Paul R. Stephens, DVM, ACVS

Paul Stephens is a 1979 graduate of the veterinary  school at Ohio State University, Dr. Stephens spent his first six years in practice in California with the prestigious Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center. He then returned east to do a residency at New Bolton (University of Pennsylvania) and became board certified in large animal surgery in 1989. After a short stint with Georgetown Equine Hospital (Charlottesville, VA), Dr. Stephens moved to Oklahoma City to be hospital director at a large referral clinic, Equine Medical Associates. This was particularly valuable experience due to the extensive orthopedic and lameness caseload  generated by the nearby racetrack. 

His family's love of Albemarle County enticed him to join forces with Dr. Cowles in 1996 to establish a premier referral center for equine medicine and surgery in central Virginia. The hospital caseload has grown rapidly requiring the addition of a second surgeon in 2004.  With a less onerous on-call schedule, Dr. Stephens enjoys spending more time with his wife and three teenage sons.  His wife, Brenda, is a certified hippo therapist and pediatric occupational therapist with her own local therapeutic riding  program.  He is a member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, American Veterinary Medical Association, American College of Veterinary Surgeons Virginia Association of Equine Practitioners, and the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association.

Donovan Dagner, managing partner of Blue Ridge Equine, grew up on a training farm in New Jersey where he gained an appreciation for horses and the people who work with them.  He graduated from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 1995 and completed an internship at Apex Veterinary Hospital in North Carolina before joining Blue Ridge Equine Clinic in 1996.  His current interests include dentistry, lameness, reproduction, such as embryo transfer.  He provides these services as well as all routine health care to  the clients of Blue Ridge Equine Clinic at their farms as well as at the clinic. He is a member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and the Virginia Association of Equine Practitioners.

Steve Trostle graduated from the veterinary school at the University of Tennessee in 1990.  He completed a residency in large animal surgery in 1994 at the University of Wisconsin and then spent a year as a clinical instructor at the Equine Medical Center in Leesburg.  Steve returned to University of Wisconsin in 1995 and achieved board certification in surgery in 1996.  He spent six years there on staff as an assistant professor at the veterinary school hospital.  In 2001, he decided to leave academia and headed to San Diego to be part of the San Luis Rey Equine Hospital.  In 2004, he returned back to the East Coast and joined Blue Ridge Equine Clinic.  His wife, Cheryl, is a small animal veterinarian and they live in Earlysville, VA with their son Justin and their daughter, Kelsey.  They enjoy all forms of outdoor activities.

Dr. Trostle brings outstanding expertise to our area derived from extensive experience in both an academic institution and a very busy, high quality private practice.  His clinical training has been broad based providing strengths in orthopedics and soft tissue surgery including laparoscopy and lasers (CO2 and diode).  Additionally, he has a strong background in scintigraphy to complement his skill in lameness evaluation.  Dr. Trostle has numerous publications and presentations to his credit on a variety of subjects including:  laparoscopy, long bone fracture repair,  and ultrasonography.