Whitchurch equestrian business is honoured with prestigious Queen's Award
A Whitchurch business has received the The Queen’s Award for Enterprise - Innovation 2022 for the creation of Nature’s SAFE.
Lord Lieutenant Anna Turner visited Stallion AI Services to hand over the award at a presentation at Chapel Field Stud.
For the last two decades, Stallion AI Services has worked with equine rare breed horses and made available the very latest technology in equine re-production to help establish biobanks and conservation breeding programmes, enabling a more positive future for endangered breeds.
It was through this work that Nature’s SAFE, the concept of a biobank for animals at risk of extinction was developed.
Nature’s SAFE is one of Europe’s first charity living tissue banks that is dedicated to animals threatened with extinction.
Its mission is to save animals from extinction by collecting, indefinitely storing and regenerating reproductive cells and cell lines from endangered animal species.
It has to date, cryopreserved 165 different species. The company workd closely with Chester Zoo and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust to help conserve rare and endangered species.
Managing Director Tullis Matson said: "As an equestrian business, as you can imagine, we were absolutely delighted to receive the highest of accolades and recognition for our work involving the latest technologies in assisted reproduction."
"It was the most wonderful endorsement but particularly so as we believe that we are in fact, the first business within the equine industry to have been recognised with this prestigious award.
"We, therefore, hope that through our award, kudos will be felt throughout the industry as a whole, and we hope we have been able to fly the flag for us all."
