Etalon Veterinary Advisors
Dr. Kent Allen
Kent Allen, DVM received his DVM from the University of Missouri in 1979 . There are three other veterinarians in his family, his father, older sister and wife. Dr. Allen opened Virginia Equine Imaging (VEI) in 1996 after selling the practice he formerly owned in Arizona (Arizona Equine Medical and Surgical Center). Virginia Equine Imaging became the first privately owned and operated equine diagnostic imaging specialty clinic in the world with a vision to establish and provide advanced diagnostic and sports medicine to the equine athlete in a way that had never been done before. Dr. Allen served as the Veterinary Services Manager at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, and was named "Arizona Equine Practitioner of the Year" in 1996. Since moving to Virginia and establishing VEI, Dr. Allen has found time to serve as Chairman of the USEF Veterinary Committee, the USEF Drug and Medication Committee, the Medication Sub Committee and List Committee for the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI). He has served as Vice Chairman of the FEI Veterinary Committee twice. He has served on the Board of the USEF and the USEA and is currently Vice President, Executive Director and Board member for the International Society of Equine Locomotor Pathology (ISELP). He served as the FEI Foreign Veterinary Delegate for the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada, the 2000 Olympic Games at Sydney, and the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Dr. Allen was also the 2010 Lexington KY World Equestrian Games Veterinary Services Manager.
Currently a Certified Member of the International Society of Equine
Locomotor Pathology (ISELP), Dr. Allen continues to see patients and share his knowledge with veterinarians, associates, interns and clients on a daily basis. He strives to further and share his knowledge with the equine industry locally and around the world.
Dr. Ben Buchanan
Dr. Ben Buchanan, DVM, DACVIM, DACVECC grew up in Navasota, Texas. and graduated from Texas A&M in 2001. Afterwards, he completed two residencies; Large Animal Internal Medicine at University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2004 and Emergency and Critical Care at University of Pennsylvania in 2005. Ben is one of the very few people in the world to be board certified in Internal Medicine and Emergency Critical Care. Dr. Buchanan has a very unique experience in Colic, Respiratory Disease, Cardiac Disease, Eye Conditions and Sick Foals. Ben joined BVEH Navasota in 2005, where he works alongside his father, "T-Bone". He is also active in community outreach by speaking at meetings and events around the world regarding equine care.
Ben is married to the lovely Shana, whom he met in veterinary school. Shana is a small animal veterinarian and owner of Lake Conroe Vet Group. They have two children, Jane Marie and Terrell.
“I like challenging cases that present a puzzle, whether that is a poor performance, illness, or critical case. I especially like cardiac cases and foals.” –Dr. Ben Buchanan
Dr. Scott McClure
Scott McClure, D.V.M., PhD., DACVS, DACVSMR received his DVM in 1990 from Iowa State University and his PhD from Texas A&M University. Dr. McClure was certified by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) in 2005 and the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation (ACVSMR) in 2015. Dr. McClure was an Assistant Professor at Purdue University and an Associate Professor at Iowa State University. Dr. McClure has authored numerous peer reviewed manuscripts. He has been involved in the research and development of multiple equine veterinary devices and pharmaceuticals.
In 2016 Dr. McClure began Midwest Equine Surgery and Sports Medicine, a private practice specializing in surgery and sports medicine. Dr. McClure is an active member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners. Dr. McClure enjoys hunting with his bird dogs and equine events with his daughter.
Dr. Richard Mitchell
Richard D. Mitchell, DVM, MRCVS, Diplomate, ACVSMR grew up on his family’s working horse farm in North Carolina. He participated in fox-hunting, and hunter/jumper competitions from childhood to an adult. He graduated from the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1974. He served on active duty in the USAF Veterinary Corps for two years following graduation. He then began private practice in Connecticut with his mentor, Dr. Howard Raven in 1976. He currently is a part owner of Fairfield Equine Associates in Newtown, CT and practices equine medicine and surgery with an emphasis on lameness and imaging. He has been internationally certified in veterinary acupuncture (IVAS) and equine locomotor pathology (ISELP), is a certified RSO, and he completed requirements for Diplomate status in the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation (ACVSMR) in 2015.
Rick has been involved in national and international equine competitions as both a rider and veterinarian. As a rider, he has won two national championships and one world championship in various disciplines. He has authored multiple nationally and internationally published articles and textbook chapters on equine health care. He has been an invited speaker on sport horse medicine in the U.S., Canada, Europe, the United Kingdom, South America, Africa, India, and Mexico. Rick has served on multiple Boards of Directors including the United States Equestrian Federation, Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Association of Equine Practitioners and is currently the chairman of the AAEP Foundation Advisory Council. Rick is a current Trustee for the American Horse Council and chairman of the Health and Regulatory Committee. He was also a founding member of the International Society of Equine Locomotor Pathology, serving on the society’s board of directors. 2016 marked his sixth visit to the Olympic Games as an attending veterinarian for the US Equestrian Team.
Dr. Duncan Peters
Duncan Peters, DVM is the leading authority on locomotor pathology, diagnosis, treatment, and management of sport horse health for optimum performance. He received his veterinary degree in 1982 from the University of California-Davis and practiced in Woodside, California for 10 years, focusing on sport-horse medicine and lameness conditions. He then moved to Kalispell, Montana where he worked for 11 years at a large animal practice that eventually morphed into an equine only practice. Duncan was the Director of the Sport Horse Division for many years at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute where he developed one of the nation's strongest private sport horse medical programs. He also led the Clinical Equine Sports Medicine Program at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine and was an associate professor there.
Peters is an active member in a variety of sport horse associations and is also a multi-discipline Federation Equestrian Internationale (FEI) veterinarian. He is a certified member and board member of the International Society of Equine Locomotor Pathology (ISELP) and a member of the North American Veterinary Regenerative Medicine Association (NAVRMA).
Dr. Charlie Pinkham
Charlie Pinkham, DVM set up Pinkham Equine Veterinary Services in 2015 and BioTe Veterinary Laboratories in 2018. Along with other trustees he has also recently started a charity, AWARE Trust UK, that supports wildlife conservation projects in Zimbabwe. His work has primarily focused on thoroughbred and non-thoroughbred reproductive work and assisted reproductive techniques. He has worked in a in a number of large veterinary hospitals where he has gained broad experience in many aspects of equine veterinary care. On graduating from Liverpool University in 2005 he received a Thouron Award which allowed him to undertake an internship at the renowned New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania. He then went on to work at the Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital, one of Australia’s largest equine facilities. Prior to setting up Pinkham Equine Veterinary services he spent 5 years in Newmarket, the centre of UK thoroughbred racing, working for the Newmarket Equine Hospital. During this time, he undertook two periods working abroad including working with the renowned Australian embryo transfer specialist Al Simson.
He is an active member of a number of committees supporting the Thoroughbred and equine veterinary industry.
Dr. Beau Whitaker
Dr. Beau Whitaker, DVM, CERP is a veterinarian at Brazos Valley Equine Hospital in Salado, Texas. Beau grew up near Nashville, Tennessee on his family's farm, developing a love for horses and livestock. Beau obtained a degree in Animal Science from Oklahoma State University, after which he trained quarter horses in Gainesville, Texas before entering veterinary school. Beau graduated from Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2005. Upon graduation, he completed an internship at Arizona Equine Hospital. Beau then worked as a veterinarian at the 6666s Ranch in Guthrie, Texas before moving to Salado, Texas where he has practiced for the last 12 years. Beau is a Certified Equine Rehabilitation Practitioner and focuses his work in the areas of sports medicine, rehabilitation, and regenerative therapies, especially as they pertain to recovery from injury and preventative maintenance. He has participated in several clinical research trials for equine therapeutics and has performed equine product development research. Beau frequently writes articles for equine publications and has served on multiple committees for the American Association of Equine Practitioners.
Dr. Phillippe Benoit
Dr. Philippe Benoit of Equisport Consulting & Director of The Sport Horse Research Foundation is widely regarded as a leading international show jumping veterinarian. Philippe served as the veterinarian for the French Team from 1992-2000, French Olympic Team in 2004, and Saudi Arabian Olympic Team in 2012. In addition to working as an international consultant for several foreign national teams, Benoit was the treating veterinarian during the show jumping finals at the World Equestrian Games in Normandy. He has already begun assisting Team Etalon with various clinical studies.
