Founded in 1979, the Dorothy Russell Havemeyer Foundation, Inc., is a private foundation that conducts scientific research to improve the general health and welfare of horses. The Foundation is currently focused in several areas including equine reproduction, embryo transfer, and stallion behaviors. Also, infectious disease including strangles, rhodococcus equi, herpes viruses, and protozoal myeloma. Also regenerative medicine and cell therapies and respiratory disease, colic, biosecurity, and other related areas including the application of the genetic map.
Research is conducted by principal investigators selected to work on specific projects for the Foundation. The Foundation has agreements with three institutions for several research projects to be conducted by principal investigators.
The Foundation conducts workshops related to its research projects when it determines that there are enough new findings on a subject to warrant such an event. Workshops are by invitation only. They are typically attended by 25-30 scientists, each of whom submits an abstract and if chosen presents their research to the attendees.
Principal Investigators
In 2009 Dr. Antczak was inducted into the University of Kentucky’s Equine Research Hall of Fame. In 2010, Dr. Antczak was the recipient of the Distinguished Veterinary Immunologist Award, a prize awarded only once every three years by the Veterinary Immunology Committee of the International Union of Immunological Societies. In 2018, Dr. Antczak received one of the five inaugural Lifetime Achievement Awards from the International Equine Reproduction Symposium.
Dr. Douglas F. Antczak
Since 1981 the Havemeyer Foundation has had a strong working relationship with the Baker Institute for Animal Health, a unit of Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine. The Institute’s equine research program has been lead by Dr. Douglas F. Antczak, Dorothy Havemeyer McConville Professor of Equine Medicine.
Dr. Antczak developed strong research programs in equine immunology, reproduction, and genetics. For this research Dr. Antczak developed a herd of purpose-bred horses selected for homozygosity at the Major Histocompatibility Complex. These horses are a unique genetic resource – the donor horses for the Bacterial Artificial Chromosome library and the Whole Genome Sequence of the Horse Genome Project are members of this herd. The Baker Institute horse herd is stabled at the Dorothy Havemeyer McConville Barn, a historic agricultural building on the Cornell campus.
Dr. Daniela Bedenice
Dr. Daniela Bedenice brings a wonderful range of expertise to the Havemeyer Foundation. In addition to her camelid care, Dr. Bedenice takes great pride in her work with foals and adult horses. Dr. Bedenice grew up in rural Germany, where she trained and cared for many horses, and even accompanied her local veterinarian on nearly two years’ worth of farm calls. Soon after, she moved to the United States, became a Havemeyer fellow under Dr Mary Rose Paradis, earned her board certification in both veterinary internal medicine and emergency and critical care, and joined the faculty at the Cummings School. Dr Bedenice was named a PI with the Foundation in 2020, following the retirement of Dr Paradis. Her primary research interest is in Non-invasive pulmonary function testing (horses, dogs, camelids).
Sue McDonnell, PhD
Sue M. McDonnell, PhD, is a certified applied animal behaviorist and the founding head of the equine behavior program at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine. She is also the author of numerous books and articles about horse behavior and management. Among Dr. McDonnell’s honors are The George Stubbs Award given by the American Association of Equine Practitioners for contributions to equine veterinary medicine by a non-veterinarian and a Gold Medal from the Agricultural University of Krakow, Poland, their highest honor for distinguished scientific collaboration.
Dr. Mary Rose Paradis Emerita
The Dorothy Havemeyer Foundation chose Mary Rose Paradis to become one of their primary investigators in 1990. As primary investigator in Neonatal and Geriatric diseases of horses, her mandate was to conduct research, train summer students/fellows, and conduct workshops to expand veterinary knowledge in these fields. Many students, fellows, interns, residents and colleagues were involved in this research. Some have stayed in academia while others have continued careers in private practice. Many patients received care through the Foundation that would otherwise have gone untreated. We celebrated that good work with a retrospective of what was accomplished, and where the people are now in their careers. Dr Paradis has been crucial to furthering the mission of the Havemeyer Foundation.
Foundation Board
President
Gene Pranzo, Esq.
CEO and President
Gene Pranzo, Esq., is the CEO and president of The Dorothy R. Havemeyer Foundation. He is instrumental in developing the Foundation, beginning with its inception in 1979 to its present role as a leader in scientific research, workshops and publications.
Vice President
Melanie Tenney
Vice President
Melanie Tenney has been on the Havemeyer Foundation board since the mid 90’s. A retired USDF certified dressage instructor and instrumental in many of the advances in dressage instruction in the US, Melanie now devotes her time to the Foundation and her duties as Vice President. Her knowledge of sport horses and advanced competition is invaluable.
In Memorium
Prof. William "Twink" Allen
In Memorium
Renowned equine reproduction expert “Twink” Allen died at the age of 80 after a short illness.
Twink was one of the earliest principal investigators for the Foundation, and enjoyed a wonderful working relationship for well over 30 years.
Allen had been a well-known figure in England’s thoroughbred hub, Newmarket, for many years and is the father of Catherine Dettori, wife of jockey Frankie.
He was particularly known for his work in assisted reproductive technologies, carrying out pioneering methods of embryo recovery and transfer in mares and studies of hormones and ultrasonography. Twink began his prolific association with the Havemeyer foundation in (need year).
Equine Veterinarians Australia described Allen as a “godfather of equine reproduction. So many of our routine procedures in horse breeding are with thanks to Twink. He has left a great legacy.”
A graduate of veterinary medicine from the University of Sydney, he was a director of the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Equine Fertility Unit, a professor at the University of Cambridge and held numerous other research positions. He was awarded a CBE in 2002, Fellowship of The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (FRCVS) by thesis, elected to the Polish Academy of Sciences, Honorary Doctorates from the Universities of Krakow, Gent and Helsinki and was elected to the Hall of Fame for Equine Research in the US, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Symposia of Equine Reproduction Committee.
Allen retired from the University of Cambridge in 2007, and was the honorary director at the Paul Mellon Laboratory of Equine Reproduction in Newmarket from 2008 to 2015, when he became director of the Equine Reproduction Laboratory, Sharjah Equine Hospital, in the UAE.
In a biography on the Society for Reproduction and Fertility, Allen described several career highlights, including carrying out the first embryo transfers in horses and donkeys, and the development and practical application of both surgical and non-surgical methods of embryo recovery and transfer in the mare. He described how, in 1974, with Franseca Stewart and Alan Trownson, “the successful transport of six horse embryos in the oviducts of two rabbits by car to Krakow in Poland in 1974 for transfer to recipient mares there, with the birth of three live foals in 1975”.
Allen was also behind the early development and practical application of the technique of transrectal ultrasonography in thoroughbreds for the accurate visual assessment of follicular growth, ovulation and corpus luteum development and for the early accurate diagnosis of single and twin pregnancy and early pregnancy failure.
Allen was also among those responsible for organizing and running of the First International Symposium of Equine Reproduction in Cambridge in July, 1974
Foundation Legacy Projects
The McConville Barn at Cornell
In the early 1980s a generous gift from Mrs. Dorothy Havemeyer McConville enabled Dr. Doug Antczak to renovate the barn. The barn was transferred to the Baker Institute for Animal Health where it has supported research in equine immunology, genetics, and reproduction, including the establishment of pregnancy in sterile mules through embryo transfer with Prof. Twink Allen.
The McConville Barn is home to the unique herd of Cornell horses selected for homozygosity at the immune system genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). These horses have been important DNA donors in the Horse Genome Project.
The Dorothy Havemeyer McConville Barn has played a role in the University for over a century. The original barn was part of one of Ezra Cornell’s Ithaca farms that was purchased by the Mitchell family in 1869. In 1903 the University bought the Mitchell farm to expand and consolidate its growing agricultural campus.
The McConville Barn today consists of the original barn and attached structures, a laboratory and surgical suite, several small run-in sheds, and the Butler Family Pavilion. The barn complex features two gable pitched barns, a gambrel roofed barn, and a long, rectangular salt box type stable barn of corrugated metal. The gambrel barn sits on a stone foundation and is banked.
The Havemeyer Equine Behavior Research Lab at UPenn
The Equine Behavior Program at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center includes research in the areas of equine behavior, welfare, and reproduction. A sampling of our peer reviewed reports of projects can be found on the UPenn web site UPenn web site.
Since 1994, the lab has maintained a semi-feral herd of small Shetland-sized ponies as a living laboratory for the study of equine behavior and health when living under natural social and environmental conditions.
Research in this herd has contributed to the basic and applied knowledge of horse behavior and welfare. Many of the herd studies have been undertaken as research training for pre-veterinary and veterinary students and graduates as Havemeyer Fellows. Examples areas of study are detailed descriptions of behavior under natural conditions and exploration of factors supporting extreme fertility and fecundity and general health under natural compared to domestic conditions. Current Havemeyer research in the herd is on the efficacy, safety, and impact on social behavior of novel fertility control interventions, for potential application to management of free-roaming horse populations. We are also developing methods of gathering free-roaming horses using a drone to lead rather than to chase families of horses into traps. Additionally, in collaboration with the University of Delaware, we are studying the developmental microbiome of foals in this herd for comparison with that of domestically managed foals.
Our more traditional lab research supported by the Foundation currently includes developing training protocols for recognition of discomfort and pain behavior in horses. We are also developing virtual companions for horses, as well as stimulus mares and stallions for use in the equine breeding industry.
Research Projects
Cornell University Study
Dr. Douglas F. Antczak, Principal Investigator. This study involves ongoing research on equine genetic systems. The principal investigator is researching the role of genetics in horses’ development of and immunity to diseases. Consideration of equine leucocyte antigens is an important part of this research.
University of Pennsylvania Study
Dr. Sue McDonnell, Principal Investigator. This project involves basic and applied studies of reproductive physiology and behavior of stallions, including phamacologic manipulation of libido, erection, and ejaculation.
Equine Genetic Mapping Project (Genome)
Dr. Bhanu P. Chowdhary, Principal Investigator. This project is developing microsatellite markers and the radiation hybrid panel in conjunction with the creation of the equine genetic map.
