IN MEMORIAM - DR. PAUL THORPE
Retired equine veterinary surgeon Dr. Paul Torpe, a pioneer in colic surgery whom colleagues called an unsung hero in his field, died Nov. 18 in Edgewater, Fla. He was 79. Torpe may be best known as the first surgeon to routinely perform colic surgery on Toroughbreds in Central Kentucky soon after his arrival in 1974. As word spread of his success working at Hagyard-Davidson-McGee, his practice took off. Dr. Michael Spirito, a member at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, remembers working with Torpe on eight or nine colic surgeries a day. Spirito recalled Torpe was the only game in town in the late 1970s, an era when annual foal crops surpassed 30,000 for the first time on their way to the 50,000-plus crops of the mid-1980s.
Torpe was an innovator. For horses who had colic multiple times, he developed colopexy surgery. He also developed a technique for treating dystocia in which the mare is hung upside down and the fetus is repositioned. Spirito said those methods eventually were used around the world. “He probably deserved a lot more attention and accolades; he’s kind of an unsung hero of the sport,” Spirito said. “He shunned publicity.”
Dr. Robert Hunt, also a member at Hagyard, said “He’s world renowned in hospital design, pioneering in the design of surgery venues.” Torpe’s expertise included planning the surgery room at the Davidson Surgery Center at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, a far cry from Torpe’s start when he performed surgeries in Dr. Art Davidson’s garage in the 1970s with Hagyard-Davidson-McGee. Torpe’s expertise with horses and straightforward dealing with humans made him the go-to veterinarian for top equine stars.
Torpe was a Vietnam War veteran who piloted Chinook helicopters on search and rescue missions of downed Navy pilots. On his final mission, Torpe picked up a pilot but was hit by shrapnel that lodged near his eye. “I’m sure he was in a lot of pain, but he completed that mission and got everybody back,” said friend and equine veterinarian Dr. Ben Bealmear. Hunt said it’s important to remember that when Torpe started, there wasn’t a library of equine veterinary books to guide him.
“For procedures that might require some vets to make an incision several feet long, Dr. Torpe might make an incision just big enough for his two hands. He was just a brilliant surgeon who was able to use all of his experience and wisdom.”
“He’s a graduate of California-Davis, and it’s my understanding he initially just answered a ‘help wanted’ ad for work at Hagyard. When he arrived here, I think he just felt at home,” Robinson said. “He really loved the people here and the whole horse culture. He was a totally down-to-earth person who loved the outdoors.”
Friends describe Torpe as treating everyone with respect no matter what their position in life and as a humble man. “But he would tell you what he thought; he wasn’t wishy-washy,” Spirito said.
Torpe’s family was well aware of his love for veterinary work and Central Kentucky. “In his work, he was dedicated to his patients and most enjoyed the friendships, stories, and jokes shared during countless sur- geries and farm calls,” they noted in his obituary. “We who loved him dearly will never forget his tenacity, wit, charm, stubbornness, grace (when pertinent), and tendency to disappear during hunting and fishing season.”
Dr. Torpe is survived by Teresa, his wife of 52 years, children Sara Torpe-Kuhl, Paul A. Torpe, and Olivia Nedved; sons-in-law Guillermo and Mike; daughter-in-law Jennifer; grandchildren Emily, Claire, Alexander, Josephine, Aiden, and Ana. Remember him by contributing to your favorite cause.
Printed in part from Te Bloodhorse. Read full article at:
https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/arti- cles/237167/veterinary-surgeon-thorpe-brought-innovation
16 KVMA News
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