The Beckman Family Breeds A Formula For Success

Three generations have now bred and raised quality show ponies in Virginia.

Ever since Eileen Beckman can remember, she’s had a soft spot for ponies. Growing up in a decidedly non-horsey family, she never had the chance to share her joy with her family. But Beckman made up for
it by dedicating her life to raising gorgeous ponies alongside her children and grandchildren.

Beckman has been breeding and raising exceptional ponies at Otteridge Farm in Bedford, Va., since the 1970s, and her uncanny eye for horseflesh has guided her throughout her successful breeding and showing career.

Her ponies have won futurities and year-end awards across the East Coast, but her proudest achievement is breeding Otteridge Black Hawk (*Forge Nimbus—Miss Bar Dee), the first pinto pony to win the best young crossbred pony at the Devon Horse Show (Pa.).

An eye for talent runs in the Beckman family, and six years later Randee Beckman repeated her mother’s victory, winning the best young pony grand championship with Charlotte (Llanarth Senator—April Dance) in 2004.

These days three generations work together at Otteridge. Eileen’s daughter Randee has taken over most of
the day-to-day operations of the farm, along with plenty of help from her daughter Katie Gardner. But 89-year-old Eileen remains intimately involved, coming down to feed every morning and throw hay to the paddocks.

Their many success stories include Otteridge Dreaming Of Blue, Otteridge Dress Blues, Otteridge Black Hawk, Otteridge Pow Wow, Otteridge Foxtrot, Otteridge Up In Lights and Otteridge French Twist.

Eileen’s involvement in the pony breeding community extends beyond her own farm too. She’s a founding member and past president of the Virginia Pony Breeder’s Association, and she serves as the pony breeding chairman on the board of the Virginia Horse Shows Association. The VHSA honored Eileen by inducting her into the Hall of Fame and awarding her the Andrew M. Montgomery Perpetual Memorial Trophy and the Susan H. Hagan Memorial Trophy for outstanding contributions and sportsmanship, camaraderie and fairness.

“Eileen is someone who goes about doing things the right way,” said longtime friend Jimmy Lee. “Not just the care and the breeding, but also competing the right way. Our sport is very important to her, the tradition of the sport, and the future of the sport.”

A Family Affair

Eileen didn’t grow up in a horsey family, but the determined young woman took up riding anyway, eventually saving up enough money to buy a Thoroughbred show hunter named Ramos whom she hunted and showed throughout the 1940s to great success.

She served in the Red Cross during World War II where she met her future husband Carl Beckman. She and her husband spent a few years in Chicago before returning to her native Virginia to raise their two young daughters, Laura and Randee.

Eileen started collecting ponies when she began teaching lessons shortly after returning to Virginia. As her horse business expanded, she decided to try her hand at breeding. She and her husband bought 54 acres at the base of the Peaks of Otter near Lynchburg, Va., and Otteridge Farm was born.