Connecticut | Long Island | Westchester | Wellington
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Meet Our Veterinarians
Mark Baus
Dr. Baus is the son and grandson of large animal veterinarians in South Dakota. Although this experience shaped his decision to become a veterinarian, the desire and inspiration to provide care exclusively to horses occurred during veterinary school. Upon graduation from Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1981, Dr. Baus joined a veterinary practice in Fairfield, Connecticut with Drs. Howard Raven and Rick Mitchell.
Dr. Baus and Dr. Mitchell founded Fairfield Equine Associates in 1989 where Dr. Baus practiced until he started Grand Prix Equine in 2009. He has provided care to horses in the same region and for many of the same clients for over forty years.
The Fairfield and Westchester county region has a long tradition of supporting the show horse industry. Many of the finest horses, riders and trainers in the country have started their careers in this region and Dr. Baus has had the privilege to work on many of those great horses and with many great trainers and riders.
In addition to memberships in the American Veterinary Medical Association and American Association of Equine Practitioners, Dr. Baus is on the veterinary committee for the United States Equestrian Federation. He served on the board of directors for the AAEP and is a past member of the AAEP Ethics Committee and the Performance Horse Committee. Dr. Baus is a past president of the Northeast Alliance of Equine Practitioners.
In his off time, Dr. Baus teaches a course in life skills at a local prison. He also enjoys auto racing as a fan and a driver.
Dr. Baus can be reached at mbaus@grandprixequine.com
Partner, Connecticut
Johanna Kremberg
Partner, New York
Dr. Kremberg grew up in Brunswick, Maine, riding horses at every opportunity. She majored in English Literature and Spanish at Middlebury College, where she was the captain of the varsity lacrosse team. After her time in Vermont, she worked in botulinum research at Tufts University while she applied to veterinary school.
In 2010, Dr. Kremberg graduated from the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and spent the following year in a rotating large animal internship at the University of Georgia. At Ohio State, she received the "Excellence in Equine Surgery" award and was chosen as the 2009 AAEP/Hiscox Insurance scholarship recipient.
Dr. Kremberg appreciates all aspects of maintaining the equine athlete and excels in endoscopy, ultrasound guided injection techniques, and preventive medicine. Beyond work, Johanna enjoys time in the outdoors with her husband and two children, as well as visiting friends and family in New York City. She lives in Bedford, NY and continues to ride her Irish Sport Horse at every opportunity.
Dr. Kremberg can be reached at jkremberg@grandprixequine.com
Luvie Abell
Partner, Connecticut
Dr. Abell’s love for horses started before she can remember on her grandparents’ horse farm in Maryland. She earned a BS in Animal Science from the University of Vermont and went on to Virginia Tech for veterinary school.
Following vet school, Dr. Abell pursued additional training at Blue Ridge Equine Clinic in Virginia. In her rigorous internship year, she furthered her clinical competency in sports medicine, emergency and critical care, ophthalmology, surgery, and internal medicine. She has also completed extensive training in animal chiropractic at Options for Animals and is certified by the IVCA.
Dr. Abell appreciates all aspects of equine practice and has a special interest for lameness and sports medicine. She also loves chiropractic, gastroscopy, dentistry, and emergency medicine. Outside of work, Dr. Abell spends time riding her young and silly TB gelding as they learn the ropes of eventing together. At home, she loves cooking with her husband and managing the chaos of a house with 3 dogs, including little Roux who comes on the road with her and Kacey.
Dr. Abell can be reached at labell@grandprixequine.com
Dr. Rothacker's passion for horses started on a quarter horse ranch in Idaho where she initially grew up. After moving to Putnam County, NY, she continued riding as a working student in a hunter/jumper barn.
She graduated from Bucknell University in 2005, where she studied biology and gender studies. In 2010 Dr. Rothacker earned her DVM from the University of Illinois. Following graduation, she moved to New Zealand for a one-year internship at a Standardbred racetrack practice. Upon her return to the US she completed a large animal rotating surgical and medical internship at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center. Here Dr. Rothacker stayed on as a resident in Ambulatory and Sports Medicine. She became board certified by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in Equine Practice in 2014.
Dr. Rothacker’s interests include lameness and diagnostic imaging, purchase exams as well as routine preventive care. In warmer months, Dr. Rothacker can be found tinkering in her garden, often with a headlamp into the evening hours. She enjoys sharing her love of all things wild with her husband, two children and dog Robin.
Dr. Rothacker can be reached at crothacker@grandprixequine.com
Caitlin Rothacker
Partner, Connecticut
Cleo Bubulka
Associate, Connecticut
Dr. Bubulka is originally from the suburbs of Chicago, IL, where her love of animals was obvious. She began riding lessons when she was six and was soon spending all her free time at the barn.
Dr. Bubulka attended Augustana College, earning her bachelor’s degree in Biology. She went on to earn her D.V.M. from the University of Illinois School of Veterinary Medicine in 2020.
Throughout veterinary school, Dr. Bubulka realized her passion of equine sports medicine. She is excited to work with Grand Prix Equine as an associate veterinarian to continue her develop her veterinary skills. Dr. Bubulka is available for appointments in Connecticut and Wellington, FL in the winter.
In her free time, Dr. Bubulka enjoys running, playing ultimate frisbee, and baking for friends and family as well as riding when she can.
Dr. Bubulka can be reached at cbubulka@grandprixequine.com
Mel Batterton
Partner, Long Island
Dr. Batterton discovered her love for horses from an early age while growing up in Newbury, Massachusetts. This involved not only riding hunters/jumpers, but a love for their general care. Her studies then brought her west where she received a BS in both Biology and Biomedical Sciences from Colorado State University, as well as completing their Honors Program.
Following undergraduate, Dr. Batterton remained in Colorado and completed her Doctor of Veterinary Medical Studies in 2018. She was honored to receive “Outstanding student” award in Equine Field Medicine and Surgery during her clinical year of study. After graduation Dr. Batterton returned to the east coast to complete a one-year rotational internship at Rhinebeck Equine where she trained under board certified surgeons, internists, ophthalmologists, and theriogenologists to become well rounded in her equine medical skills.
Since completing her training, Dr. Batterton has been in private practice, with passions for lameness/poor performance evaluation, diagnostic imaging, and gastroscopy. She also enjoys emergency medicine and incorporating all aspects of equine medicine to prolong the career of our equine athletes. In her free time, she enjoys CrossFit, all manners of outdoor activities, and spending time exploring the area with her dog, Aspen, and family/friends.
Dr. Batterton can be reached at mbatterton@grandprixequine.com
Nicole Zitzmann
Associate, Long Island
Dr. Nicole Zitzmann is originally from Long Island, NY, where her passion for the equine athlete began while growing up riding and showing hunter/jumpers as well as working as a groom at a busy lesson/show barn.
She earned her Bachelor's in Animal Science from Cornell University in 2017, while also riding for their varsity equestrian team. She loved the Ithaca area so much, she stuck around to earn her veterinary degree from Cornell as well. While in veterinary school, Nicole was a student technician for the large animal surgery department and was a leader of multiple student organizations including SAVMA, AAEP and the Sports Medicine Club. She was also inducted into the Phi Zeta honor society as a fourth-year student.
After graduating veterinary school in 2022, Nicole completed a one-year rotating internship at Fairfield Equine Associates in Newtown, CT and Wellington, FL. During her internship she developed a wide variety of skills working with high level performance horses as well as companion horses in an ambulatory and hospital setting. Under mentorship from multiple board-certified surgeons and sports medicine practitioners, Nicole was able to progress her professional interests in sports medicine and pre-purchase examinations, emergency medicine, gastroscopy, and general wellness care for the equine athlete. Outside of work, Nicole enjoys running, riding, cheering on her favorite NY sports teams, and spending time at the beach or exploring wineries/breweries with friends and family.
Dr. Zitzmann can be reached at nzitzmann@grandprixequine.com
Megan Leclerc
Intern Veterinarian
Dr. Megan Leclerc is a Connecticut native and has had a passion for horses from a young age. She started taking lessons when she was 7 years old and continued to ride and show through college, where her interest in veterinary medicine blossomed.
She completed her undergraduate degree in Equine Science at Otterbein University in Westerville, OH where she rode competitively on the Intercollegiate dressage and eventing teams. She remained in Ohio for four more years, earning her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She spent much of her time working in their Equine ICU, where her interests in sports medicine and emergency care grew. Dr. Leclerc graduated in May 2024 and was honored to receive the Dechra Excellence in Equine Sports Medicine award.
In her free time, Dr. Leclerc enjoys reading, exploring new restaurants, pampering her retired event horse DaVinci, and spending time with her fiancé Danny, as well as their dog Goose, and two cats Marvin and Oli.
Dr. Leclerc can be reached at intern@grandprixequine.com