Vernon Dryden DVM, CJF
President
Dr. Dryden grew up on a working cattle ranch in Southeast Arizona. His love for horses was identified early as he worked with his father and brothers on the family cattle operation. Dr. Dryden graduated at the top of his class from Oklahoma State Farrier School in 1998. Having received full academic scholarship to the Univerisity of Arizona, he shod horses throughout college and graduated as the outstanding senior of the year in Veterinary Science and Microbiology.
Dr. Dryden then attended Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He provided farrier services for the veterinary teaching hospital until graduation in 2007. That spring Vern accepted a one year internship at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in surgery and podiatry. He was then offered an Associate veterinary position and in 2013 Vern became a partner.
Vern publishes numerous papers and speaks both nationally and internationally. He continues to improve the knowledge base of equine veterinary podiatry. Vern is one of fewer than 10 veterinarians with the unique skill set of their veterinary degree combined with the Certified Journeyman Farrier accreditation from the American Farriers Association. Vern was accepted as a founding member of the organizing committee responsible for he development of a board certification in veterinary equine podiatry.
In the fall of 2015 Vern decided it was time to start his own business where he could focus more time on each case. January 2016, Vern started Bur Oak Veterinary & Podiatry Services. He practices veterinary medicine in Kentucky, Florida, North Carolina and Tennessee. His practice has grown while focusing on lameness and podiatry. Vern is dedicated to the wellbeing of his patients, and his family.
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Nicole Tomlinson
Marketing and Office Manager
Nicole is originally from Lancaster, PA and grew up in the horse industry. She has a Bachelor of Arts, Public Relations from Eastern Kentucky University and a Master of Science, Integrated Marketing Communications from West Virginia University. She worked at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute for 18 years before moving to Bur Oak. She travels to reining shows with other members of the Bur Oak team and shows her Quarter Horse Levi.
Cappy Dryden
Practice Manager
Cappy graduated with a BBA from Loyola University of Maryland in 2000. Cappy worked as a veterinary technician for Maryland Equine Center in Cockeysville, MD in high school and college. She had a very successful career in the hunter and jumper industry as a junior and an amateur from 1987 until 2014. Traveling on the international jumper circuit for many years and enjoying riding with the top trainers and riding exceptional horses. As a jumper rider she competed in several Grand Prixs and as a hunter rider she competed successfully in the International Derby competitions on her amateur owner hunters. As a junior she competed in all of the Equitation finals and Indoors, as well as Interscholastic Show Jumping competitions on her high school team. In 2014 her passion for the western world increased and she began concentrating solely on her reining competition and reining breeding business while traveling the reining circuit.
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Bur Oak, LLC (the farm)
Vern and Cappy have started a small reining horse breeding business standing one stallion and managing a few mares. Their first foal born from their breeding program was an NRHA Futurity finalist putting them on the earnings list at a very early stage. 2018 Update: Their second foal was also in the top 15 in the NRHA Futurity finals, two for two in their small business. Looking forward to the 3rd crop and their first homebred (by our stallion out of our mare) in this year's reining futurities. Vern is now competing at all the major shows on his horse Starbucks Dun It, who they bought as a three year old five years ago. Their breeding stock lives in the center of the reining world, just north of Dallas. While their stallion resides with them at Bur Oak.
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The Bur Oak name.
The Bur Oak is a white oak tree, that usually grows no more than 100-130 feet tall, but they are often as wide as they are tall, therefore they have a massive trunk. They can live to be 400 years old. Our farm has the second largest Bur Oak in Kentucky on it, some believe it to now be the largest as rumors have it the largest tree has fallen. The tree lives on an aquifer, underground river, which has helped it survive through major droughts, also providing protection from storms. The tree is beautiful and commands a look when you pull into our farm. It gets its name from the protective covering over its acorns which looks like a Burr.
Bur Oak South
In 2017 they purchased another farm in Loxahatchee, Florida. They decided to continue the name Bur Oak, just with a "Southern" addition. Just north of Wellington, the farm is just over 13 acres. It has many large Live Oak trees, and gorgeous pine trees. Surrounded by the best sport horses in the world, Cappy and Vern bring their reining stallions and the other show horses down to Florida for the breeding season and to enjoy the beautiful warm temperatures. Wranglin In Chex handles breeding season and his competition career in great form while also enjoying the abundant trail system in their equestrian community of White Fences.
About Bur Oak Veterinary & Podiatry Services
Our Team
Vernon Dryden
Veterinarian &
Certified Journeyman Farrier
Nicole Tomlinson
Marketing and Office Manager
Cappy Dryden
Practice Manager