Top racetrack veterinarian Jack Robbins, VMD, a longtime breeder of Thoroughbreds in California and patriarch of an influential racing family, died the afternoon of Nov. 29 at his home in Rancho Santa Fe, California, at the age of 93.

The publicity office at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, in California, where his son Tom is vice president of racing, confirmed his death, which was attributed to pulmonary and respiratory disease.

The elder Robbins was a past president of the Oak Tree Racing Association and the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), and was instrumental in the founding of both organizations. He began practicing veterinary medicine at California racetracks in 1945, and was a member of the The Jockey Club and director emeritus of the Grayson Jockey Club Research Foundation and the University of California-Davis Center for Equine Health.

A native of Michigan born May 28, 1921, Robbins grew up in California where he began his practice following his graduation in 1944 from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine. He was considered a pioneer in his field