William H. Sweeney, DVM
After graduation, he practiced in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn., as an associate veterinarian with Dr. Paul Nelson. Through this affiliation, he became involved in the Minnesota State Fair and was named the Official State Fair Veterinarian in 1968. That same year, Bill’s brother, Dr. Jim Sweeney, moved to the Twin Cities from Milwaukee, and they opened the Bloomington Veterinary Hospital. In 1976, they expanded their practice and opened another clinic—Equine Medical Center—in Lakeville. His equine calls extended from Duluth, Minn., to Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Dr. Sweeney also served as the veterinarian for the Minnesota State Horse Expo from 1990 until 2015.
His peers and clients selected Dr. Sweeney as the Minnesota Horseman of the Year in 2003. He was also honored by the North Star Morgan Americana Horse Show for being the show veterinarian from 1973 until his retirement in 2013.
Dr. Sweeney was a member and co-founder of what is now known as the Minnesota Association of Equine Practitioners, for which he served as president and on its board of directors. He also was active in the Tri-State Horsemen’s Association, the Minnesota Thoroughbred Association, the United States Equestrian Association, and as a longtime member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners.
Dr. Sweeney was well respected by fellow practitioners and clients for his dedication, knowledge, common sense, teaching, mentorship, and professionalism until he passed away in 2016.
Mentee Comments
Our relationship goes back to the mid 1970’s; I suspect the fall of 1978.
The Spaulding family was raising Morgan Horses in West-Central Wisconsin, Jackson County’s Black River Falls. You opened my eyes to a revolution in veterinary medicine, at least from my perspective, a true equine veterinarian, yes – a horse doctor! You introduced routine deworming, even though it was via a stomach tube. You introduced breeding management, equine dentistry, plasma transfusion in foals, procedures I had never heard of, let alone witnessed. You set the standard of equine horse health care at such a high level. You truly initiated the action resulting in me becoming a veterinarian, actually a horse doctor, just like you, thank you for that…
Fast forward 10 years, mid 1980’s, I’m progressing through my undergraduate studies at UW-Madison with the goal of gaining entrance to the newly constructed School of Veterinary Medicine. I was devoting a lot of time to working with Jackie’s mother, Jane and her German Shepherd kennel – Steffen-Haus. I found myself getting cold feet regarding my quest to become a veterinarian. I so clearly remember how rapidly you and Jackie traveled from Minnesota to visit me, reassure me with common sense advice, and yes, maybe kick my butt a bit to get me back on track, thank you for that…
The letter of recommendation you composed for me to accompany my application to veterinary school, I was so flattered at the time, the potential you saw in me was so motivating, so inspiring. I don’t think you could imagine the impact this letter had on me. Your belief in me was one great motivation, keeping me going through the rigorous, challenging four-year veterinary school curriculum, I could not let you down, thank you for that…
Spring of 1991, I had the good fortune to spend a four-week externship with you in your Lakeville practice. Your practice was so busy in March of that year, I got to perform my first standing castrations, treat colic, I distinctly remember repairing a facial laceration under your careful supervision. This was back in the days of NG tube administration of deworming medications, I think you allowed me to pass the stomach tube on every horse we dewormed during that four-week period, it must have been hundreds. To this day, after I’ve tubed horses countless number of times, as I step up on the right side of the horse I pass the stomach tube just the way you taught me so many years ago and funny thing, I think of you, I hear your instructive comments 25 years later, thank you for that…
During my externship in March 1991, I experienced the adventure of one of your infamous Duluth trips. One of those typical Midwest spring snowstorms hit, a doozy of a storm – lots of snow, wind, thunder and lightning. We were driving along the north shore of Lake Superior, blinding snow, 8 -12” of snow on the roads, I think we were tooling along at nearly 70 mph. You had no time to slow down for a little snow, we had patients to see! We drive into a small stable in the woods, owned by, as I recall now, a retired military special ops with a reputation of being a bit crazy. We provided routine care to a few horses, as we were doing this the owner kept talking about the reindeer he kept in the back barn and how proud he was of him and his huge rack of antlers. He asked if you provided care to reindeer. You, without hesitation, said “absolutely, all the time!” As we were walking out to the truck to prepare to care for the reindeer, you whispered to me, “what the heck are we going to do with this reindeer?” We huddled at the back of the truck, devised a game plan and proceeded to provide care to the reindeer. You took charge, jumping in to restrain this beast and instructed me to administer vaccines and dewormers. You grasped the reindeer by the antlers and within seconds you were standing there with one of his majestic antlers, shed in your hand. Neither of us fully remembering reindeer naturally shed their antlers, the brief look of terror in your eyes as you thought you ruined the antlers of this majestic reindeer owned by crazed, retired military special ops, thank you for that…
At a Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association’s Executive Board meeting in Madison, my first board meeting as President-elect of our state veterinary association, our president asked each attendee to spend a few minutes talking about a veterinarian influential on our careers. Naturally, I spoke about you Doc, your love for the horse and your healing hands. There is no veterinarian with more passion for caring for the horse, thank you for that…
There were so many other times and experiences my friend, as we lay you to rest, you need to know I truly cherish every one of them. Our opportunities to visit the last few years have been few and far between, life gets in the way and goes by all so quickly. Our traditional breakfast at AAEP, the occasional dinner, our great visits during the Hylee auction sales, talking about horses, thank you for that…..
I truly don’t know you fully realized the impact you’ve had on my life and the lives of so many others Doc, my professional life, my life as a horse doctor, my life as a business owner, the life of my family. I owe you an incredible debt of gratitude, my friend. If I can have half the impact on the lives of a few people that you’ve had on mine, I would consider it an honor.
– Scott Spaulding, DVM, Janesville, WI