CALVIN EDWARD ROFE 1938 - 2011

Calvin Rofe

Renowned equine veterinarian Calvin Edward Rofe, age 72, died May 11, 2011 at his home in Middleburg, Va. 

Born on May 30, 1938 in New York, he was the son of the late Elmo and Dorothy Rofe.  Rofe graduated from The Cornell School of  Veterinary Medicine in 1961.  He then served his country in the United States Army. 

Upon completion of his military service he joined the Meadowville Animal Hospital in Warrenton, Va.  In partnership with Dr. John Mayo,  he later established the renowned Mayo & Rofe Equine Clinic in Middleburg, Va. 

Rofe was the consummate veterinarian and was  always ready and willing to help any animal and owner in need of his expertise and services.

Among the many Va Thoroughbred farms Dr. Rofe worked for, some of the most prominent were Madowville, Spring Hill, Newstead/ Catoctin and Rokeby.  As a result, Rofe is responsible for bringing more stakes winners into this world than anyone in the Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

GENUINE RISK (Photo by Mudmont)

He played a major role in the daily breeding and foaling operations and his clients and they relied heavily on his exceptional talent.

Rofe also excelled in lamness diagnosis and in the management of performance animals.  His knowledge allowed him to maintain soundness and extend their careers.   He possessed a gift for knowing just how to assist owners and horses to achieve their goals.

Much of his talent was obtained by his undaunting drive to learn from every case and his quest to never stop obtaining new knowledge and technology.  As part of Dr Rofe’s storied career he traveled all over this country and abroad with many champion racehorses such as, Genuine Risk, General Assembly , and Cure The Blues, throughout their campaigns.

      

He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Jean Rofe of Middleburg, Va, his son Shannon Rofe of  Purceville, Va, his brother Leroy Rofe, grandchildren Bridgit, Samantha, and Nicholas Rofe, and neice Amarette Rofe.

Rofe's clinic - for horsemen and breeders in No. VA this is a well known place.

In lieu of flowers, donations maybe made to: The American Cancer Society, PO Box 1749, Viennna, Va 22183, the Middleburg Humane Foundation, PO Box 1238, Middleburg, Va. 20118 and The Fauquier SPCA, PO Box 733, Warrenton, Va 20188.

(Editor’s Note: I have known Calvin Rofe for over 30 years and I enjoyed every moment I spent with him.  That’s saying something as we disagreed on any number of issues that were important to both of us!  But, Calvin was so passionate about horses and veterinary medicine (not to mention talented), he will forever be someone I admire and respect.  Every conversation I ever had with him (including my last brief one at Ned Evans’ memorial) was pleasant and informative.  We always found something to laugh about.  If you never had a chance to talk breeding and racing with Calvin, you unfortunately missed one of the greatest experiences our industry had to offer.  He was a great vet and an amazing resource.  He will be sorely missed by many people both personally and professionally.  Virginia’s amazing treasure trove of gifted horsemen, owners, breeders and vets continues to dwindle.  As we move forward, I’ve come to the unpleasant conclusion that the likes of Calvin Rofe simply cannot be replaced. God’s speed, Doc.. -- Glenn Petty)