Meet the team

Waikato Veterinary Equine Centre is led by a highly skilled and experienced team of equine veterinarians, assisted by a team of qualified equine veterinary nurses.

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Dr Ronan Costello

MVB, CAC

Dr Alec Jorgensen

BVSc, Cert EP, Dipl ABVP Eq

Dr Douglas Black

BVMS, MANZCVS

Dr Hannah Bowen

BVSc CertAVP (equine medicine) MANZCVS (equine dentistry)

Dr Chris Beggan (Surgical Resident)

BVMS, BSc (Hons), MRCVS

Dr Greg Quinn

BVSc, Cert ES, Dipl ECVS

Dr Emily Jorgensen

BVetMed MRCVS

Dr Lucy Burridge

BVSc

Dr Tara McCrissican

BVMS

Dr Noel Power

MVB

Dr Laurinda Oliver

BSc, BVSc, MS, Dipl ACVS

Dr Alice Addis

BSc(Hons), BVSc, MRCVS

Dr Megan Baines - Taupo Clinic

BVM&S, MRCVS

Dr Jack O'Brien

BVSC, MRCVS

Dr Alicia Howell

BvetMedSci BVM BVS MRCVS

Dr Alex Leander

BVSc, MPhil

Dr Lucy Reichert - Taupo Clinic

BVSc

Chloe Joyce

Diploma in Horse Care & Management

Wibke Dueerkop

Certificate in Equine Science, Pferdewirtin (Certificate in Equine Management)

Hannah Mee

Certificate in Veterinary Nursing

Allana Newman

Nurse (Matamata)

Sophia Barrell

Certificate in Rural Animal Technology

Rhys Mildon

Nurse

Vanessa Bold

Certificate in Veterinary Nursing

Henrikus Swart

Nurse

Jessica Toomey

Bachelor of Veterinary Technology

Hannah-Marie Elliott

Bachelor of Veterinary Technology

Becs Tucker

Clinic Coordinator

Eve Blair

Accounts Administrator

Casey Finlay

Office Coordinator/Nurse (Taupo Clinic)

Greer Gedye

HR Advisor

Mikayla Falconer

Accounts Administrator

Becky Cunningham

Administrator / Receptionist (Matamata)

Fern Feaver

Accounts Administrator

Lori Clarke

Accounts & PR Administrator (Matamata)

Caroline Paterson

Accounts Administrator / Receptionist

Alison Blair

Receptionist

Courtenay Thwaites

Accounts Administrator

Teresa Nairn

Inventory Controller

Peter Grey

Yard Manager

Hannah Kisnorbo

Yard Keeper

Sarah McHarg

Yard Keeper

- Careers

Sound like a bit of you?

View our current vacancies, information on our student/internshipship programme and be able to apply below if you think you may like to join our dedicated team.

VIEW OUR OPEN POSITIONS

Get in touch with us today

For further help and information give our team a call.

GET IN TOUCH
07 827 5570

Cambridge (Head Office)

Taupo

Matamata

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Dr Ronan Costello

MVB, CAC

Having worked with performance horses in the USA and Ireland before moving to New Zealand in 2005, Ronan has an extensive knowledge in thoroughbred racing and sales. He has been attending the yearling sales in Karaka and Australia for the past 10 years. Ronan is a member of the NZB endoscopy panel, working at both the Ready To Run sales and the National Yearling Sales. Attending weanling, yearling and breeze up sales, allows him the opportunity to advise on both pinhooking and race horse purchases. Ronan routinely performs pre-purchase examinations for Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore and other racing jurisdictions.

Dr Alec Jorgensen

BVSC, CERT EP, DIPL ABVP EQ

With a background of residency training in equine sports medicine and lameness in the USA, and a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners Equine Specialty; Alec joined Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre (previously Hamilton Veterinary Services) in 2005. Since then he has had principle responsibility for sales horses within the practice. With an emphasis on quality, consistency and integrity; few veterinarians in Australasia would annually take, review and report on, as many weanling and yearling radiographs as Alec.

Dr Douglas Black

BVMS, MANZCVS

A former Director of Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre (A division of Hamilton Veterinary Services), Doug has over 25 years of sales work experience in both NZ and Australia, complemented by working day in and day out with top race horses and stables in NZ. Doug has been involved in the purchase of some of the best horses to race in NZ, in the last 20 years and he specialises in the performance issues of young thoroughbreds.

Douglas graduated from Glasgow University Veterinary School in 1983. He spent his first two years in mixed practice in North Yorkshire. After six months’ locum work around London in 1985, he spent 12 months in equine practice in Eastern Australia. Doug arrived in NZ in 1986 to join Hamilton Veterinary Services and has worked at the practice ever since. He became a partner in 1992, and shortly after, completed his exams for membership of the New Zealand and Australian College of Veterinary Scientists. His professional interests include lameness and poor performance in young racing thoroughbreds, as part of generalised track work, as well as breeding and yearling sales work. Outside of his professional life he enjoys travel, golf, fine wine and hopes to pursue fly fishing as he finds more time on his hands.

Dr Hannah Bowen

BVSC CERTAVP (Equine Medicine) MANZCVS (Equine Dentistry)

Originally from the UK, Hannah qualified as a veterinary surgeon from the University of Bristol and worked in mixed animal and then first opinion equine practice before undertaking an 18-month internship at the Liphook Equine Hospital. Here she gained experience and training in anesthesia, equine medicine and lameness diagnostics working alongside recognised equine veterinary specialists on a predominately pleasure and sports horse caseload. She complimented this by following on with a six month breeding season internship at Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital in Victoria. This was a fantastic opportunity to continue to develop skills and experience working with predominantly thoroughbred and standardbred horses. She was involved with all areas of vet work in this busy practice including routine broodmare management, advanced breeding technologies, stud farm medicine, anesthesia, intensive neonatal medicine and critical care.

After traveling through Australia and New Zealand for three months she decided the to-do & to-see lists were long enough to warrant a permanent move to NZ in 2010. She worked at Matamata Veterinary Services Equine Clinic where she continued to develop her particular interests in equine internal medicine and anesthesia, completing her RCVS Certificate in advanced veterinary practice (equine medicine) in 2014.

When Hannah is not caring for your horses she enjoys looking after and spending time with her family, keeping active so she can keep up with her two busy sons and tramping in our beautiful country.

Dr Chris Beggan

BVMS, BSc (Hons), MRCVS

We are honoured to have a residency program approved by the European College of Veterinary Surgeons (ECVS) in conjunction with Massey University. A surgical resident is an experienced veterinarian that is seeking to gain the requisite experience and skills to gain specialist qualifications as a surgical diplomate. Both Dr Greg Quinn and Dr Laurinda Oliver at the clinic are surgical diplomates. Dr Chris Beggan started his 3-year program with us as a surgical resident in September 2022.  He will spend a portion of the year at WEVC and a portion at Massey University.

Chris, originally from Ireland, completed his veterinary qualifications at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies – University of Edinburgh.  After graduating, he has worked in practice in UK and in NZ doing first opinion equine work, stud work and some surgery. Chris moved back to the UK in 2020 where he continued to work in equine practice in England and then returning to the University of Edinburgh to work as a clinician in their hospital and a lecturer in equine practice.  Chris is in the process of finalising his Advanced Practitioners Certificate focusing on soft tissue surgery.   

Dr Greg Quinn

BVSC, CERT ES, DIPL ECVS

A registered Specialist and European Boarded Diplomate in Equine Surgery; Greg joined Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre (previously Hamilton Veterinary Services) in 2011. His caseload is principally composed of surgical and non-surgical orthopedic and upper airway issues of the elite thoroughbred.  His excellent surgical skills, coupled with his strong academic background adds a vital component to the team.

Dr Emily Sherlock

BVETMED MRCVS

Dr Emily Sherlock re-joined the WEVC team in early 2018 permanently. Born and raised in England, growing up with pony club, eventing and even a spot of polo. She graduated from the Royal Veterinary College, London in 2013.

After graduation, Emily worked in a mixed practice for six months. This was followed by an opportunity to work on a commercial thoroughbred stud farm in Japan for a year. This introduction to the hand’s on world of thoroughbred breeding sparked an interest in reproductive work and foal management.

At the conclusion of this contract, Emily returned to the UK to commence an 18 month internship at the Liphook Equine Hospital, one of the largest specialist equine veterinary practices in the UK. During this time there she gained invaluable experience in the fields of sport horse lameness diagnostics.

Following the different hemisphere summers seemed a great perk of veterinary work and what has followed is continuation of summers. A season in Australia on a polo farm, using AI and embryo transfer techniques then back to the UK for six months general equine practice.

In 2017 Emily came to New Zealand for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season, staying on and joining the team at WEVC. She returned to UK in April for the Northern Hemisphere season and rejoined the WEVC team in August.

Emily special areas of interest are lameness diagnostics and breeding.

Outside of work she loves eventing her own horse, exploring and adventures. She is well known to set herself challenges, whether it be a triathlon, half marathon or randomly the National Rowing championships- Emily is one talented lady! She also has amazing artistic skills with drawing and painting animals.

Dr Lucy Burridge

BVSc

Born in Singapore, Lucy has lived in New Zealand since she finished high school and graduated from Massey University in 2022.  She has a keen interest in equine medicine having had two horses of her own and has been involved in the equestrian community from a young age in both Singapore and New Zealand. 

After enjoying placements at WEVC as a student, Lucy completed an 18-month internship which allowed her to gain experience in all aspects of equine veterinary practice, rotating through our hospital and ambulatory services in Cambridge and our branch in Taupo. 

From July 2024, Lucy is staying on permanently as part of our veterinary team, providing first opinion based ambulatory care.  

In her down time, Lucy loves unwinding at the beach when she can.  She also enjoys running, visiting her friends and family across New Zealand and looking after her senior horse ‘Kirby’.

Dr Tara McCrissican

BVMS

Before coming to New Zealand Dr Tara McCrissican completed an internship at the University College Dublin (UCD), after graduating from the University of Glasgow in 2022. She has worked in the racing, pre-training and eventing industry and has experience in musculoskeletal, reproductive, dental, gastroscopic, and endoscopic examinations alongside hospitalised and intensive care patients. She has completed many diode LASER mass removals, and has donated time mentoring and teaching undergraduates.  We were lucky enough to have Tara join WEVC for 6 months in our internship programme where her passion for racing saw her join the team permanently as an associate working alongside our racing vets.  

Dr Noel Power

MVB

Noel qualified as a veterinary surgeon in Dublin and worked in mixed practice in North Ireland before moving to New Zealand and working at a Te Awamutu dairy and equine practice. He then spent five years in the UK working solely with horses, including three years at an equine surgical referral centre, before returning to New Zealand in 2003 to join Hamilton Veterinary Services. His areas of interest include medicine, lameness, dentistry and reproduction, and he has a particular interest in the horse’s foot.

Noel enjoys the great outdoors and takes every and any opportunity to fish and hunt. He’s a DIY and gardening enthusiast.

Dr Laurinda Oliver

BSC, BVSC, MS, DIPLACVS

Laurinda graduated from Massey University in 2001 and took an Internship at Randwick Equine Hospital in Sydney, Australia. Following this she worked at Hamilton Vet Services for 4 years before moving to the USA to pursue specialised training in Large Animal Surgery. After 15 years in the USA Laurinda and her family decided to move back to NZ and rejoin the practice as specialist in equine surgery. Laurinda has evented to 2-star level, ridden track work, tried polo and western riding and has yet to find an equine sport she doesn’t enjoy. When not at work she enjoys spending time wake surfing at Lake Taupo, snow skiing and spending time with her family.

Dr Alice Addis

BSc(Hons), BVSc, MRCVS

Alice will join us permanently from April.  She completed her studies from the University of Liverpool in 2022 and since then has completed an 18 month internship at a prestigious referral hospital in the UK.  She is used to providing a high standard of care to her patients and clients and has had experience with a wide range of equine athletes including racing and sport horses.  With experience in both ambulatory and hospital-based cases, Alice has a keen interest in orthopedics, diagnostic imaging, poor performance and lameness investigations and is currently studying towards a certificate in Equine Lameness, Diagnostics and Therapeutics. 

Outside of work Alice likes to stay true to her Italian heritage, rustling up lots of yummy dishes in the kitchen and is excited to explore New Zealand. 

Dr Megan Baines

BVM&S MRCVS

Megan is from Edinburgh, Scotland and graduated from Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in 2022. She joined WEVC for an internship where she rotated between Cambridge and Taupo covering anaesthesia, ambulatory practice, sports medicine, lameness and a steady hospital case load. She is now permanently based in Taupo as a first opinion ambulatory vet.

Megan has a special interest in sports medicine, lameness and rehab, poor performance and diagnostic imaging. She is also working toward her Advanced Practitioner Certificate with the hopes to go onto a specialist residency in the future.

After spending some time in Morocco at the American Fondouk, Megan also has a keen interest in our donkey population in and around Taupo.

Outside of work, Megan enjoys spending time with her Thoroughbred “Barney” who she hopes to event in the future, playing and following rugby and exploring all that New Zealand has to offer in the ways of hiking and skiing.

Dr Jack O’Brien

BVSC, MRCVS

Jack graduated from Massey University in late 2012. He spent 12 months at Randwick Equine Centre in Sydney completing an internship before returning to NZ and working for a short spell in the lower North Island. He then spent 18 months in equine practice in the lower Auckland area before beginning his journey with WEVC in 2015.  

Jack has an active and very keen passion in the NZ Thoroughbred racing and breeding industry, having a long-standing association through his parents and grandparents, and on any given Saturday you will almost always find him near something broadcasting Trackside. He has a special interest in racetrack and performance horse practice especially lameness, performance medicine and diagnostic imaging.

You may also meet his Pug ‘Piper’ who accompanies him on most days!

Dr Alicia Howell

BvetMedSci BVM BVS MRCVS

Dr Alicia Howell grew up in London UK and then went to the University of Nottingham. After graduating, she came to New Zealand for the first time and completed an internship at Massey University.  She stayed on for a subsequent foaling season before returning to the UK to work at a busy practice in the north of England for three years. She decided to relocate permanently to New Zealand, with her partner Chris, and join us at Waikato Equine.  Alicia’s areas of interest are lameness, reproduction and medicine / neonatal care and she is currently working towards an Advanced Certificate in Equine Medicine.  



In their spare time Chris and Alicia enjoy hiking and exploring all parts of New Zealand. Chris has also been heavily involved coaching women’s rugby in both Wales and Scotland and Alicia enjoys riding, swimming and trail running. 

Dr Alex Leander

BVSC, MPHIL

Alex has been with Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre (previously Hamilton Veterinary Services) since 2015. She graduated from Massey end of 2009 before spending a couple of years in small animal practice in Wellington. She moved to the Waikato in 2011 and did a one year equine medicine and anaesthesia internship program at Matamata Equine Vets. Then she worked with Dr Lee Morris at EquiBreed NZ Ltd, assisting on several research projects and learning advanced reproductive technologies.

Alex main interest are reproduction and foal medicine as well as preventative health and nutrition.  She manages the breeding work on several of our client stud farms, as well as heading the in-house sporthorse breeding services; including artificial insemination with fresh and frozen semen and also embryo transfer. 

In her spare time Alex manages her own business, Platinum Performance NZ and has a boutique thoroughbred stud-farm producing quality young stock from a few select mares.  Originally from Sweden she loves skiing and enjoys some snow time with her children as well as following their sporting achievements.