Team #680 Beverly Patrick and Rockin' Rodney
Team #680: Beverly Patrick and Rockin’ Rodney
From: Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
Ages: 79 & 28
Combined Age: 107
Test: Introductory Level Test B
Date: July 3, 2023
A lifetime’s passion began when six-year-old Beverly fell in love with an ancient “beautiful in the eye of the beholder” horse named Palagie at a Rhode Island summer camp in 1949. After camp, she began taking lessons and joined the Green River Pony Club. As a teenager, Beverly saved her hard-earned babysitting money for lessons and riding. Throughout high school, she never owned her own horse but avidly competed on a fantastic variety of borrowed rides. She did jumpers, western pleasure, side saddle, saddle seat, and one season in the hunter ring which qualified her for the Maclay Finals. Beverly appreciated the generosity of those big-hearted owners and has returned that favor time and time. Some countless children and adults have found themselves on a Patrick horse without expectation of repayment, whether it be for a local show, long trail ride, pony club rally, intercollegiate competition….and the list goes on.
After earning a BA in Interior Design at Skidmore College and an MFA in Weaving and Textiles from the prestigious Cranbrook Academy of Art, Beverly married David Patrick and convinced him that they should get two horses for fun. David had no idea what he was in for. Starting with an Arabian cross named Irish, a Quarter Horse named Penobscott, and several students, Beverly’s operation steadily expanded over the next 55 years. Some seasons her teaching schedule topped 80 students and, well, it’s never polite to ask how many horses a lady has.
Beverly served as the Beaver Valley Pony Club’s District Commissioner for 19 years and Chairman of Tetrathlon at Pony Club Nationals for six years, including hosting and providing horses for international teams at the Kentucky Horse Park. Her three daughters grew up in Pony Club and continue to ride and compete as adults.
After chronic back problems and two knee replacements, Beverly gradually stopped riding. Then, at the age of 62, she discovered Combined Driving and her competitive nature kicked in. She started with one pony, Esalot, then quickly expanded to a pair of horses, Rock, and Roll. When the pair retired, Beverly and David assessed the situation and chose to return to ponies, because they are smaller, easier to harness, and just a bit less work. That reprieve didn’t last long because when she turned 75, Beverly decided to increase the pony power and take on the challenge of a four-in-hand. Her black Fell ponies are now a regular sight at CDE competitions in Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Indiana, and Wisconsin.
During the COVID lockdown, Beverly’s daughter convinced her to try some gentle trail rides. This summer, the same daughter convinced her to compete in a Century Club ride. In June 2023, at the combined age of 107, Beverly paired with Rockin’ Rodney, a 28-year-old off-the-track Thoroughbred. In Rodney’s heyday, he evented with Beverly’s middle daughter through the preliminary level, babysat her youngest daughter at beginner novice, and has been a delightful trail horse, lesson horse, and barn pet for years. He is usually quiet and laid back, so seeing his visible excitement to get on a trailer and go to a show again was absolutely heart-warming. Congratulations to Beverly and Rockin’ Rodney! (Way to go, Mom!) Beverly plans to make century tests the norm next summer at combined driving competitions, when she celebrates her 80th birthday and her off-side wheeler, Laurel Highlands Tabitha celebrates her 20th.
