As Dr. Timm Gudehus contends with the flurry of activity surrounding the Centaur Equine Specialty Hospital in Shelbyville, Ind., which opens its doors for business on February 20, he does so with a tremendous amount of anticipation and a level of excitement that may only rival capturing a classic race.

“Obviously there are still many tasks to complete such as hiring a groundskeeper, hiring staff such as an office administrator and such,” he said. “However, all of our equipment is here except for the 4DDI Equimagine machine, which should be here in March and we expect our facility to begin aiding the horsemen and horse industry in the area as soon as we begin accepting patients.”

With the first shovelful of earth turned over in October of 2015, the $8.8 million Centaur Equine Specialty Hospital will complement the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Large Animal Hospital in West Lafayette, Ind. Constructed in Shelbyville, Ind., the facility’s existence was brought into reality by donations from Purdue alumni, the new Centaur Gaming, Shelby County and the city of Shelbyville. The hospital is located within two miles of Indiana Grand Racing & Casino and is an hour’s drive from Hoosier Park in Anderson.

“This new facility complements Purdue University's longstanding commitment to serving the equine industry and will continue to build on what the Indiana Horse Racing Commission and so many in Indiana's horse racing industry have worked toward for the last 20 years – making Indiana a top-notch racing state and a recognized leader in the sport," said Rod Ratcliff, Centaur Gaming chairman and CEO at the ground-breaking ceremony. His organization pledged $3.1 million to name the facility.

Consisting of 17,000 square feet, the Centaur Equine Specialty Hospital arrives at a point in time where Indiana is on the cusp of establishing itself as an elite horse racing state. With pari-mutuel racing only existing in the state for a little more than three decades, Hoosier Park will host the 2017 edition of the Breeders Crown, while also providing a purse structure that is one of the more lucrative harness racing sire stakes programs in the nation and is responsible for 2016 Horse of the Year Always B Miki, 2015 Horse of the Year Wiggle It Jiggleit and 2015 Breeders Crown champions Freaky Feet Pete and Colors A Virgin.

"Shelbyville and Shelby County are excited about the groundbreaking for the new Centaur Equine Diagnostic and Surgical Center," said Shelbyville Mayor Tom DeBaun in an Oct. 2015 press release. "This project is a great model of public and private partnerships between the City of Shelbyville, Shelby County, Centaur Gaming and Purdue University. Now that construction is beginning, we look forward to the completion of a beautiful equine specialty referral hospital that will have a significant positive impact on our community."

Although Indiana may be relatively new on the racing scene, Purdue’s Large Animal Hospital, the only veterinary facility of its kind in the state, has long been in the forefront of equine medicine. The facility conducted the first arthroscopic joint procedure on a horse in the mid-1970s and implemented one of the first high speed treadmills in 1996.

Since Indiana authorized slots legislation, Purdue received monetary support from these funds to advance its equine research program, which remains one of the best in the country.

“One of our goals for this hospital is to advance our research program to improve diagnostics and therapeutics and provide more educational opportunities for horse owners, trainers, caregivers, veterinarians and veterinary students to optimize the health of horses,” said Kevin Doerr, director of communications and public affairs for the College of Veterinary Medicine. “With the advanced technologies this facility will provide, not only are we confident we can meet and satisfy the needs of the horse industry, but also demonstrate our expertise in the field of equine medicine.

“The facility will be operated like an advanced private specialty equine practice with the equine specialists treating the patients. Veterinary students will have educational opportunities that involve observing the characteristics of how a private specialty equine practice functions as well as assisting the staff veterinarians where needed.

“We feel Dr. Gudehus was an excellent choice to head this project and the hospital team and look forward to the leadership he will provide.”

Gudehus brings a unique perspective to the Centaur Equine Specialty Hospital and a prolific background. An equine surgeon by trade, who has primarily been involved in private practice throughout his career, Gudehus is a native of Germany and obtained his veterinary degree in Munich. He then completed an internship in equine orthopedic surgery in California and was a resident at the Louisiana State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He was also a staff surgeon in Auckland, New Zealand, and has been deeply involved with horses since his youth as a semi-professional rider of show jumpers.

“Since I have been involved in private practice for most of my career, I possess a different perspective to apply to operating this facility,” Gudehus said. “For instance, we have decided to focus on equine surgery, diagnostics and emergency medicine rather than implementing a rehabilitation program or ambulatory medicine. In my experience a rehabilitation facility is very labor and time intensive. Therefore, we should concentrate on these aspects of the hospital prior to incorporating any additional services.”

The Centaur Equine Specialty Hospital will provide world-class technology, with equipment that very few centers of its kind around the world possess. The hospital will offer advanced diagnostic imaging, shockwave therapy, nuclear medicine, regenerative medicine, endoscopic laser surgery and specialized equine orthopedic and soft tissue surgery.

“We will offer dynamic endoscopy, scintigraphy and I’m especially excited about the 4DDI imaging machine,” Gudehus said. “There are not many equine hospitals that have the capacity for diagnostics we will have and there have already been hospitals for human medicine that have reached out to us in regards to our equipment.

“I’m just thrilled to be a part of this. We have hired three technicians and another veterinarian to be on site and just hired another equine surgeon that will be on board in July to share those responsibilities with me.

“We now are planning to have our Grand Opening ceremony in April in conjunction with the start of the racing season. I have been reaching out to local horsemen and it appears they are just as excited as we are for the hospital to be in their community. We already have accepted patients and look forward to the opportunity this facility represents for not only the University, but for the entire horse industry in Indiana.”

(USTA)