By The Family of Dr. J. Allen Leslie
J. Allen Leslie, DVM, died on April 3rd at the age of 84 at his farm in Christiana, Pennsylvania, with his wife and son at his side, where he had lived for 50 years. A devoted husband, father, friend, and brother, Allen was deeply respected as an equine veterinarian and lifelong horseman.
Born in Passaic, New Jersey on January 14, 1941, to John Samuel and Anna Katharine (Allen) Leslie, Allen was inspired by a family friend, Dr. Stephen “Doc” Roberts, to pursue veterinary medicine. He graduated from Ramsey High School in 1959, then attended McDonogh School before enrolling at Cornell University, where he completed both undergraduate and veterinary degrees. While at Cornell, he played on the polo team, winning national championships in 1962 and 1963.
After earning his veterinary degree in 1965, Allen completed a residency at the University of California, Davis, and later returned east for post-doctoral work at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. He joined the Delaware Equine Center in 1967 and became a partner, working alongside Drs. Larry Cushing, Mathew Mackay-Smith, and Danny Marks.
Allen’s career spanned decades and continents. He served as the U.S. Eventing Team Veterinarian at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics and cared for hundreds of horses competing in eventing, dressage, and show jumping. His work took him regularly to Europe to evaluate elite equine athletes, while he maintained practices in both Cochranville, Pennsylvania, and Wellington, Florida. He also served as an FEI Veterinary Official and helped oversee quarantine operations at the Winter Equestrian Festival.
He was a lifelong member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and a respected speaker, including a keynote at the 2006 Mexico Equine Veterinary Medicine conference. In addition to his veterinary practice, Allen was an accomplished rider — completing the Tevis Cup, fox hunting, and eventing throughout his youth and early career.
Allen is survived by his wife of 30 years, Mimi Lufkin; his son, Inglis Leslie (Nicole); and siblings Anne Turek (Charlie), Julie Kibbe (Rob), David Leslie (Fern), and Jane Jackson (Ed), along with many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was predeceased by his siblings Mary Elizabeth Hanscom (David), Gail Haubrich (Peter), and Bill Leslie.
A celebration of life will be held at his farm — …the difference — at 505 Bell Road, Christiana, PA, on Saturday, June 28, 2025. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Green Mountain Horse Association, the Philadelphia Art Museum, Brandywine Conservancy, or Cornell Veterinary School.
