Nursing Team
Dot Hallyburton | Hospital Operations Manager & Nurse Team Leader
Dot moved to New Zealand from Scotland in 1999 to work as the foreman for a Cambridge racehorse trainer and held an amateur jockey licence before joining the MVS team in 2005. Prior to her move to the other side of the world, Dot was an instructor at Gleneagles Equestrian Centre in Scotland and groomed for the Irish event team. More recently, Dot has spent time at the world-renowned Rossdales Equine Practice in New Market, UK.
Felicity Gardner | RAT
Felicity joined MVS in February 2019 as part of our Veterinary Nurse team.
Felicity graduated from Otago Polytechnic in 2018 as a Rural Animal Technician.
Prior to working at MVS she worked as a shepherd and was also a polo groom for a season. Outside of work Felicity enjoys hunting with the Waikato Hunt Club and she has also started barrel racing. She also enjoys the outdoors and travel.
Sarita Kennedy | BScAg
Sarita joined MVS in July 2019 as part of our Equine nursing team.
Sarita grew up on Norfolk Island and moved to Matamata from Palmerston North after graduating in 2007 with a BScAg.
Sarita’s passion for horses saw her work at various racing facilities across the north island before becoming an equine nurse in 2008. Where her interest in lameness and radiographs has been developed so she’s an integral part of the sales team – plate holding and uploading the sale series.
When Sarita is not spending time with client horses she is with her very own competing in dressage across the country. Sarita also dabbled in breeding sport horses.
Elle Thompson | RVN J-SPQ
Elle joined MVS in August 2019 as part of our Equine nursing team.
Elle graduated from TOCES in 2016 with a Diploma in Equine Veterinary Nursing. In 2012 Elle spent 12 months working for a local Equine Hospital whilst on a working holiday. After heading back to the UK, she spent 5 years as a Senior Veterinary Nurse at an equine practice in Cheshire. Most recently she spent 6 months as a Neonatal Intensive Care nurse at Rossdales Equine Hospital in Newmarket where she gained a huge amount of experience working with foals. Prior to embarking on a career in veterinary nursing , Elle spent 2 seasons working as a foaling supervisor on a sport horse stud and 5 years in the racing industry where she held her apprentice jockey’s licence for two seasons.
Elle loves to get involved in all aspects of her job with her main areas of interest in Neonatal Intensive Care and Surgical Nursing.
Outside of work Elle enjoys spending time with her husband, exploring the great NZ outdoors. She also enjoys photography, horse riding and travelling.
Rachel Holcroft | BVT BSc(BiolSc)
Rachel joined MVS June 2021 as part of our Veterinary Nursing team.
Rachel graduated from Massey University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Veterinary Technology tracking Equine. Since graduation, she has worked mainly as an equine nurse in New Zealand and overseas. This has included two seasons as a Neonatal Intensive Care nurse at Rossdales Equine Hospital, Newmarket, UK in 2016 and 2017 before moving to Melbourne to take up an equine nursing role at The University of Melbourne Veterinary Teaching Hospital Equine Centre. Here she cared for a huge range of horses and ponies whilst supervising and teaching final year veterinary students in clinic. She has also completed a season as a herd manager on a dairy farm and some small animal nursing work.
Rachel enjoys all aspects of equine nursing with a specific interest in neonatal intensive care and medical cases.
Outside of work, Rachel enjoys skiing and snowboard along with following the thoroughbred racehorses she has small shares in.
Lynley Fraser
Yard Hand
Lynley joined MVS in September 2019 as part of our Equine team.
She has spent most of her life working in the racing industry. She left school to become an apprentice jockey and then decided to travel, where the highlight was working for Bart Cummings for 7 years. Lynley also holds her NZ owner/Trainer’s License.
She enjoys seeing all of the different breeds, shapes and sizes of horses that come into MVS Equine Hospital and learning new things. Outside of work she enjoys horse trekking, watching horse racing, and spending time with her daughter.
Seini Rawasoi | BSc-Bio/Chem
Equine Veterinary Laboratory Technician
Seini joined MVS in October 2022 as part of our Equine Laboratory team.
Seini graduated from the University of the South Pacific in 2010. In 2011, Seini joined the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Health & Production Division at the Fiji Veterinary Pathology Laboratory as Laboratory Technical Officer. In 2018 she completed her Diploma in Medical Laboratory Science Course from Pacific Paramedical Training Center, Wellington where she gained knowledge and skills in the laboratory field.
Seini is looking forward to building her relationship with the team and getting involved in all aspects of her job with her main interest in Equine Microbiology.
Outside of work Seini enjoys traveling, gardening, camping and exploring NZ’s great outdoors.
Emily De Klerk | DVN
Emily joined MVS in August 2023 as apart of our nursing team.
Emily graduated from Wintec in 2022 and has had previous experience in the veterinary industry as well as experience within the racing industry prior to studying.
Emily shows an interest in all aspects within the clinic, especially medical cases within the hospital or on the road. She also enjoys working with the foals in the NICU unit.
Outside of work she loves hanging with her friends and family, going in adventures, as well as riding and competing her own horses in show jumping and a bit of eventing.
