Virginia Tech's Marion duPont Equine Medical Center is to be the recipient of a generous and visionary gift of $10 million from the estate of Shelley Duke, owner and manager of Rallywood Farm in Middleburg. Destined to establish a major emergency and critical care program, the gift will have an extraordinary impact on horses treated at the center and on veterinary medicine around the world according to Dr. Nat White, Jean Ellen Shehan Professor and Director of the Center. "We are extremely grateful for Shelley's generosity and vision," said Dr. White. "This estate gift is the largest in the hospital's history."

Duke's pledge for the future advancement of the equine center was based, in large part, on the strong relationship she has developed with the center's faculty and staff as a leader, client and volunteer. "I wanted to ensure that there will always be a place for horses within the Mid-Atlantic Region to be treated when they are critically ill or injured," she said. "In terms of equine surgery and internal medicine, I just don't know where you can find better care or knowledge at work."

Duke has spent more than twenty years working toward the betterment of equine healthcare and veterinary programs at the university. She is a member of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors, the Ut Prosim Society and the Legacy Society. She has served as chair of the Marion duPont Equine Medical Center Council since 1999 and is credited with establishing the hospital's highly successful volunteer program. She was named the recipient of the center's first Distinguished Service Award.

"Shelley Duke's impressive background in real estate and investment banking has made her an invaluable advisor on our Board of Visitors, the Virginia Tech Foundation Board, the Women and Leadership in Philanthropy Council and numerous other boards and committees," said Virginia Tech President Charles Steger. "We are especially grateful that her passion for competitive riding and other equine pursuits has translated into tireless work in support of the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center."

The center is a premier, full-service equine hospital located in Leesburg, Virginia, that offers advanced specialty care, 24-hour emergency treatment and diagnostic services for all ages and breeds of horses. One of three campuses that comprise the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, the center and its team of equine specialists are committed to provide exceptional treatment to patients, superior service to clients and cutting-edge research to the equine industry.