History & Philosophy

Following graduation, Dr. Dippert and a business partner, had investigated several areas of the country where they thought a full-service equine reproduction facility would be sustainable.  Both having grown up on the east coast, they naturally gravitated towards the eastern side of the country.  Knowing that such an endeavor would attract local, regional and national equine communities, it was important for this facility to be centrally located so clients from both northern and southern regions of the U.S. could have easy accessibility.  Several properties in the PA, VA, MD areas were investigated however, they were drawn to the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains and rolling meadows of Northern Virginia.  This area was also in close proximity to various horse populations within neighboring states.  So, a 25-acre parcel of land in Rappahannock County was purchased in June of 1996.  Over the next 6 months, this hayfield was turned into the beginning stages of Equine Reproduction Concepts (ERC).  In January of 1997, with the clinic building and 9-stall barn erected, ERC was open for business.  The philosophy was to start small and allow the business to grow the property.  Although the business partner chose to move his career pathway in a different direction less than a year into ERC’s development, Dr. Dippert continued with his desire to make sure ERC prospered.  And indeed, after only the first year of business it was obvious that more stall space was needed.  For the next several years, large show tents were rented that housed temporary stalls inside.  Once the clinic grew to consistently need additional stalls, it was now time to invest into a permanent structure.

In the spring of 2005, a full-span metal building was built that housed over 30 stalls.  These stalls were set up to handle both mares with foals as well as dry mares (without foals).  Even with that investment, continued interest in our services pushed ERC’s expansion to a third barn in 2006.  This additional 8-stall barn is now used for overflow during peak season.

Although ERC has had to navigate through the ups and downs of the equine industry over the years, we are very thankful for the continued demand for our services.  This 45-stall facility has grown to meet the demands of the industry.  But the success over the years has only been achievable with the help of quality, professional staff and the commitment to offer the best services possible for our clients.

Philosophy

Modern technology can be incorporated into a breeding program in order to maximize reproductive efficiency and to allow the flexibility necessary to achieve one’s goal in producing quality foals.