Standardbred stallion Garth Vader was recently donated to the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet), where he will be one of the horses-in-residence at The Georgia and Philip Hofmann Research Center for Animal Reproduction on the New Bolton Center campus in Kennett Square, Pa.

Garth was donated to Penn Vet by Linda Hurtgen and Nandi Farms. Hurtgen’s late husband, John P. Hurtgen, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACT, was a veterinarian and faculty member at Penn Vet before going into private practice. A reproductive specialist, he was known the father of modern embryo transfer.

Steve Moore, who managed the farm for seven years before it was sold, said, "This is a great situation for everyone. Garth will be a great asset to Penn Vet, and we know he’s in good hands." Moore added that Hurtgen was passionate about teaching, and would have very much liked the idea of the horse undertaking a new career teaching veterinary students.

Garth was an ideal candidate to join the full-service reproduction program, said Tamara Dobbie, DVM, Dipl. ACT. "At Penn Vet, we have to be very selective about accepting animal donations. It’s very expensive to keep a horse, and we have to be sure that the horse will be of benefit to our program and, at the same time, that we are able to give the horse a great quality of life." Garth, she said, has all of the characteristics for an ideal teaching stallion. "He is very quiet, calm and well-mannered. His size is not intimidating. And he has very good semen quality