Steve Vredenburg, DVM

For most of my life, I possessed a clear sense that I was being prepared in school and groomed in life to eventually do something important. I quit graduate school in chemistry for various reasons and by way of not knowing what better options I had, my brother and I undertook to resurrect our family ranch in Montana, and it was very natural for us to extend our scientific training and perspective into that effort. We chose Simmental cattle because the founding principles of the breed had an emphasis on performance testing and data collection. We chose a conscientious program of linear measurement using the methodology developed by Karney Redman and Burl Winchester to guide our selection and mating. We utilized an intensive AI program that provided access to the best possible genetics, and we incorporated ET to best utilize what genetics we had already acquired with the help of Dr. George Holzer.

Our nearest veterinarian was 75 miles away: Dr. Doug Hammill. Seeing how he was such a big part of his community inspired me to think of this lifestyle option, as well as, addressing my sense of better utilizing my education. Becoming a veterinarian became my main focus. I felt driven to it, even meant to do it. With family support and dedication, I was able to get into WSU in 1977 and began my quest.

Dr. Duane Mickelson was my theriogenology mentor at WSU and I was able to spend 6 weeks at CSU my senior year and studied under Dr. George Seidal and Dr. Peter Elsden for Bovine ET and Dr. Ed Squires at the Equine facility

After graduating from WSU and passing boards, I returned to Eureka, MT, hung up a shingle and began a mixed animal practice. My Dad, very early on, insisted that I take over our ET work. At this time, there was nowhere in the country that offed any training in the industry and many of the evolving techniques where being closely guarded, medias for embryo collection
and culture were not standardized nor easily available. Most recipient implants were being done surgically and freezing technology was in its infancy.

Within 6 months I began to flush our own cows and decided to implant all of them non-surgically, confident that this would be the future of the industry. A few companies had begun to freeze embryos, so when we had excess embryos, we sent them to Genetic Engineering in Denver and later collaborated with them developing improved techniques for freezing and thawing embryos. That relationship expanded to include my working for them on a part-time, long-distance basis and I also began doing commercial ET for other cattle breeders on an “on-farm” basis. At this point, I brought in a classmate, Dr. Carl Wisse and his wife Lynn, a former tech at WSU, to learn and help expand this burgeoning industry, as well as to pick up the slack in my growing veterinary practice. I had been managing a King Ranch stallion owned by the Shea Ranch involving palpitation, and AI, breeding 60-80 mares annually and we decided to do some ET on this project, as well. This resulted in the first Montana ET produced foal in 1985. Around this time, Carl and I, Therriault Creek Ranch and Alberta Livestock Transplant teamed up in a joint venture partially funded by tax shelter investor funds. As a group, we had control of about a thousand full blood Simmental and Romagnola donors and donors from other breeds, as well nearly 10,000 recipients. Our group was manned by 6 veterinarians, 2 embryologists, a handful of technicians and half dozen very good cowboys. It was common to flush up to 50 donors and implant 250 recipients per day, 5 days a week, every 3 weeks, most of the spring and summer. Somehow, we continued servicing all our own on-farm clientele and maintaining our practice at home.

After 3 years of this frenzied activity the IRS changed the rules regarding these tax leveraged programs and a rapid de-escalation took place. By this time, we had programs established in China and Thailand and inroads in Russia and Mexico, but these all became unfunded.

Meanwhile, my clientele in Oregon was increasing, partially driven by the dairy buy-out program and our increasing success with freezing, so I moved there and set up a mixed practice in Banks. My clientele there included some of the best Jersey breeders in the US. My freezing techniques resulted in atypically high results for the breed that clearly increased embryo export. I was also able to develop a method for nonsurgical collections of Jersey heifers, something not previously attempted, thereby effectively shortening the generation interval. As genomic technologies came online, this became a tremendous advantage to embryo sales.

The final transition in the industry came with the advent of in vitro fertilization driven initially in the US by Trans Ova but based primarily on techniques developed in Brazil. I helped Trans Ova establish a satellite ova collection center for the west coast which provided a base for expansion of this technology.

Also, during this period, I spent several months in Russia performing and teaching ET and toured Kazakhstan twice on behalf of AETA, meeting with livestock breeders and implanting embryos with US genetics.

After 30 years in Oregon, my practice – Banks Veterinary Service – had developed into a 4-vet full-service clinic including emerging technologies such as laser and electromagnetic therapies, PRP, various specialty surgeries, small animal and equine dentistry, BSE’s and therapeutic and diagnostic ultrasound. Two of my associates offered to purchase my practice and returning to home to Montana to manage my family’s properties was a good option at that time. I sold my ET business to Dr, Ben Wustenburg, the son of a classmate, who had been working and training with me for a few years. Instead of retiring, I went back to work and am still practicing full time.