As the medical director of the New Bolton Center, the University of Pennsylvania’s internationally renowned veterinary facility, Dr. Barbara Dallap-Schaer takes care of hundreds of animals every year, including Kentucky Derby winners, writes Roger Morris for The Hunt magazine. 

The child who begged her parents for a horse — and was unsuccessful — became a doctor who now cares for them each time she walks into the New Bolton Center.

With decades of experience, Dallap-Schaer, 53, has treated many horses, a zebra, a camel, a tiger — and 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro from nearby West Grove.

“She’s an extraordinary clinician, which also extends to the way she handles concerns,” said Equine Veterinary Care’s Dr. Kathy Anderson. 

Barbaro had shattered his leg in that year’s Preakness Stakes, and Dallap-Schaer was in the ER when he was transferred from Baltimore to Chester County. Although they tried to save him, the injury ruined his racing career and eventually led to his death. 

“You don’t get to choose which animal shows up in the emergency room,” said Dallap-Schaer. 

Read more about Dr. Barbara Dallap-Schaer in The Hunt magazine.