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. Ar abian Horse Times | 12 | Beloveds Farm 2017
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