MANY congratulations to Dr Esther Skelly-Smith of Shanaghan Veterinary Services in Katesbridge who, on Monday, was presented with the Women in Business Northern Ireland ‘outstanding innovation’ (small business) award.

The criteria for the award was, ‘an outstanding individual who can best demonstrate entrepreneurial flair and innovation in business. Whether it’s a new idea, product, method, technology, process or application, this award will go to the individual who has transformed their business.’

Esther graduated from Nottingham Vet School in 2012 and commenced working with the world-renowned Dr Sue Dyson in Newmarket. She identified a gap in veterinary services provided in Northern Ireland and, in 2017, launched Shanaghan Veterinary Services. This is Ireland’s first equine veterinary referral service dedicated to providing an integrated approach to the veterinary treatment and care of horses. This includes preliminary lameness evaluation, veterinary acupuncture, veterinary chiropractic, equine dentistry, chronic pain management, sport horse performance management, rehabilitation, radiofrequency therapy and laser therapy.

Speaking about the award, Esther said: “I am truly humbled and honoured to have received the Women in Business NI Award for Outstanding Innovation! This would not have been possible without my amazing support team (my husband Timothy Smith, family and Fiona McCusker) and all my clients. This award will inspire us to grow the business and deliver an even better service to our clients. Thank you all for enabling me to provide a service that I am passionate about every day.”

Esther, who works with hairy ponies to Olympic mounts, is currently following the progress of the Irish Sport Horse gelding Shanaghan Minstrel who is competing in Canada with O’Hanlon Eventing. The four-year-old grey gelding is a son of the thoroughbred stallion Clerkenwell out of Skelly-Smith’s Irish Draught mare, Tullys Dream (by Western Light).

Through Shanaghan Veterinary Services, Esther has sponsored the Silver Spurs dressage finals for the past two years, the Dressage Ireland Northern Region Winter League and the Irish Draught Horse Society NI summer show.