The University of Minnesota will welcome horse lovers into its state-of-the-art new $14 million facility on Monday, Oct. 15 at the grand opening celebration of the Louise and Doug Leatherdale Equine Center on the St. Paul campus.

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, Falcon Heights Mayor Susan Gehrz, and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak have proclaimed the date “University of Minnesota Leatherdale Equine Center Day” in the metro area.

The public is invited to the free event that begins at 2 p.m. with a procession led by the Ames Farm six Percheron horse hitch and official ribbon cutting. From 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. there will be demonstrations of the new high-tech systems in the 60,000 square foot facility by University equine clinic staff.

“The comprehensive Equine Center has been designated as a Program of Excellence at the College of Veterinary Medicine and is squarely aligned with the University’s goal to become one of the top three public research universities in the world,” said University of Minnesota President Robert Bruininks. “But more than that, it meets a growing need of our state: Minnesota ranks among the top 10 states in horse population and the equine industry contributes almost $1 billion annually to the state economy, sparked by the passion and support of horse lovers like us.”

The facility will be named in honor of Louise and Doug Leatherdale of Medina who made a generous lead gift to the University of Minnesota. Tad and Cindy Piper of Long Lake made the lead gift for a performance medicine and reproductive clinic in the facility, which will be christened the Piper Performance Clinic.

The Center’s new technology includes computerized gait analysis and high-speed cameras to test for lameness, an aqua treadmill used in rehabilitation, a state-of-the-art reproduction wing, and a high-speed treadmill that allows a horse’s every breath and heartbeat to be monitored while galloping up to 30 mph.

Throughout the afternoon, members of We Can Ride therapeutic riding group will be on hand to demonstrate the program that teaches riding and carriage driving to children and adults living with cognitive and physical disabilities. The new facility will be home to the first metro site of this popular program, which has a waiting list of more than 100.

The University Mounted Police unit will also be housed in the facility, which offers a conference center and a 100 by 200 ft. indoor arena and a similar size outdoor arena for demonstrations, meetings, and programs by community horse organizations.

“This state-of-the-art facility will become a home for the Minnesota equine community,” said Stephanie Valberg, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, director of the Equine Center. “The Equine Center represents our dedication to an expanded equine program, including undergraduate equine education, continued devotion to educating the next generation of equine veterinarians, and a focus on equine research that will change the lives of horses worldwide, all while providing cutting edge care for horses.”

For additional information on the University’s Leatherdale Equine Center and its grand opening visit www.cvm.umn.edu/umec.