Veterinarians
PROFESSIONALISM & PASSION FOR HORSES
At PEH our specially trained and dedicated professionals strive to ensure that every patient is treated with state-of-the-art quality care. Our goal is to ensure that we exceed our clients’ expectations and provide excellent care to their horses. We are committed to provide the most advanced medical services both in our hospital facilities and via our ambulatory services.
Meet Our Veterinarians
John C. Park, DVM, CEO
A native of Estill County, Dr. Park graduated from Auburn University in June of 1997, with a DVM. Later that same year, Dr. Park opened a mixed practice, Estill Veterinary Services, in Irvine, Kentucky. He later moved the practice to Winchester, Kentucky, in June of 2001, first known as Park Animal Care. Dr. Park's interest moved exclusively toward equine in 2004, at which time the practice name changed to Park Equine Hospital. In October of 2010, the practice was relocated to the current facility on Paris Pike. Dr. Park enjoys all areas of equine medicine, but has special interests in surgery and lameness.
Gary Priest, DVM, Medical and Surgical Consultant
Gary Priest is a 1976 graduate of Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. He has over 40 years of experience as a surgeon, track veterinarian and diagnostician. In addition, Priest has decades of experience with horses in training, breeding farms and sale yearlings. Priest built his reputation as partner of the legendary Alex Harthill. Harthill and Priest were instrumental in the introduction of arthroscopic surgery in the horse, as well as the use of ultrasound, and most recently dynamic endoscopy. He now counts several of the world's most successful owners and breeders amongst his clients.
Priest was named Veterinarian of the year in 1996 by the Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association. He is also a member of AAEP, KAEP, KVMA, WHOA, TCA, TOBA, American Quarter Horse Association, and Committee for State Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratories. His practice areas of focus are lameness evaluation and diagnostics and upper airway impairments and diagnostics, evolving technology and practice management. His surgery focus is upper respiratory surgery, arthroscopic and orthopedic surgery in the performance horse.
Priest resides in Versailles, Kentucky with his wife and professional dressage trainer, Kathy Priest. They also have two children, David Priest, DVM of Wellington, Florida and Versailles, Kentucky and Katie Burrow of London, England.
Tyler Aschbrenner, DVM
Born and raised in the great state of Kansas, Dr. Aschbrenner received his bachelor’s degree in Animal Science in 2008 from the Kansas State University. Upon graduation, Dr. Aschbrenner accepted an equine ambulatory internship at Peterson & Smith Equine Hospital in Ocala, Florida. In 2009, Dr. Aschbrenner returned home to attend Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. While completing his DVM, Dr. Aschbrenner worked as an emergency surgery and large animal ICU technician, at the Kansas State College of Veterinary Medicine. He also completed an internship under Dr. Shell at Thistledown Racetrack and Northfield Park Standardbred track in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Aschbrenner has been with Park Equine Hospital since July of 2013 as one of the clinics first interns and has been a staff veterinarian since July 2014. Dr. Aschbrenner has a special interest in equine sports medicine and equine reproduction. Dr. Aschbrenner resides in Lexington.
Annie Oakes, DVM
Dr. Annie Oakes hails from the wonderful hometown of Saratoga Springs, New York where her parents still reside. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Connecticut. The pull of the north brought her to Canada where she graduated with her DVM degree from the Atlantic Veterinary College in 2019.
Following graduation, Dr. Oakes completed extensive post-graduate training in equine referral centers around the country focusing on internal medicine, surgery, sports medicine, and rehabilitation. As a result of practicing in Montana, Indiana, Tennessee, and now Kentucky she considers herself fortunate to be exposed to a variety of people and horses from all walks of life.
Her areas of practice interest include sports medicine, imaging, and rehabilitation. She finds geriatric medicine especially rewarding, as well as helping equine athletes return to their peak following injury or illness. She is a Certified Equine Rehabilitation Practitioner (CERP) and is eager to continue to grow as a clinician and to serve the area’s horses.
In her free time, she enjoys all things outdoors… all the better when it’s wintertime in the mountains. Her favorite horses to ride are big, tough, rope horses. She resides in Lexington.
Ann Andrews, DVM, CVA
Dr. Andrews grew up in the Bay Area of beautiful Northern California. She graduated from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and finished her clinical year at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine.
After graduating, Dr. Andrews completed a small animal rotating specialty internship at BluePearl Specialty and Emergency. During her internship, she completed her Mixed Animal Certification of Acupuncture of Veterinary Medicine at the Chi Institute of Chinese Veterinary Medicine.
Dr. Andrews continued on to complete her second internship in rotating equine specialty and emergency. She was then hired on as an practice associate with Park Equine Hospital. Dr. Andrews has a specific interest in podiatry, dentistry, internal medicine, surgery and radiology.
Jessica Dencker, DVM
Dr. Jessica Dencker is a native of Newburgh, NY, where she grew up on her family’s horse farm. Throughout grade school, she competed in hunter/jumper shows around the Northeast. Dr. Dencker studied animal science at the University of Georgia where she was a member of the NCAA Division I Equestrian Team. Prior to vet school, she interned with a veterinary oncologist and was the barn manager at her family’s horse farm.
From 2019 to 2022, Dr. Dencker attended Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in Saint Kitts. While attending Ross, she was vice president of her student chapter of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and a member of the Veterinary Business Management Association. She completed her clinical year at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and was awarded the DECHRA Equine Sports Medicine award as a senior student.
Currently, Dr. Dencker is finishing her certification in equine acupuncture and has a special interest in sports medicine, chiro/acupuncture, neonatal care, and internal medicine. When she isn’t working, she enjoys spending time with her two horses, two dogs, and her husband.