UPENN New Bolton Center, Kennett Square Pennsylvania
On Monday morning my husband Paul, Dad, Kim and I arrived at New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, PA. Barbaro was euthanized on Monday, January 29th 2007. Today was one day before the calendar anniversary of his death. I chose this day the 28th specifically to present the donation to celebrate Barbaro's legacy he left one year ago on a Monday. So many good positive things have happened because of his life and the Fund to Fight Laminitis to me was one of the most important.
Lyn Gilbert was also invited to present a donation that the Fans of Barbaro had collected during a fundraising effort called the “Honoring Barbaro’s Life and Legacy Campaign.” Since Lyn lives in the area she offered to present the check on behalf of the FOB's who contributed.
When I made the arrangements for this event, my contact at UPENN, Kate Judge, instructed me

After a short time we were greeted by Jennifer Rench a Communications and Marketing Coordinator at UPENN. She escorted us into a conference room. Kate Judge arrived shortly after and they gave us each a packet of information to take home all about the UPENN vet school. I have to thank Kate for planning and organizing this entire event with me. She was so generous and enthusiastic about our trip out to Pennsylvania to give this money I felt really great after every conversation we had together. I thank her also for allowing me to bring my Dad and his wife along, that meant so much to me, and also for letting Lyn be included in on our plans with the other donation as well.

We also got another visitor in the room. Libby, she is one of the employees at UPENN who takes care of 85%

When she saw my portrait of Barbaro, (Dad had to show her... haha) she said she would like me to do a portrait of ALL of her "kids"! This would be probably 200 animals? We all laughed but I got the feeling she wasn't really joking. She would have loved that. We chatted with her for a long while and it was so fun to hear about her life and experiences.
Then Dr Richardson walked into the room. I tell you the entire room just lit up and there was a face I knew so well!! All of the photos and press conferences I had seen just flooded into my mind, and the life he shared with our beloved Barbaro walked into the room with him. It was all there and filled my head and my heart. I jumped to my feet to greet him and shook off the tears that wanted to come. I wanted to make sure this stayed a happy uplifting moment for him especially on this day. It was important to me to focus on the positive things that Barbaro began. Seeing Dr Richardson right in the room with me did bring back all of the memories. He had just come out of a surgery and greeted all of us very enthusiastically.
Jennifer and Kate explained to him who I was and when we mentioned the ornaments he said, "I know all about them I had one hanging on my Christmas tree this year." He looked at me and said, "You sent it to me." He shook hands with all of us and Lyn Gilbert brought him the check from the FOB fundraiser. They posed for photographs and then it was my turn.

I had also brought with me five Barbaro - America's Champion limited edition prints and Dr Richardson had previously confirmed he would be more then happy to autograph them! He sat down at the conference table and signed each one while I explained to him the specific numbers I chose from the edition.
1/150 (because it was the first of the edition.)
8/150 (8 was the number of Barbaro's saddle cloth in the Kentucky Derby)
28/150 (Today was the 28th of January)
29/150 (The 29th being the day of both Barbaro's birth and passing)
132/150 (Kentucky Derby 132)

Lyn Gilbert gave Dr Richardson an essay that was written by an FOB to read at his leisure and he took the folder she gave it to him. He talked about a few of his current patients including one he had just worked on which was a tiny miniature appaloosa foal. We also talked about the significance of all of the donations made to the Fund to Fight Laminitis and I mentioned the other famous race horses who succumbed to the disease and he added, "not to mention the many many horses who have come through here. I worry about my own horses getting laminitis, it is a terrible disease and very difficult to treat medically." He thanked us again for our donations and left the conference room.
Here is the press release from UPENN that was added to their website that same day:
Barbaro’s legacy endures as anniversary approaches
Another press release can be found on The Bloodhorse Magazine posted on January 29th, 2008
Barbaro's Legacy Continues
Update: Press release from TheHorse.com posted 1/29/08:
Barbaro's Legacy Lives On At UPENN
Press release from the NTRA (National Thoroughbred Racing Association posted 1/29/08:
Barbaro's Legacy Continues
Delaware Online Article posted 2/2/08:
A Year Later, Barbaro's Legacy is Still Strong
DVM - The News Magazine of Veterinary Medicine Posted 2/1/08
Funds started in Barbaro's name still growing
After our amazing visit with Dr Richardson, Jennifer Rench escorted our little group on a tour of the hospital.


She showed us some large tubing in the corner with a flower pot duct taped to the end of it. The tubing is very expensive special tubing from NASA used for collecting information on the air the horse is breathing out (I'm sure I'm not explaining this well) and the flower pot just seemed to work best for strapping it onto the horse's face! Sometimes the simplest things make the best tools!

Here is the ultrasound unit. Basically it houses all the same equipment as a human ultrasound room only on a much larger scale! This room has the capability of working with two horses at one time. Each horse is held in the iron stocks.
This next part gets very emotional. I have trouble even looking at these photos and writing


Walking into this room was absolutely the most


I remember Dr Richardson reporting that Barbaro practically

We were not able to get a tour of the ICU unfortunately. There had been an emergency case brought in and there was too much activity going on inside to accomodate visitors.

Our tour ended in what I feel is a very fitting place. Barbaro's

This was a weekend that has been placed as a major mark on my timeline of life. Moments I will never forget.

Before leaving we stopped back to say goodbye to Dr Sweeney. She had graciously allowed us to put some of our things in her office so we did not have to carry them around on our tour. We came by her office to pick them up and to give her one last hug, thank her for our time together and to say goodbye. She had a single white rose on her desk from the Fans of Barbaro and prepared lovingly by Kennett Florist.
Once I was in our car, just me and my husband I allowed the tears to fall. I will always miss Barbaro and I will always wish he were still with us. But I celebrate his life and the wonderful endeavors that have come from it. One year later they are still going strong. Many people are changed from having known him and I am no exception. He will always be in my heart.