Stone Ridge Arabians, published in Arabian Horse Times

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How Dan and Maureen Grossman Built Their Dream

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by THERESA CARDAMONE

Maureen and Dan Grossman are Indiana residents by choice and by heritage. Although they have deep family ties to the Midwest, life had taken the Grossmans to a variety of settings as young

adults. After meeting during their college years, they married and relocated to Texas, where they stayed until Dan finished his surgical residency. In 1980, they decided to return to their roots in Indiana, where they would nurture their family and establish themselves.

Maureen Grossman says that she gets her “horse energy” from her father, who was always bringing home grade horses (such as the unforgettable King Leonardo and Biggie Rat), from local auctions to see if they would work out. She remembers idyllic days where she and her sister raced half-broke horses across the fields, oblivious to any lurking squirrel hole or other hidden danger.

Maureen’s first Arabian—who she fondly describes as “a bit of a knucklehead”—came her way as a pre-teen.

It was during her ensuing teenage years that Maureen enjoyed a fruitful relationship with Desert Count, the beautiful, dappled-grey, Raffles-bred gelding who inspired her enduring love for Arabian horses. He fulfilled her dreams of excellence by becoming a Champion at her local 4-H Fair. Her memories of those days are of a tight-knit family, where everyone was happily involved in the show experience. “At those shows, we unloaded the horse and tied him onto the trailer until it was time for our class,” Maureen recalls. “Everyone had their jobs to do, it really was a family affair.”

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Following their move to Bloomington, IN, Maureen began

million. Over the next two years, the Grossmans found out

to roam the more rural outskirts until she spotted a For Sale

the hard way that in the horse business, every expectation is

sign in front of an old farm. The place was overgrown with

not necessarily met when spontaneous purchases are made.

briars and came complete with an amazing, 100-year old

Enter David Boggs, who found an eager Brazilian buyer for

barn. Maureen raced home, convinced Dan that it was worth

the stallion, creating a happy ending for all involved and

leaving the televised football game at half-time, and took

establishing a close relationship with Dan and Maureen that

him out to the site. The next thing they knew, they owned a

continues to this day.

farm in November 1983. They quickly purchased their first Arabian mare, a Witez II granddaughter named Popn Fresh

Stone Ridge Arabians is not only famous as a producer of

Cy, who was in foal to AAbanat. A month later, the mare

world class halter horses, the family has always shown horses

produced the Grossman’s first filly, Aabatez, and Stone Ridge

under saddle as well, earning a ridiculous number of national

Arabians was born.

titles along the way. From the earliest days, the Grossmans were both passionate participants in the world of the Arabian

With the unbridled enthusiasm of the newly initiated, Dan

horse. Maureen showed her wonderful mare Bella Angelfix to

and Maureen attended a major horse auction at Lasma East

Top Ten English Pleasure honors, and Danny showed their

in L’Esprit, KY later that summer. In what Maureen gently

stallion Exceptionn to the U.S. National Champion AOTH

describes as “a great learning process,” they purchased 1981

title. They were a formidable force in the amateur ranks, as

World Champion Stallion Abdullahhh for a whopping $3.2

their daughters would be in the years to come.

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Bey Shah (Bay El Bey x Star Of Ofir, by *Bask.)

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The Grossmans continued to participate in every aspect of their growing business, acquiring a wealth of knowledge in the process. In the fall of 1992, they were sitting in the arena at the US Nationals with David Boggs when he mentioned that the legendary Bey Shah was for sale. Danny took a minute to absorb the news, turned to Boggs, and said, “Let’s go buy him”!

Although they were aware of what his breeding challenges might be, the Grossmans did not hesitate to step through the door of opportunity that owning such a famous and influential stallion opened for them. The sale was consummated by the end of the evening. With the purchase of Bey Shah, Stone Ridge Arabians entered a whole new dimension of the Arabian business.

Maureen remembers the surreal morning that Bey Shah arrived in Minnesota. “We had put him on an enormous 747 to fly him from California to stand at Midwest with David Boggs,” Maureen relates.

“He arrived very early in the morning before the sun rose, so it was cold. But my whole family was there. We watched as the plane landed, then the nose cap slowly opened, and out came Bey Shah’s stall. It zoomed along on a little conveyor belt, straight into the trailer. The sun was rising the whole time. It was quite a morning!” The horse trailer was driven clear into the indoor arena at Midwest, where the still-occupied stall was unloaded. After a few minutes, the transport stall door was finally opened, and Bey Shah emerged for the first time.

“Do you know Bey Shah?” Maureen asks. “When we took him out, immediately the tail goes over his back, he’s snorting everywhere, it was just awesome. Danny took the lead and walked him all around, it really was great fun. Promoting him was exciting and was also a lot of hard work. He required special handling because he was 16 and only had one testicle when we bought him. But it was worth it because he produced amazing babies for us and even more so for other breeders.”

The Grossman’s came up with the very successful idea of selling out the stallion’s breedings in packages, allowing buyers the option of using or reselling them as they wished.

After Bey Shah died, there wasn’t a lot of breeding activity at Stone Ridge. Instead, they concentrated on performance horses when both of their daughters began to ride and show. In the interim, they had acquired a couple of horses for Mo to ride including Tara’s Tribulation, who carried her to the Canadian National Championship in Half-Arabian English Pleasure. She had also purchased a talented horse for her 13-year old daughter Ashley (Anne Grossman Fox) to

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The Grossman family welcoming Bey Shah to Midwest.

Maureen and Tara’s Tribulation

Maureen and HL Justasparkle

Ashley and Tara’s Tribulation

ride, then realized at the first show they attended that she

to travel off the rail, which kept her out of the traffic and

was underhorsed. There were five past-National Champions

moving along with her four white socks flashing, cute as

in that age group! Maureen decided to offer Ashley he

could be.”

opportunity to ride Mom’s A-string Horses if she was willing to put in the hard work. They struck a bargain and from then

When the girls went off to college, Maureen and Dan turned

on, the wins just kept on coming. Tara’s Tribulation added

their focus to their son Rex Daniel Grossman III, who had

five more National Championships and two Reserves in the

developed an interest in football. It turned out that he had

Youth and Amateur divisions. The Bey Shah son Stealth

the talent and dedication to match. Rex was an exceptional

WCA contributed the U.S. Youth National Champion

player at the University of Florida—he was the South-East

Gelding and Top Ten performance titles, and HL Justa

Conference Player of the year, A.P. National Player of the

Sparkle brought home multiple National Champion English

year, and the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. He was

Pleasure crowns, just to name a few.

drafted by the Chicago Bears, and got to start in the Super Bowl. Dan and Maureen had fun following him for the

Bella Angelfix was transformed into a Country English

next decade, never missing a single game that Rex played in

Pleasure horse and carried the Grossman’s other daughter

during his 11year NFL career.

Amy (Grossman Bostic) to a unanimous win as the U.S. Youth National Champion Country English Pleasure JOTR.

In the summer of 2004, something happened that would

It was a huge class, with some 70-80 horses competing

once again skyrocket Stone Ridge Arabians to the pinnacle of

in four sections for a chance to go to the finals. Maureen

the business. “David Boggs has been monumental in helping

described watching the class as, “a perfect moment in time.

us coordinate, plan, breed, purchase, sell, and all of the other

The mare never put an ear back and was so happy. She liked

things that you have to do in the horse business,” Maureen

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DA Valentino, U.S. National Champion Yearling Colt presented by David Boggs.

relates. “He’s been truly amazing and a very good friend.

There were several interested parties looking at the colt,

Even so, when he sent us a VHS tape of a yearling colt that

whose owner/breeder, Delorosa Arabians, wanted to retain a

summer, it sat on the kitchen counter for a few days before

half-interest. Maureen and Dan were willing to play by those

I looked at it.” Once she turned on the tape player, Maureen

rules, if they also had the ability to manage his career. While

could hardly believe what she was seeing. “I was so excited, I

planning the next steps, the Grossmans jumped at the chance

called Danny at work, to tell him to hurry home so I could

to buy out the other half, and DA Valentino was all theirs.

show him. We bought the colt within the week, sight unseen,

“We took him to the U.S. Nationals in Louisville that October

from the video tape, knowing that David had already gone to

and David showed him to National Champion Yearling Colt

see him.” No wonder the Grossmans were so impressed. The

over 42 other entries,” Maureen recalls. “That was the start

colt in the video was DA Valentino.

of an amazing period with Valentino, who turned out to be

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DA Valentino (Versace x DA Love, by Padrons Psyche) Ar abian Horse Times | 6 | Stone Ridge Ar abians • 2017

Dan and Maureen Grossman, David Boggs and DA Valentino.

one of the most important stallions in the industry.” DA Valentino was the Canadian National Champion Stallion as a three-year old in addition to being named U.S. National Champion Junior Stallion and U.S. National Champion Futurity Colt. DA Valentino earned additional U.S. National Champion Stallion titles in 2007 and 2008.

Far from resting on his laurels as a show horse, DA Valentino has outdone himself as a sire. “In 2016, he had been gone for about five years and he was the U.S. Leading Halter Sire, and he was the leading sire in Europe and the Middle East. He is still going on and on with his babies.” DA Valentino has sired numerous National Champions who have gone on to produce champions of their own, not only in the U.S., but also in Australia, Europe, the Middle East, and South America. Maureen has a special place in her heart for one of Stone Ridge Arabians’ most decorated homebred champions. “Right before DA Valentino died, we bought an embryo right to the mare RD Fabreanna at a live auction. All the proceeds were going to support St. Jude’s Children’s Hospitals, which was awesome because it was a win for everybody and we felt great about it. We collected Valentino to use for that breeding, which as it turned out, was his final one.”

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The tragic loss of DA Valentino due to an embolism (blockage

The Grossmans had to revamp and figure what to do after

of a blood vessel) following an emergency hernia surgery had

Valentino died. Their main objective was to breed only Valentino

been a huge blow. Therefore, a lot of emotion was riding on

daughters. While they had several of their own, they also selected

the outcome of the mating. With great anticipation, the Stone

three others that they bought embryo rights to. The Valentino

Ridge team awaited the birth of RD Fabreanna’s foal. “Out

daughters were bred to five different stallions with equally

popped this gorgeous filly that we named after my sister,”

stunning results, including the 2016 U.S. National Champion

Maureen remembers. “The filly was tall and lanky, almost

Yearling Filly, Pink Rose SRA. A daughter of Baahir El Marwan

spider-like. The very first day, I was in love with her. I don’t

and DA Valencea, she was wonderfully shown by Alicides

know if anyone else does this, but whenever I name one of the

Rodrigues. Pink’s name also has a story behind it. She was born

babies, I think about what it will sound like when the announcer

about five in the morning and the Grossmans were all standing

calls them out: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, here is your National

around in their pajamas, all excited that she was a filly. Maureen’s

Champion, Donna Molta Bella!’ It’s even more fun because it

suggestion to name her Pink Pajamas didn’t quite make it to the

means, hot woman in Italian!”

registration application, but the filly is still fondly known as Pink PJs. Her paternal half-sister Valaqatara SRA, by Abha Qatar, was

Donna Molta Bella made her first trip to the U.S. Nationals the

Top Ten in the 2016 U.S. National Champion Futurity Filly finals,

next year. She won the Yearling Filly Championship and was

placing 3rd on the judge’s cards. Pazzazz SRA, by Stival, was

also named the U.S. National Champion Junior Mare. Once

recently named the 2017 Scottsdale Signature Auction Champion

again, the horses of Stone Ridge Arabians were the catalyst

Yearling Colt, earning a $28,000 paycheck.

for family fun. Maureen’s sister Donna started coming to the shows, which she hadn’t done before, and posing for the win

Things have not slowed down a bit for Dan and Maureen

pictures with her gorgeous namesake. The filly gave Donna

Grossman. Decades after establishing their family farm, their

more opportunities to enjoy the thrill of victory when she

love affair with the Arabian horse is continuing full force. There

repeated her U.S. National Champion Junior Mare win and

is a special filly, SRA Susanne, named after Maureen’s mother.

added the National Champion Two-Year Old Filly award as

They anticipate great things when the QR Marc daughter

well. Under the ownership of Al Saqran Stud of Sharjah, UAE,

from the Valentino mare, Valori, makes her show debut at the

Donna Molta Bella SRA has lit up the show rings of Europe

Arabian Breeders World Cup in Las Vegas this April. They also

and the Middle East, including being named 2014 Gold World

have a beautiful, black, double-Afire Bey V performance mare,

Champion Junior Mare in Paris.

Dheir to Dream, who is sired by Afires Heir. The plan is for her to carry not only the Grossman’s daughter, but also their 5-year

“It has all been fun for us,” Maureen declares. “We have been

old granddaughter to future victories. Meanwhile, a surrogate

super lucky and fortunate to have acquired these horses, and to

mare will be carrying Dheir to Dream’s foal by the Saddlebred

have David to help us manage and promote them all. But we’ve

champion, NutCracker Nirvanna.

worked hard at it and it’s been a lot of thought process, a lot of looking at horses and trying them on. We’ve certainly made

With the eternal optimism of true breeders, Dan and Maureen

mistakes along the way, too, but we’ve been lucky to have had

Grossman will continue to move forward, availing themselves

some really great success.”

of the advice of their mentors and taking advantage of

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Maureen and Dan Grossman with National Champion Donna Molta Bella SRA.

opportunities that come their way. They appreciate the wisdom

all that it is the special bond and partnership that Dan and

they have received along the way, and pay tribute to their

Maureen have forged in developing Stone Ridge Arabians over

dedicated farm manager, Christina Rhoads, who has raised

the years that is the true key to their success in the past, the

their foals with such tender care and love. But it is clear to

present, and the future. â–

Maureen and Dan Grossman with National Champion Pink Rose SRA.

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Dan and Maureen Grossman Bloomington, Indiana

tel: 812.322.5776 | mogrossma@aol.com

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