Guests: Michael O’Keeffe – Global Intern Manager for Ohio State University’s International Turfgrass Intern Program David McGregor – Director Of Grounds at Westwood Country Club Summary: We reach out across the pond to the USA to discuss Mike and David’s passion for the golf industry, the incredible careers that can be found within the game of golf, and the need to raise more awareness of the joys of our ‘hidden industry’. We also explore the importance of relationships in business, the level of...
Jun 17, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 98
Guest: Darren McLaughlin – Golf Courses Manager at Trump Turnberry Golf Resort Summary: We cover a range of compelling topics with Darren including his experience working around the world, the benefits and opportunities that R&A scholarships bring, and how data is driving his approach to golf course management. We also talk about what gets the younger generation of greenkeepers excited about their jobs, Darren’s love for working in the industry, and the Florida Keys most famous libation. Joi...
Jun 13, 2025•45 min•Ep. 97
Guests: Kerr Rowan – Course Manager at Kilmarnock (Barassie) Golf Club David Addison – General Manager at Kilmarnock (Barassie) Golf Club, PGA Fellow Manager Summary: We touch base with Kerr and David about career journeys in the golf industry, the opportunities to see the world that working in the industry offers, and their love for their golf club. We also explore how organisational development has transformed their golf club into a synced-up operation that values employees and collaboration a...
Jun 04, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 96
We check in with South Africa to talk with Andrew about how he fell in love in with golf, his journey from a professional tour player to creating and leading the African turf academy, and his thoughts on organisational sustainability. The discussion also highlights the amazing golf course conditions in South Africa, some of the current crop of professional players from that part of the world, and of course the amazing wineries in the region. Join us for an entertaining chat with a leading golf i...
May 28, 2025•47 min•Ep. 95
We speak with Simon Olver, Golf Course Manager at Ganton Golf Club, about his passion for the game of golf, his career journey in the industry, and the experience of becoming a head greenkeeper at a very young age. We also dive into the topics of environmental stewardship at his golf course, efforts towards sustainability, and the rich history of Ganton Golf Club. Join us for a fascinating chat with a top industry professional plying his trade in North Yorkshire. Links From The Podcast: Ganton G...
May 14, 2025•51 min•Ep. 94
To mark world veterinary day, this episode is dedicated to celebrating the wonderful veterinary professionals who strive to make a difference, with a particular focus on a very special milestone: the esteemed Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons—or RCVS Fellowship. To help us dive a little deeper and truly appreciate what it means to be a RCVS Fellow, we are very honoured to have former RCVS president Dr Kate Richards here with us. Not only is Dr Richards a Fellow of the RCVS h...
May 05, 2025•22 min•Ep. 93
This ‘On the Hoof’ Podcast for vets in practice focuses on three livestock parasites, liver fluke, rumen fluke and Haemonchus. Alison Braddock speaks to special guest Philip Skuce who is a Principal Scientist in Parasitology at the Moredun Research Institute. Philip discusses the important issue of wormer resistance and the mantra ‘test don’t guess’ and discusses the increasing interest around veterinary medicines and the environment. Useful links for listeners include SCOPS | Sustainable Contro...
Feb 20, 2025•33 min•Ep. 92
In this podcast Alison Braddock, Marketing and Business Development Manager speaks to Colin Mason, VIO and Centre Manager, Dumfries, about Schmallenberg virus (SBV). Colin explains about what the Scottish Surveillance system has picked up and what we need to be aware of as we look at calving and lambing in 2025. The virus, which is spread by biting midges, is not a notifiable disease but there has been concern about the impact of this disease across the country. The podcast covers vaccination, d...
Jan 31, 2025•26 min•Ep. 91
This latest On the Hoof episode for vets in practice addresses the issue of bovine respiratory disease. Alison Braddock, Marketing and Business Development Manager speaks to Colin Mason our well known contributor and Centre Manager in Dumfries who gives an update on this multifactorial disease. Further details on sampling are available on our website www.sruc.ac.uk/vets please also visit our Disease Surveillance Blogs Veterinary surveillance blogs | SRUC and tests available SRUC Veterinary Diagn...
Dec 13, 2024•23 min•Ep. 90
What does embedding sustainability in veterinary practice actually look like? In this episode, we're delighted to have Hayley Potter, Senior Practice Director at the Old Golf House Veterinary Practice along side Adam Masri, Veterinary Lecturer at SRUC to help find out! Earlier this year the Old Golf House Veterinary Practice won the RCVS sustainability award. This first opinion small animal surgery, which serves over ten thousand clients, achieved an ‘outstanding’ ranking in the RCVS’s new envir...
Dec 04, 2024•20 min•Ep. 89
In this episode Alison Braddock, SRUC Veterinary Services asks Mike Coffey about the application of genomic selection in livestock in the UK. Mike is an SRUC colleague and well known in the world of genomics, he is Professor in Livestock Informatics and Head of Edinburgh Genetics Evaluation Services (EGENES). Genomic selection is now widespread in UK dairy and is gaining momentum in beef and sheep. It has led to large benefits for dairy and has the potential to revolutionise food production syst...
Nov 12, 2024•28 min•Ep. 88
In this ‘On the Hoof’ podcast for vets in practice, Alison Braddock, Marketing and Business Development Manager chats with SAC Consulting’s Mary Young who is a Ruminant Nutritionist with the livestock team. In this second podcast with Mary, she explains about the Ruminant Subscription Service offered to vets and covers the important seasonal topics of forage budgeting, forage sampling and condition scoring. Further information on body condition scoring suckler cows is available on these videos: ...
Oct 25, 2024•22 min•Ep. 87
In this episode we’ll be talking to Vetlife Trustee and chair of the 2024 Vetlife award winning neurodiversity campaign, Dr Kirstie Pickles, about how neurodiversity can impact veterinary students, how educational institutions and charities such as Vetlife can support neurodivergent individuals, and what the future holds for creating a more inclusive veterinary profession. Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in SRUC and On the Hoof podcasts are the speaker’s own and do not re...
Oct 14, 2024•29 min•Ep. 86
In this On the Hoof episode of the SRUC podcast, Alison Braddock, Marketing and Business Development Manager, talks to Kate Lamont, Senior Researcher and Chair of SRUC’s Social Science and Ethics Committee. This insightful podcast for vets in practice, looks at how to get the best out of client interactions on farm visits to help address livestock health issues. The podcast offers communication strategies and tips and looks at life from a farmer’s perspective! This follows a vet CPD webinar on t...
Oct 07, 2024•42 min•Ep. 85
We couldn’t be more excited to share this heart-warming story about an organisation that is changing lives for the better – both furry and human! In this episode of the SRUC Podcast, Lesley Winton, founder and CEO of the Scottish charity Fostering Compassion, highlights their remarkable work. We also speak to veterinary student Thomas Westley, who sadly, had to flee his home in Ukraine because of the war. Thomas tells us how Fostering Compassion has helped support him in achieving his dream of s...
Sep 27, 2024•34 min•Ep. 84
This podcast looks at the important topic of producing gamebirds while reducing antibiotic usage. Caroline Robinson, Veterinary Investigation Office talks to Ian Jones a vet and poultry expert from mid Wales and Fraser Broadfoot, a vet who sits on the Antimicrobial Resistance, Surveillance and Policy Team from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. Useful links: Veterinary Pen Scoring System 2021 Hear a webinar with the same team on this subject Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expre...
Sep 18, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 83
Colin Mason, Veterinary Investigation Officer and Centre Manager Dumfries, talks to Alison Braddock, Marketing and Business Development Manager, about – eye disease in dairy cattle. There has been an increase in submissions with Infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis otherwise known as ‘Pink Eye’ in recent months. This podcast covers clinical signs, risk factors and prevention and discusses the importance of early identification of cases for management and treatment. Disclaimer: The views, thoug...
Sep 12, 2024•18 min•Ep. 82
This On the Hoof podcast for vets in practice, examines the issue of Haemonchus contortus (Barber’s Pole worm) in sheep. This parasitic worm has been on the increase in the UK over the past few years and it’s important that vets are aware of the increasing incidence of Heamonchus, helped by the warmer and wetter summers and warmer winters. Alison Braddock, Marketing and Business Development Manager talks to Megan Fergusson, Veterinary Investigation Officer from Ayr Disease Surveillance Hub. Mega...
Sep 12, 2024•20 min•Ep. 81
Alison Braddock, Marketing and Business Development Manager, SRUC Veterinary Services talks to Mary Young, Ruminant Nutritionist, SAC Consulting about how vets in practice can support farmer clients as they prepare their livestock for the Autumn and Winter. Mary talks about silage data for example and offers tips and advice to help provide nutritional support to vet practices. Mary explains about a Ruminant Subscription Service offered to UK vet practices. The following useful links were discuss...
Sep 02, 2024•26 min•Ep. 80
In this ‘On the Hoof’ podcast for vets in practice we look at Lungworm. Helen Carty, Centre Manager and VIO based in Ayr talks to Alison Braddock Marketing and Business Development Manager. Please take part in the Control of worms sustainably (COWs) survey COWS Lungworm Survey 2024 (surveymonkey.com) which is open throughout 2024 and vets are encouraged to submit as many forms / cases over the year. Further information is available at www.cattleparasites.org.uk ( Promoting Sustainable Control of...
Aug 23, 2024•27 min•Ep. 79
This ‘On the Hoof’ Podcast is aimed at people who are considering purchasing Maedi Visna (MV) Accredited sheep at the upcoming sales. Alison Braddock has special guests from the Lleyn Sheep Society; Bethan Klinkenberg and Kathryn Dick’ who will help to explain what goes into producing a high health status sheep and what the society does to promote high health status sheep. Further information is available on our website ( www.sheepandgoathealth.co.uk ) membership database ( www.psghs.co.uk ), He...
Aug 15, 2024•26 min•Ep. 78
Featuring specialists, researchers, and vets sharing key themes such as efficiency and cattle health, The Big Beef Roadshow took place across Scotland throughout May and June to support beef farmers in improving practices and driving beef systems forward. In this second of a two-part podcast, consultant Robert Ramsay and vet Colin Mason give their thoughts on some of the highlights from the big beef roadshow events. Giving an insight into the livestock health issues covered along with feedback f...
Aug 14, 2024•35 min•Ep. 77
Featuring specialists, researchers, and vets sharing key themes such as efficiency and cattle health, The Big Beef Roadshow took place across Scotland throughout May and June to support beef farmers in improving practices and driving beef systems forward. In this first of a two-part podcast, the organisers and speakers at the series of big beef road show events discuss some of the key messages and take home points from the events. Sarah Balfour, Karen Stewart, Lorna Shaw and Robert Ramsay talk t...
Aug 14, 2024•28 min•Ep. 76
In this podcast, SAC Consulting’s dairy specialist Lorna MacPherson speaks to SRUC’s dairy farms manager Sven Koops about their heifer rearing enterprise at Crichton Royal Farm. There have been a lot of changes made to the way heifers have been reared and one of the biggest changes has been moving from a housed TMR system to a pasture based system. Heifers are now grazed from a very young age, with the aim of maximising the use of grass and outwintering during the rearing period to help reduce c...
Aug 12, 2024•41 min•Ep. 75
Welcome to the final part 4 of a four-episode mini-series, produced by Kerry Hammond of the SAC Consulting Food & Enterprise Team (part of SRUC). This mini-series focuses on the science of food. In this episode, Kerry is joined by Ciara Bow the founder and Entrepreneur behind Gledfield Distillery, NPD Chef at SAC Consulting, Morag Hamilton, and Professor Fiona Burnett, Head of Knowledge Exchange & Applied Plant Pathology at SRUC, to explore how science & innovation met enterprise to ...
Jul 18, 2024•33 min•Ep. 74
Welcome to part 3 of a four-episode mini-series, produced by Kerry Hammond of the SAC Consulting Food & Enterprise Team (part of SRUC). This mini-series focuses on the science of food. In this episode, Kerry is joined by Ali Easson the founder and Entrepreneur behind Hemp it Up! , NPD Chef at SAC Consulting, Morag Hamilton, and SRUC Researcher, Dr Rosie Boyko to explore how science & innovation met enterprise to create amazing new products, and also to hear about their stories, and opini...
Jul 18, 2024•58 min•Ep. 73
Welcome to part 2 of a four-episode mini-series, produced by Kerry Hammond of the SAC Consulting Food & Enterprise Team (part of SRUC). This mini-series focuses on the science of food. In this episode, Kerry is joined by Jane Mackie the founder and Entrepreneur behind Rora Dairy, NPD Chef at SAC Consulting, Morag Hamilton, and SRUC Head of Dairy Research, Professor Richard Dewhurst to explore how science & innovation met enterprise to create amazing new products, and also to hear about t...
Jul 18, 2024•46 min•Ep. 72
Welcome to part 1 of a four-episode mini-series, produced by Kerry Hammond of the SAC Consulting Food & Enterprise Team (part of SRUC). This mini-series focuses on the science of food. In this episode, Kerry podcasts live from an Enterprise Showcase event on campus at SRUC Craibstone. Hear from speakers like Neil Freckingham, the ONE Seedpod Director, and Susannah Bolton Vice Principal of Enterprise and Knowledge Exchange, alongside other speakers and attendees, sharing how SRUC is integrate...
Jul 18, 2024•31 min•Ep. 71
In this podcast episode, veterinary lecturer Adam Masri aims to highlight some of the reasons behind the lack of diversity within the UK's veterinary profession and among UK veterinary students. Adam speaks to veterinary surgeon and co-founder of the British Veterinary Ethnicity and Diversity Society (BVEDS), Dr Navaratnam Partheeban OBE who raises awareness about the issues facing minority ethnic vets, nurses, and students and promotes the amazing network offered by BVEDS. Disclaimer: The views...
Jul 12, 2024•23 min•Ep. 70
A veterinary technician career may be relatively novel, but it's quickly gaining traction across the UK for the advantages it offers large animal veterinary practice. SRUC's Rural Animal Health Programme, the focus of this podcast episode, aims to educate the veterinary technicians of the future. In it, Adam Masri, speaks to veterinary technician Nicola Bowers about her career path and the roles and responsibilities that come with the job. Nicola's passion and enthusiasm really shine through! Wa...
Jul 02, 2024•26 min•Ep. 69
