Benson named executive director of Racing Medication and Testing Consortium

Dr. Dionne Benson, a former lawyer who recently completed a veterinary internship at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, has been hired as the executive director and chief operating officer of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, the organization announced Wednesday.

Benson, who started in her new position Monday, recently rotated through Rood and Riddle’s varied departments during her just completed internship, including surgery, anesthesia, and medicine, and she also was responsible for primary patient care at Rood and Riddle, the RMTC said. Prior to receiving her veterinary degrees at the University of Minnesota, she practiced law for eight years.

Benson also served as a veterinary assistant at Centerbury Pak and as a detention barn technician for the Minnesota State Veterinarian’s office, the RMTC said.

Benson will immediately replace Jamie Haydon, the Jockey Club’s manager of industry initiatives, who had been acting as the RMTC’s interim director since April. The RMTC’s last full-time executive director, Dr. Scot Waterman, resigned in April 2011.

The RMTC is funded by a wide cross section of racing industry organizations. It conducts research into drugs and drug-testing methods, awards grants to researchers, and issues recommendations on model rules for racing regulation.