basis in order to improve the health of their dogs or cats (or even rabbits!) by critically assessing and helping manage their nutrition.  Outside of work Helen is kept out of trouble by her young family, which includes several horses, cats, and a red labrador named Erik.

Sylvia is one of our three receptionists and can be found most afternoons working non-stop to keep us organized.  When she is not at the clinic Sylvia is an avid gardener and a fantastic florist, and also enjoys the odd game of flat green bowls.  She can also be found singing in the Topcliffe Church Choir and is an active member of her community, being part of both the Village Hall Committee and the Parochial Church Council.  She has a Border Terrier named Harvey and eight budgies, all of which keep her very busy!

Emily is the owner and founder of Posh Pooches and although not officially a staff member of Skeldale Veterinary Centre she is most definitely one of the family.  Posh Pooches provides expert grooming to all types of dogs, from the humblest of mix breeds to the fanciest pedigree.  Emily qualified from Askham Bryan in 2010 and holds a City & Guilds Level 1 Certificate in Professional Dog Grooming, as well as a National Diploma in Horse Management.  Emily offers a variety of styles to suite every dog and owner’s preference, from a simple bath to show trims and grooms and has a variety of shampoo and conditioners to suite any dog.  Emily grooms many of the dogs of our staff, and when not busy with other people’s she makes sure that her Miniature Poodle Duchess is always looking immaculate.

Sharon is one of our receptionists and is very good at making sure all the vets and nurses are behaving themselves, although she is not aversive to causing some mischief herself.  She prides herself on her customer service and works diligently to make sure all the clients of Skeldale Veterinary Centre are well taken care of from the moment they walk through the doors to the moment they leave.  Outside of work Sharon is a true country girl at heart, enjoying most countryside pursuits including walking her labradors, Ash and Willow, going for picnics, enjoying open air shows, as well as attending as many game and country fairs as possible.

Marion, our Practice Manager, has worked for Skeldale for over 30 years and knows the clinic inside and out.  As Practice Manager, Marion works mostly behind the scenes to ensure the smooth running of the practice.  In her spare time Marion can either be found riding motorbikes or walking her two Springer Spaniels.

Cathy started working for Skeldale in 1996 as a veterinary nurse but moved to a receptionist position after several years “in the back.”  She  can usually be found manning the reception desk on Saturday mornings although has been known to be in on the odd weekday.  When not at Skeldale she is usually chasing her young children around her dairy farm, followed closely by her black lab Geoffrey and her little terrier Midge.  She is also reschooling an ex-racehorse named Edward and is enjoying being back in the saddle after too many years off.

Rachel is also a student nurse who is training at Askham Bryan College in York.  Rachel is very active in the Hurworth Hunt, with whom she rides out with most weekends during the season with her horse William.  Rachel also has two point-to-pointers which she keeps fit and enjoys preparing for their races.  When not on a horse Rachel is usually found out with her numerous gun dogs, including her homebred red labrador Flick.  And if the horses and dogs weren’t enough, Rachel rehomed a very large rabbit named Peter which was rehomed from Skeldale.