Gift to fund Purdue equine diagnostic and surgical center

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A $2.7 million gift from Centaur Gaming will help Purdue University's College of Veterinary Medicine build the Centaur Regional Equine Diagnostic and Surgical Center in Shelbyville, Ind.

"The $10 million center will house the most technologically advanced medical equipment to support diagnosis and treatment of equine patients, provide educational opportunities for veterinary students, and also enhance and expand our equine sports medicine research capacity," said Willie M. Reed, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Plans for the center were announced Saturday (Dec. 7) in Chicago during an Indiana Society of Chicago dinner honoring the College of Veterinary Medicine. In addition to Centaur Gaming, Purdue also will partner with Shelbyville and Shelby County to build the center.

"Thanks to the generosity of Centaur Gaming, this facility will provide state-of-the-art health care and emergency treatment for horses," said Purdue President Mitch Daniels. "It also will foster the education of tomorrow's equine specialists as well as scientific discovery focused on finding improved treatments for performance problems in equine athletes."

The new center, which will be located just a few miles from the Indiana Grand Racing & Casino's track in Shelbyville, will be part of the Purdue Equine Sports Medicine program based on the West Lafayette campus. It will offer advanced diagnostic imaging, shockwave therapy, endoscopy and specialized equine surgery in a one-story, 18,000-square-foot center.

"Centaur Gaming's gift toward the completion of the Centaur Regional Equine Diagnostic and Surgical Center represents not only our dedication to the Shelby County community, but the entire Indiana horse racing industry as well," said Rod Ratcliff, Centaur Gaming chairman and CEO. "Centaur Gaming, along with our partners in the horse racing industry, are encouraged to see the same Purdue University excellence and high standards known throughout the nation take root in a new, local facility dedicated to the best in equine care."

Indianapolis-based Centaur Gaming, founded in 1993, owns and operates Indiana Grand Racing & Casino in Shelbyville, Ind.; Hoosier Park Racing & Casino in Anderson, Ind.; the Winner's Circle Pub, Grille & OTB in Indianapolis; and off-track betting facilities in Clarksville, Fort Wayne and Merrillville, Ind.

Shelbyville and Shelby County previously agreed to contribute a total of $2.3 million to the center.

"Shelbyville and Shelby County are excited that this gift from Centaur Gaming to the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine will energize the equine hospital project," said Shelbyville Mayor Tom DeBaun. "This facility will have a significant positive impact on the community and will create a host of other opportunities that will complement its growth and development. As a result of the successful collaboration of public and private partnerships between the City of Shelbyville, Shelby County, Centaur Gaming and Purdue University, the equine facility will become a reality."

The new facility builds on the College of Veterinary Medicine's longstanding commitment to serving the equine industry. Purdue's Large Animal Hospital was the site of the first arthroscopic surgery - a joint procedure - on a horse in the mid-1970s. In 1996 the college opened the Equine Sports Medicine Center with a technologically advanced high-speed equine treadmill. This center resulted from a provision supporting Purdue equine research that was part of the state legislation establishing pari-mutuel horse racing.

Purdue's College of Veterinary Medicine is the only veterinary school in Indiana and one of only 28 in the country. In addition to the doctor of veterinary medicine degree, the college offers associate's and bachelor's degrees in veterinary technology, postgraduate internships and residencies for doctors of veterinary medicine seeking specialty training, and graduate degrees in the departments of basic medical sciences, comparative pathobiology and veterinary clinical sciences. Home to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, the college serves as a major referral center for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of all species of companion and food animals, as well as exotic pets and wildlife. 

Writer:  Greg McClure, 765-496-9711, gmcclure@purdue.edu

Sources:  Willie M. Reed, 765-494-7608, wreed@purdue.edu

Kevin Doerr, 765-494-8216, doerrkr@purdue.edu

Rod Ratcliff, 317-656-8787

Tom DeBaun, tdebaun@cityofshelbyvillein.com

Jeffrey T. Spielman, College of Veterinary Medicine director of advancement, 765-494-7607, spielman@purdue.edu