The OP Republic 2015 2015 | Page 25

I VSA Zahr aaBas s a I twaswi t hgr eatex c i t ement t hatt en r ur alc hi l dr en f r om t hehear tofAf r i c a,v ent ur ed f or t ht ot he s ophi s t i c at ed c ont i nentofEur opei nMar c h 2015. Leav i ng our ani mal s k i ns behi nd,we boar ded ourpl ane t o Bel gi um,t hi s t i ny ,f r eez i ngc ount r ynex tt o Fr anc e.Wehadhear dgr eat l egendsaboutt hei ri mpr es s i v ec hoc ol at eandbeerand i nt he t wo week swe s pent t her e, ourex pec t at i onswer e ex c eeded. Af ewmember sof our c ompany i ndul ged s o magni fic ent l yont heunl i mi t ed s uppl y ofBel gi an beer SAEVA Kei t hSpar go The Sout h Af r i c an Equi ne Vet er i nar yAs s oc i at i onYoung Member sGr oup hasgr own i n bot hs t r engt h and number st hi sy ear . Wes t ar t edt he y earwi t ht heannualSAEVA c ongr es si n Febr uar yt hat t hi sy eart ook pl ac ei nt he beaut i f ulSt el l enbos c h.Four t een s t udent sf r om v ar i es y ear s made t he l ong t r i p downt ot hec apet oenhanc e t hei r equi ne v et er i nar y k nowl edgeandgott omeet andmi ngl ewi t hs omeofSA’ s l eadi ngequi nev et s ,i nt er nat i onalex per ts peak er s ,t r ade r epr es ent at i v es and f el l ow c ol l eagues .I ti st hehi ghl i ght t hatIdoubtt heyr emember t he t r i p at al l #Mel i s s a. Ot her s doubl ed i n mas s f r om eat i ng r i di c ul ous amount sofc hoc ol at es uc h t hatourpl anewasobs er v ed t oflyatas l i ght l yl oweral t i t udeon t her et ur n fli ghtt o Sout h Af r i c a.I n bet ween al l oft hi s ,Ibel i ev eourBel gi an hos t st r i ed t oc ul t i v at e our mi ndswi t hs omehi s t or yand r i c har c hi t ec t ur e,butmai nl y we appr ec i at ed t he c hoc ol at eandbeer .I nJ ul y ,i twas ourt ur nt ohos tt heBel gi an s t udent sandwet ookt hem onanepi c ,J ohnnyCl eggi ns pi r edr oadt r i par oundt he c ount r y ,v i s i t i ng Kr uger ,t he Dr ak ens ber g and Dur ban. We pl ay ed wi t h el ephant s , dar t eds abl eandbuffal oand par t i c i pat ed i nl oc alCVC’ s . We al s o wer e f or t unat e enought os pendt i mewi t ha s eni orv eti nKr ugerandhav e abehi ndt hes c enest ourof uShak a Mar i ne wor l d wi t h t hei rv etDrLampen.Al lour effor t si nf undr ai s i ngandor gani s i ngpr ov edt obewor t h i ti nt heendast heBel gi ans wer ebl ownawaybyt her aw s pl endour and r i c hnes s of t hec ount ywear es of or t unat et oc al lhome.I nt heend wewer es adt os eet hem go, butal s or el i ev ed t hatnone hadbeeneat enbywi l dani mal s( appar ent l yt he l eopar dswer epar t i c ul ar l yhungr y i nKr ugert hi sy ear ) . Ov er al l , i t wasani nc r edi bl eex per i enc e f orev er y onei nv ol v ed,meet i ngnew f r i ends ,s eei ngnew pl ac esandmak i ngmemor i es t hat wi l ll as tf or ev er ( f or s omepeopl e) . oft he y ear f or many s t udent sand s omet hi ng Ienc our ageal l s t udent si nt er es t ed i n equi ne v et er i nar ys c i enc et oat t end.Nex twes ent as mal lgr oupofs t udent st o t he Nat i onalYear l i ng Sal es wer e t hey wer e gui ded ar oundandment or edbyt he v et sofSummer v el d Equi ne Hos pi t al . Thes al esi st heone oft he mai n ev ent si nt he Thor oughbr ed br eedi ng i ndus t r ywi t hhor s esbei ngs ol d t o buy erf r om ar ound t he wor l d and f or mi l l i ons of r ands .Thi sy eart he r ec or d f or t he hi ghes tpr i c e pai d ev eratt hes al eswasbr ok en wi t honec ol tgoi ngf or4. 25 mi l l i onr ands !I nMayt heEndur anc e t r i nat i onal s t ook pl ac eatSondel aEs t at e.St udent swentt oas s i s tandgot t opr ac t i c et hei rc )