HERITAGE EQUINE - Key Persons

Dr. Bret Luedke grew up in Glenwood Springs, CO where he was exposed to veterinary medicine at a young age. Bret's father, Dr. Dennis Luedke is a partner at Glenwood Veterinary Clinic, a multi-doctor equine surgical facility and his grandfather Dr. Albert Luedke was a research veterinarian. The experiences of growing up in a veterinary clinic drove Bret's love of animals and led him to follow in their footsteps earning Bachelor's, Master's and Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine degrees at Colorado State University. After graduating vet school and shortly thereafter marrying the love of his life, Bret moved 2500 miles away from his new bride to complete an internship at Idaho Equine Hospital where he further developed his passion for reproductive work and general medicine. In his free time Bret enjoys spending time with his kids Brayden, Mason, and Adalyn and golfing, doing Cross Fit, hockey, and packing horses through the mountains.

Dr. Chelsea Luedke grew up in Parker, Colorado and her love of horses was encouraged from an early age. She was lucky enough to ride and compete to the top levels of both FEI Eventing and United States Pony Club. She attended Colorado State University for her Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine Degrees. During her time at CSU, she was actively involved in equine studies at the Orthopaedic Research Center which led to her interest in equine sports medicine. She then completed a 1 year internship at The Piedmont Equine Practice in The Plains, VA. She learned a vast array of equine clinical medicine during her internship, while building a strong foundation in her equine lameness diagnostics and therapeutics.

Dr. Lauren Luedke grew up in Glenwood Springs, Colorado where she spent much of her childhood riding in the mountains and competing in the quarter horse and reining circuits. She was immersed in veterinary medicine from the very beginning at her father's practice, Glenwood Veterinary Clinic. She followed in her father's and brother's footsteps, attending Colorado State University for both her undergraduate degree and Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. From Colorado, she moved west to Oakdale, California, completing an equine internship at Pioneer Equine Hospital; a practice with an intensive lameness and surgery caseload. Following her internship, she joined Cornell by way of Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists located on the backstretch of the Belmont Racetrack for a second internship, giving her a complete introduction to the Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing industries. She was fortunate enough to stay with Cornell at their upstate location in Ithaca as a resident in large animal surgery. There she was involved in several research projects pertaining to upper airway disease and breakdown injuries in racehorses. Upon completing her surgical training at Cornell, she was very excited to stay on the East Coast as a surgeon with a special interest in sports medicine at Manor Equine Hospital. She is delighted to be able to provide consultations for Heritage Equine's patients back home in Colorado.

Liz joined the Heritage Equine team in 2021 and loves learning and assisting Drs. Bret & Chelsea with various procedures! Liz graduated from the Rocky Mountain School of Animal Acupressure and Massage in 2019 with her Certification in Equine Massage and is currently pursuing her Masterson Method certification in equine bodywork. In her free time, she enjoys trail riding with her Appaloosa, Chip and her golden retriever, Aurora!