PHILADELPHIA -- The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine received a very generous donation of five nationally registered horses to its carriage program from Ms. Gloria Austin of Weirsdale, Fla. Ms Austin is renowned among coaching and carriage driving enthusiasts for her high-profile participation in the sport of pleasure driving, as well as for her remarkable collection of antique coaches and carriages housed at the Austin Carriage Museum in Weirsdale.

Ms. Austin's decision to help the carriage program at New Bolton Center, Penn's large animal campus, grew out of Penn's historical connection to Mr. Fairman Rogers, a 19th century Penn graduate and Trustee, who was directly involved in the decision to establish Penn's veterinary school in 1884. Fairman Rogers wrote the classic reference and historical work, The Manual of Coaching. His rare book collection on the horse and equitation is housed in Penn's Van Pelt Library.

Penn Veterinary Medicine's carriage program is an important outreach, education, and development tool that has helped raise significant funds for New Bolton Center. Because of the loss of its team of donated Morgan horses through illness earlier this year, the program was at risk. Generous friends of the School loaned a pair of Hackney-Clydesdales to New Bolton Center to ensure that the School could participate in several important benefit events during the summer.

Ms. Austin's gift of her highly trained Kladruby grays and National Show Pintos ensures that the School, by virtue if this special program, can continue to take its message on the importance and value of veterinary medicine to a wide variety of constituents locally and regionally.