Jesslyn Bryk-Lucy, D.V.M., Centenary University’s resident veterinarian and assistant professor of equine studies, has been named Veterinarian of the Year by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl®).

The honor places Bryk-Lucy among the world’s best equine veterinarians in therapeutic riding.

A nonprofit membership organization for therapeutic riding and other equine-assisted services, PATH Intl® selected Bryk-Lucy from a pool of veterinarians who had won regional Veterinarian of the Year awards earlier this year. Bryk-Lucy had previously been honored in Region 2: New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC, as well as Scandinavia, Europe, and the Middle East. PATH Intl® includes 11 regions in North America, South and Central America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands.

“I’m honored to be recognized as Veterinarian of the Year,” said Bryk-Lucy, who balances her duties at Centenary with her own private ambulatory veterinary practice, Leg Up Equine Veterinary Services. This is the second international recognition Dr. Bryk-Lucy has attained this year. Last summer, LA Polo, an international polo magazine, selected her as a featured veterinarian for a story on the equine industry.

At Centenary, Bryk-Lucy cares for all of the horses in the Equine Studies Department. Which has placed graduates at top veterinary schools including Cornell University, the University of Pennsylvania, North Carolina State, and Ross University. Centenary’s diverse herd has approximately 100 horses. Dr. Bryk-Lucy is also an equine acupuncturist and certified animal chiropractor.

Dr. Bryk-Lucy grew up near Buffalo, NY, and has been an experienced horsewoman since childhood. She started riding at age five, got her first pony at 10 and showed in competitions, then got a jumper and competed until she received her undergraduate degree from Cornell University. After graduation, she trained horses and rode professionally in New Jersey before returning to Cornell for veterinary school.