Beloveds Farm Story 2017

VOLUME 48, NO. 5A $22.50

BELOVED GRACIOUS LADY (Bey Ambition x AP Sheez Sassy) & Patricia Dempsey

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Cover Story

Breeding and raising horses is a labor of love that Pat Dempsey has embraced for most of her life. Today,

by THERESA CARDAMONE

she is widely known in the Arabian horse industry as the owner of Beloveds Farm in Lady Lake, Florida. Even though she is a small breeder in terms of

“Nobody else in my family was into horses, we raised beef cattle,”

number of horses, for the past two years, Pat has been the leading

Pat chuckles. “So, until I could buy my own—this was when

U.S. owner of halter winners at our national championships.

I was about seven or eight—I’d ride the lead cow! In fact, the

She is also a strong supporter of the Arabian horse in the open

cow’s name was ‘Theresa’! That’s why I had a really good seat

marketplace, having twice broken world records to secure special

by the time I was nine and could buy my first registered

horses for her program. What most people do not know is that

Saddlebred mare for $200. When I later qualified for the

Pat has gotten to where she is today from humble beginnings,

Olympics in dressage and stadium jumping, everything was held

using her determination, pluck and passion to build her future.

in Europe and everyone had to have a ‘guru’ if they rode in those fields. So, when someone asked me who my guru was, I would say, ‘Theresa,’ and they would pretend to know who that was.”

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Pat rapidly parlayed her meager investment into a consistent source of income that funded her future, including her college education through two Masters—one in Business Administration and one in Public Administration. “I’ve been breeding horses since I was nine,” Pat relays. “I bred about ten foals from that Saddlebred mare, which I trained, showed and sold. I didn’t have a trailer, so to get her bred, I would ride my mare the eight miles across the river to the Saddlebred farm, take the saddle off, we’d breed her, and I’d ride her back to our farm in Ohio.”

Pat’s notoriety grew as she became the rider of choice for some of the leading barns in the area. “I couldn’t afford a really good horse and wanted to keep my amateur status, so I rode for other people so they could sell their horses for big money. I’d never had a lesson or anything … except from riding Theresa! And every time I would show in a class, I would whup all the wealthy kids and the horse would be sold. People paid a lot of money for them, back then … $100,000—that’s like $1.5 million now.”

Patricia Dempsey aboard her first Saddlebred mare, Bourbon’s Rhapsody Truly Super.

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Beloveds Farm located in beautiful Lady Lakes, Florida.

From an early age, Pat Dempsey has demonstrated the grit and

Pat utilized her education to foster an extremely successful

determination it takes to build her life into what it is today.

life in the business world and she runs Beloveds Farm and her

She has also proven that she is game for just about any

seven businesses with the same attention to detail; creating an

challenge. “I was at a show where a friend from high school

atmosphere of trust while setting the bar to a very high standard.

was also competing,” Pat remarks. “I didn’t jump or anything, I

Her horses are raised with love and respect, an attitude

rode flat saddle—3-gaited and 5-gaited—but he had a big, white

reflected by each member of the farm team, and received back

jumper named Snow King. I think he was about 17 hands. They

by the horses themselves. Pat foals out her mares herself, and

had just won a class over about 60 other horses, and he dared me

when she decides to test her horses in competition, they are

to ride Snow King in his next class. So, he gave me his jacket

placed in the hands of horsemen who have similar ideas and

and hard hat—I had my own britches on—and I went in to show

humane practices. Honesty and integrity are the foundation

Snow King. And I’ll tell you what,” Pat remembers, “when I saw

of the culture that Pat has established, and are necessary

that first jump of five feet coming, I was shit-scared, I couldn’t

ingredients for anyone who hopes to handle Beloveds’ horses.

even look! I didn’t even have a clue about the pattern. We won

The well-being of the animals is always of paramount

over 47 horses as I recall, but it was only because Snow King

importance, which has led to happy, well-adjusted horses

knew where to go. I didn’t show jumpers for a while again,

who are eager to perform and win.

until I got a little more experience!”

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2017 has been an extraordinary year for Beloveds Farm. Pat has

born, a trio of phenomenal chestnut colts who will be making

been very pleased to see the emergence of her young stallion

their show debuts sometime next year. They are as correct and

Beloved One NA—a Canadian National Champion and U.S.

elegant as their full-sisters, with plenty of attitude and presence.

Reserve National Champion Junior Stallion as a 2-year old—as an exceptional sire. With only five foals on the ground, his

Beloveds Farm had an avalanche of additional regional winners

two 2016 progeny are already visiting the winner’s circle on a

this summer. Beloved Joy to Behold, another daughter of the

regular basis, both of them winning Regional championships.

excellent producer Rohara MarcAlyssa, was the unanimous

Beloveds One Blessing, out of Rohara MarcAlyssa, by QR Marc,

Region 12 Champion Two-Year Old Filly. Previously, Joy had

was impressive in winning the Region 12 Champion Yearling

journeyed north to win the 2016 Canadian National Champion

Sweepstakes Filly title. Her stand-up was picture perfect: she

Yearling Filly honors. Not to be outshone, Beloved Call to

could have been a model horse, with her dark coat polished to

Glory, a gorgeous son of Gazal Al Shaqab and JP Extreme

an impossible shine, her smooth muscles flexing beneath

Obsession, was named the Region 15 Champion Three-Year

paper-thin skin.

Old Colt. The Region 15 Two-Year-Old Filly Championship was unanimously awarded to the incredibly beautiful Beloved

Another daughter of Beloved One, Beloveds Earth Angel, was

Gracious Lady, who had won the unanimous yearling filly title

named both the unanimous Region 15 Champion Yearling Filly

the previous year. By Bey Ambition and out of the Bey Shah

and the unanimous Region 15 Champion Yearling Sweepstakes

daughter AP Sheez Sassy, Gracious Lady is a throwback to the

Filly. A product of U.S. and Canadian National Top Ten Mare

tall, regal, athletic and animated halter champions of earlier

Magnums Angel JD, Earth Angel put on a show-stopping

years. She is so correct in every way, that she was the highest

performance that impressed the audience as much as it did the

scoring yearling filly at the 2016 U.S. Nationals by a whopping

judging panel. This year, three more Beloved One foals were

3.5 points over her nearest competitor.

Multi-National Champion Beloved One NA+ with Ted Carson.

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Beloveds Marc One, sired by Multi-National Champion Beloved One NA+ and out of Rohara MarcAlyssa.

Beloveds Behold, sired by Multi-National Champion Beloved One NA+ and out of Multi-National Champion Valori TRF+.

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2017 Region 15 Champion Beloved Call To Glory, sired by Gazal Al Shaqab and out of JP Extreme Obsession.

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Top to bottom: BELOVED GRACIOUS LADY Bey Ambition x AP Sheez Sassy REGION 15 UNANIMOUS CHAMPION 2-YEAR-OLD FILLY BELOVEDS ONE BLESSING Beloved One NA+ x Rohara MarcAlyssa REGION 12 CHAMPION YEARLING SWEEPSTAKES FILLY BELOVEDS EARTH ANGEL Beloved One NA+ x Magnums Angel JD+ REGION 15 UNANIMOUS CHAMPION YEARLING SWEEPSTAKES FILLY BELOVED JOY TO BEHOLD Vitorio TO x Rohara MarcAlyssa Maternal sibling to Beloveds One Blessing REGION 12 UNANIMOUS CHAMPION 2-YEAR-OLD FILLY

It is plain to see that Pat’s recipe for success is working now,

Having reemerged over the past four years as a leading owner

just as it has worked for her in the past. Her eye for quality and

and breeder, Pat shocked the Arabian public once again with her

instincts as a breeder are as sharp now as they were in 1980,

$1.55 million auction purchase of Om El Erodite last February,

when she was seeking to add to her original foundation mare

a world-record for an Arabian yearling filly. Her commitment to

band. In a foreshadowing of things to come, she purchased U.S.

the welfare of the Arabian horse in general, and that ethereal

National Champion Mare WN Mi Kerida+ at a world record

filly in particular, prompted her bold move and endorsed her

price for an Arabian mare sold at auction. Pat established herself

strong support for the breed. And yet, concerns about the

over the next 38 years as a breeder of note and enthusiastic

integrity of the industry—which includes the organizations that

supporter of the Arabian horse. But for Pat, the state of the

control most of the rated shows in North America—have arisen

industry at that time became intolerable. She was disillusioned

again. Beloveds Farm felt the impact directly when the 2016

over the blatant cosmetic alterations that were being performed

U.S. National Show Committee created confusion about the

on Arabian show horses, and the failure of the judges and

adjudication of Class 971, the Arabian Yearling Sweepstakes

stewards of the Arabian Horse Association (AHA) to hold the

Filly Championship, by informing exhibitors that the winner

owners and trainers accountable for their actions. With a heavy

of the class had been determined under the official Arabian

heart, and in spite of her

Scoring System, only to

emotional and financial

reverse course and announce

investment, Pat Dempsey

there would be further

made the decision to leave

judging under the

the business and was out of

comparative system. This

the mix for a bit more

resulted in a reversal of

than a decade.

Beloved Gracious Lady’s previously tallied 394.5-point win—which was a margin of three and a half points more than any other filly.

World Cup Supreme Gold Champion Yearling Filly Om El Erodite.

Pat’s position is that AHA’s rules required use of the Arabian Scoring System for judging the yearling filly class. Three mandatory AHA rules require as much: AHA COMP 607 states: “When adjudicating all Breeding/Gelding In-Hand classes … judges will use the ‘Arabian Scoring System.’” AHA COMP 609.4 states: “When adjudicating all Breeding/In-Hand classes, judges will use the ‘Arabian Scoring System.’” Finally, AHA COMP 705.1 states: “The Arabian Scoring System must be used for all Breeding/Gelding In-Hand classes.” The only rule that authorizes comparative judging is limited to junior and senior breeding championships— not yearling sweepstakes classes. In short, it is Pat’s view that the Show Commission’s initial determination—that the winner of the yearling filly class was to be determined under the Arabian Scoring System—was correct, and the Commission’s decision to determine the winner of the class under comparative judging was in violation of AHA’s rules.

Pat Dempsey believes in looking forward and prevailing in each moment. She and her legal team did everything they could to illuminate the infractions that had taken place, expecting a timely, appropriate and

Beloved Gracious Lady Bey Ambition x AP Sheez Sassy

responsible resolution. However, when the issues concerning the Yearling Filly class were pointed out to the AHA President, the Show Commission and the USEF steward prior to the re-judging of Class 971, their response was, “File a protest!” which was exactly what many of the other exhibitors implored Pat to do in asking her to “be their voice,” so that’s exactly what Pat did.

AP Sheez Sassy, by Bey Shah, dam of Beloved Gracious Lady.

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All USEF administrative protocol

Pat’s protest—Class 971— was judged

was respectfully followed and an

at the 2016 U.S. Nationals.

appeal was heard at USEF offices in Lexington, Ky., last April. While

The proposed changes represent

the Hearing Committee rejected

such sweeping revisions to the rules

every single one of AHA’s arguments

currently in effect, that it has been

about its own rules, and while the

submitted as an “extraordinary”

Hearing Committee questioned the

resolution. While the proposed new

Show Commission’s motivations and

rules appear to authorize the proce-

chastised the Show Commission for

dures used at the 2016 U.S. Nation-

how the matter was handled, the Hearing Committee dismissed

als, they do not; they simply were not the rules in effect in 2016.

Pat’s protest! It was an outcome that seemed pre-ordained.

Obviously, if the rules authorized this judging procedure in 2016,

Following the USEF denial of her protest dismissal, and con-

there would be no need to make these rule changes in Novem-

sidering the contents of the 300-page Hearing Transcript, there

ber 2017. The fact that AHA has now apparently determined

was basis for further action within the New York court system,

that it needs to change the rules to conduct the U.S. Nationals in

and Pat has filed an additional protest. In the meantime, it has

that manner, is further evidence that AHA and its Show Com-

become known that AHA will be considering proposed rule

mission violated the rules that were in effect during the 2016

changes at the upcoming AHA Convention in mid-November

U.S. Nationals.

that, if enacted, would remove the mandatory language requiring use of the Arabian Scoring System in all three rules cited above!

There is an ongoing public discussion about the declining numbers of purebred Arabians being bred in the United States.

For example, the language in COMP 607.1 would change from,

People wonder why, when the product is the most versatile,

“when adjudicating All Breeding/Gelding In-Hand Classes…

beautiful and useful breed in the world, the market is not

judges will use the ‘Arabian Scoring System’” to “when

growing. Here is a case in point. The powers that be within the

adjudicating Breeding/In-Hand Classes judges may utilize the

Arabian breed have caused Pat to reexamine the idea of bringing

‘Arabian Scoring System,’” making it optional. The proposed

any more Arabian horses into the world. “I have not bred any

amendments would also add new language to COMP 609.4

of my mares this year and may never breed them again,” Pat

authorizing use of the Arabian Scoring System “in the

proclaims. “I have sold breedings to my stallions and will continue

qualifying sections” followed by a “final comparative”

to do so. We are inundated with offers from around the world

– a procedure that did not exist for Class 971 in the 2016

for Beloved One’s services, and have high demand for the horses

Handbook. And yet, this was how the class at issue in

that I’ve bred. I will keep my show horses with Ted Carson and

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BELOVED GRACIOUS LADY 2016 United States National Champion Yearling Sweepstakes Filly with Ted Carson

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will continue to support Ted and Brandi in the future. I got out

stocking up on their rest and beauty sleep as they get ready

of the industry once before because of the surgical alterations

for their next adventure. And what an adventure that will be!

to the horses, NOW we have to ‘surgically eliminate’ all the

In November, the girls will fly across the Atlantic to compete

factors that could cause the industry to cease to exist.” Pat

against the finest fillies on the planet in the ultimate event of

has also elected not to enter any of her qualified horses in

the year, the Arabian World Championships in Paris. Under

this year’s national championships. It is a bold statement,

Ted Carson’s expert guidance, Erodite will be vying for the title

which speaks to the ideals of integrity and transparency

of World Champion Yearling Filly, with Gracie going after the

that Pat embraces.

World Champion Junior Mare title, complete with a doting entourage to cheer them on. It will be a fitting climax to a

“When our civilization is defined by its corruption, what is

spectacular year for Beloveds Farm and the Carsons!

its rational reason to be? If there is no way to rehabilitate this corruption,” Pat questions, “what is the reason for this civilization to exist?” In the same way, she is questioning the reason for AHA and USEF to exist if they do not function according to their own mandated rules and responsibilities.

One can only wonder whether the USEF is exhibiting administrative arrogance by even considering raising membership dues and drug testing fees on already impoverished equine competitions while failing to adhere to their own mandates and obligations.

Until AHA officials are required to operate the U.S. Nationals in accordance with the organization’s rules, Pat’s horses will go elsewhere for gold and glory. So, while other people’s horses make their way to Tulsa for the U.S. Nationals, Beloved Gracious Lady and her stablemate, Om El Erodite, will be

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UPDATE! As this story was going to print on September 18, 2017, Beloveds Farm prevailed.

Beloved Gracious Lady is the USEF and AHA acclaimed 2016 United States National Champion Yearling Sweepstakes Filly!

NEXT STEP ...

Paris!

LEADING U.S. OWNER OF HALTER WINNERS AT THE 2015 & 2016 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS WWW.BELOVEDSFARM.COM Patricia M. Dempsey | Lady Lake, Florida | 352-430-3456