Barbaro fans raise funds for equine laminitis research

It was only fitting that Dr. Dean Richardson, Chief of Surgery for the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine New Bolton Center, accepted a $37,276 donation from Barbaro fans on June 26. After all, Dr. Richardson, with a team of New Bolton Center experts, successfully repaired the late legendary racehorse's shattered bone in 2006. The money raised by the National Thoroughbred Racing Assocation (NTRA) and Pfizer Animal Health will fund research for the hoof disease that cost Barbaro his life.

“We are so grateful to the NTRA's Barbaro Fund for this gift to our laminitis research efforts,” says Joan C. Hendricks, Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine. “This is a wonderful example of Barbaro's enduring legacy, the faithfulness of the donors who care about the health and well being of the horse, and what can be accomplished through collaboration and partnership.”