The Team

Anna Johnson

MCSP.SRP. Grad Dip Phys.
Category ‘A’ ACPAT
Official Physiotherapist to British Equestrian Team 1998 - 2006

Anna was keen to set up a practice in her ‘home’ area having grown up in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, attending Beaconsfield High School and was a member of the Old Berkeley Hunt South Pony Club.

Following ‘A’ levels, Anna took a year off, keen to improve her equine skills and knowledge. She was a working pupil for Leslie Law (3 day event rider), spent 6 weeks in Virginia U.S.A. in a show-jumping yard and groomed at the Ascot Park Polo Club. During university holidays she also continued her equine theme grooming (and nannying!) for Mark Todd (3 day event rider) and Mark Barry (3 day event rider). She was also a member of the Birmingham University Riding Team.

Anna qualified from Birmingham University in 1993 and spent post graduate NHS placements in Reading and Birmingham, also specialising in sports injuries working with Mosely RFC (2nd Division) and Warwickshire County Cricket Team. Other ’human’ work includes a period working in The Cavendish Clinic (Harley Street, London), and Bisham Abby Clinic (National Sports Centre, Marlow, Buckinghamshire).

Following an 18 month training through ACPAT based with Amanda Sutton (MCSP SRP), Anna set up her own practise in May 1997. From 1998 - 2006 Anna was the official physiotherapist to the British Equestrian Team and attended the World Equestrian Games at Rome 1998, Jerez 2002 and Aachan 2006, the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Olympics and all the Europeans for Dressage and Three Day Eventing in 1999, 2003 and 2005.

Anna is involved with the practical training of chartered physiotherapists for those studying veterinary physiotherapy. She has lectured at Cambridge University to the veterinary students and BEVA courses; at the Royal Veterinary College Potters Bar to the MSC Veterinary Physiotherapy students; at ACPAT courses and conferences; and the physiotherapy congress in October 2005 as well as many lectures and demonstrations at all levels National and International.

Anna has competed as a hobby in British Eventing up to Novice level, British Dressage to Elementary and BSJA to Discovery level. Anna has a 5 year old thoroughbred to ‘bring on’ with husband Grant Chanter, Equine Dental Technician (07768 094850), but gets to ride less due to family commitments of her 2 children, and through them is experiencing the delights of being a ‘pony club mother’.

Despite all this horsey background, Anna also is passionate about theatre and dance having done ballet and dance as a child and played piano and violin. This musical side was possibly due to her father who was a professional musician (percussion).

Anna often says she is ‘wasted’ as a physio…………….“after all I could have been Kylie!!!”.

Valerie Reddall

MCSP.SRP.BSC (hons) Phys.
Category ‘A’ ACPAT

Val qualified in 1993 from Leeds Metropolitan University. She worked in the Oxford Radcliffe Trust during her Post Graduate Placement, specialising in Orthopaedics and Trauma and Musculoskeletal outpatients. She then spent a short time working in Cape Town as part of her travels round Africa.

Val went on to work with Club and University level Rugby prior to taking up a training post in animal physiotherapy, completing her training through ACPAT in 2001 and joining Anna's Practice in 2002.

Val has since enjoyed working at all British International 3-Day Events, and still works as a Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist in the NHS.

She has her own horse, a retired eventer, which she competes locally at
unaffiliated events.

Debbie Rolls

MCSP.SRP.BSC (hons) Phys.
Category ‘A’ ACPAT

Debbie graduated from Teeside University in 1996 with a BSc Hons degree in physiotherapy. She subsequently worked in the NHS for 7 years in prestigious NHS teaching hospitals including The Hammersmith Hospital, London and The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore. This has enabled her to consolidate her physiotherapy skills and gain vast experience in the fields of orthopaedics (surgical and non-surgical), spinal conditions, joint pain, musculo-skeletal injuries (sporting and non sporting), pain management and manual therapy.

Debbie has completed post graduate training to enable her to administer acupuncture for musculoskeletal injuries and pain, which she uses to good effect along side her physiotherapy skills when treating people.

Debbie joined Anna Johnson and Associates in November 2002 where she completed her training in animal physiotherapy. In 2005 Debbie completed a Masters degree in Veterinary Physiotherapy at The Royal Veterinary College advancing her knowledge in the science and practice of physiotherapy. Since then Debbie has treated dogs, horses and their rider injuries on a part time basis.

Debbie is a member of a number of special interest groups including The Organisations of Chartered Physiotherapists in Private Practice (OCPPP), The Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (AACP), and The Association of Chartered Physiotherapists Interested In Animals (ACPAT). Debbie enjoys riding and caring for her own horses, training and walking her dog, playing tennis and the piano.

BUPA Registered

Anna Risius

MCSP.SRP.PG.DipVetPhys

Anna graduated from the University of East Anglia in 2002. She joined the practice in 2004 and completed the Royal Veterinary College degree in 2006.

Anna worked in the NHS for five years, in the musculo-skeletal field for the last four years, predominantly working in fracture clinics and gym based rehabilitation. She now works part time at the Abbey Clinic, Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre where she treats sports injuries, and is involved with the musculoskeletal profiling of athletes including riders. This summer she is off to the Dragonboat world championships in Prague as physiotherapist to the GB mens team.

Anna has a personal interest in dressage, having competed up to medium level and has been a member of her local riding club for a number of years, including time as the dressage secretary. She currently has two horses, one being a youngster that she is bringing on. She has experience with single-horse carriage driving at national and international competitions culminating in the world championships in Rome where team GB won the team and individual gold medals and she has more recently worked at Burghley and Houghton International Horse Trials.

Anna has written articles and been interviewed about physiotherapy for Horse Health Magazine and Horse and Hound.

Anna has always had canine companions and currently has two working Labradors. She has also had experience in canine hydrotherapy.

Debby Bignell

Debby was born into a non-horsey family and started her passion for horses at the age of 9. She began her early riding lessons at Radnage House Riding School in Buckinghamshire under the late Pat Smallwood FBHS.

The family soon bought a house where Debby was able to keep a pony of her own and this led to many ponies coming and going as she grew up and became more competent. She competed in show-jumping very successfully riding her irish pony Bally vally,
better known as 'Bobby'.

After leaving school and a year at secretarial college to fill in time, Debby started her training to become an Riding Instructor at Badgemore Equestrian Centre in Henley-on-Thames. She gained her BHSAI under Kate Hamilton FBHS and went on to train further with Kate to gain her BHSII.

Debby's parents were able to purchase some 30 acres of land adjoining their family home in Marlow, Buckinghamshire and here they built a yard of 10 stables, barn and outdoor manege. Here Debby was able to give lessons and run a successful livery yard.

At the tender age of 21 she married Jeremy, then Captain of Marlow Rugby Club, and they went on to have 2 wonderful children.

The yard was later sold when Jeremy and Debby moved to Princes Risborough. She decided to go freelance with her teaching as she bought up her family.

As years crept on the weather was not always condusive to teaching outside and Debby took on an office role at Hamptons International Estate Agents in Marlow. Here she learnt many office skills and 3 years on with a chance meeting with Anna Johnson decided to stay nearer home and work for Anna as her secretary and book keeper.

Debby has been with Anna since 2006 and thoroughly enjoys the contact with the vets, clients and the Physios that work for Anna. She still owns a horse and currently has a young talented dressage horse which she has high hopes for.

Donna Westerman

Donna originally trained in Hairdressing and worked in some of London's top salons (such as Jingles International and Alan Spiers in Berkeley Square) as a specialist colour technician. She then went freelance before getting married and having two children.

Donna then worked as a fundraiser for ChildLine for 5 years and the NSPCC Special Events Committee. Donna chaired Childline's London Ball Committee which culminated in an event held at The Dorchester where she raised over £80,000 in one night.

In 1998, she retrained as an Interior Designer with qualifications in special paint effects and upholstery to add to her knowledge and experience.

Back in 1995, Donna's daughter joined Pony Club and Donna went on to the committee to help organise their various events. 13 years later, Donna is the District Commissioner for the Vale of Aylesbury Hunt Pony Club which has around 150 members (with 300 parents!) - one of the largest branches in the region.

During her tenure as DC at VAHPC, the branch has moved from a telephone and paper administrative system - to a focus on the Internet and email as the main means of communication and information handling. Typing skills, knowledge of email and word processing soon added to the people management and organisational skills learned previously.

After having her own Pony as a child, Donna has now had her own horse again for the last 6 years. He is a 16.2 Irish Draught/Thoroughbred gelding that is an absolute gentleman and a pleasure to own. Donna competes for riding club in Dressage and Dressage to Music competitions having reached the National finals in 2007.

Donna joined Anna Johnson and her team in December 2008 and is jointly (with Debbie Bignell) responsible for the day to day running of the office in Ford.