HRH The Princess Royal formally opened the Weipers Centre for Equine Welfare at the University of Glasgow today (Friday 21 September) and congratulated the University on the state of the art facilities it provides.

"The University of Glasgow's Vet School has a worldwide reputation and is to be congratulated for providing these new facilities," she said after touring the centre. "Veterinary Medicine is changing rapidly and the latest technology is essential to provide the very best welfare.This centre will be a very welcome addition for the owners of horses of all shapes and sizes, and donkeys as well."

During her tour she met staff and students who demonstrated a range of advanced diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical techniques for the treatment of horses, ponies and donkeys. It is the first centre to use panoramic ultrasound, which allows clinicians to obtain high quality images of the cardiac, musculo-skeletal and abdominal structures in the horse. Among other diagnostic techniques available is nuclear scintigraphy which can detect bone damage at an early stage. The centre contains Scotland's first equine sports injury clinic.

The centre, which is named after Sir William Weipers, the first director and dean of the Vet School, has a commitment to excellence and innovation in equine education and plays a pivotal role in the professional development of the University's undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The centre is active in preventative medicine by advancing the education of the horse owning community, nurses, technicians and farriers in all aspects of equine health.

The Director of the Centre is Professor Sandy Love.

Work started on the project in 1992 and the centre has become operational in successive stages since 1995. The total cost of the project is £6M. <

Media Relations Office (media@gla.ac.uk)

For further information, contact the University Press Office on 0141 330 3535.

Pool photographs are available from the Herald.

First published: 21 September 2001