According to a press release, Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine has signed a lease-buy agreement with Racebrook Capital Advisors, LLC, for the former Ruffian Equine Medical Center located on Plainfield Avenue, right across the street from Belmont Park, to establish Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists, a referral and emergency care hospital.
Bringing horse veterinary services to Belmont Park area
The Cornell Equine Medical Center near Belmont Park is expected to open on April 1, 2014, to provide elective equine specialty services and full emergency and critical care services will be offered by the spring of 2015.
The hospital is expected to open on April 1, 2014, and will provide elective equine specialty services to horses referred by their attending veterinarians. Full emergency and critical care services will be offered by the spring of 2015.
The Ruffian Equine Medical Center was opened in 2009 by the International Equine Acquisitions Holdings Inc., who owned 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown, but closed less than two years later after IEAH failed to meet its financial requirements.
According to the press release, the 22,000 square-foot facility will provide state-of-the-art surgical, imaging, diagnostic and rehabilitation services to enhance equine health. Dr. Alan Nixon, a renowned equine orthopedic surgeon and director of the Cornell’s Comparative Orthopedics Laboratory, will serve as the Chief Medical Officer of Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists.
Drs. Lisa Fortier and Norm Ducharme, pioneers in regenerative and laryngeal procedures, will also offer advanced surgical procedures. The hospital will be staffed by Cornell University veterinarians and technicians.
“We are looking forward to joining the well-established horse racing and sport horse communities in the area, adding value to veterinarians, trainers and owners in the region and supporting the critical equine industry in the State of New York,” said Dr. Michael I. Kotlikoff, Dean of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
“Our goals are to improve the health and safety of the equine athlete and by so doing to strengthen one of the world’s premiere racing programs.”