A VETERINARY student from Herefordshire is one of only 10 students from around the world to be awarded a prestigious scholarship.

William Phillips is currently studying at the University of Bristol and was one of 454 students who applied for the BVDZero Scholarship.

The programme reflects pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim's commitment to promoting health and wellbeing of farm animals.

It aims to identify outstanding veterinary students 'who can help address the ever-changing industry and the health, food and welfare needs of the veterinary community'.

Each winner receives a €1,000 scholarship so they can attend the World Buiatrics Congress 2020 in Madrid, as well as free registration and accommodation.

"It is a fantastic opportunity to be awarded such a scholarship," said Mr Phillips, the only student from the UK to benefit from the scholarship.

"I hope that the congress will improve my knowledge of cattle medicine and allow me to work with farmers in the future to improve the health, welfare and productivity of livestock.

"I also look forward to meeting people interested in cattle medicine from across the world and learning more about the global nature of farm animal veterinary and the problems faced by vets in other countries."

Through the BVDzero Scholarship Programme, Boehringer Ingelheim seeks to raise awareness of bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD).

Attending the event will give students the opportunity to improve their knowledge of cattle medicine and meet experts and key opinion leaders, as well members of the company's animal health business unit cattle team.

The winners were selected by the BVDzero committee, consisting of industry experts from various countries, in collaboration with a representative of the World Association for Buiatrics.