Throughout the 117 years of rich Stock Show history, the Beeman family has been a part of its impact for 83 years. The famous Dr. Marvin Beeman has personally been a part of the Stock Show in one way or another since he was six years old. He first attended in 1939, when his father’s ranch manager, Mr. Phipps Jr., invited his family to sit in their box seats. When those seats became available after Mr. Phipps passed, the Beeman family purchased those season tickets and have held them for 53 years. For decades, the Beeman family has represented a large part of Stock Show history.
Dr. Beeman’s granddaughter’s birthday falls during Stock Show, so she has made sure to come on the second weekend for the last five years to celebrate. “My daughter loves to come to Stock Show because of the family tradition,” said Dr. Beeman’s daughter, Laurie, about his granddaughter.
“It has been a privilege to be given the opportunity to be involved with the Stock Show all these years,” said Dr. Beeman. He went on to say how his family has resided in Colorado since 1856, with four generations attending the Stock Show.
Dr. Beeman went from being a guest of the Stock Show to an official member in 1958. He began working with the Stock Show as a veterinarian for the Rocky Mountain Quarter Horse Sale and has had an official function ever since. As the official veterinarian for the Stock Show, Dr. Beeman fondly recalls being called for emergencies in the middle of the night. He said, “The friendlier you are, the easier everything goes, so you don’t want to be grumpy and complain; you just jump out of bed and have your thinking cap on.”
According to Dr. Beeman, he has wanted to be a vet since he was 7 years old, and he still carries that same passion to this day. You can hear it in the way he talks about his job, that he has a genuine admiration for horses and the practice of veterinary medicine. “I happen to think that a horse is one of the most magnificent biological machines God ever made”, said Beeman. “People say, well, they can’t run as fast as a cheetah or jump as high as an antelope, but have you ever seen anyone ride one of those?” he said with a laugh.
Beeman has been practicing equine medicine for 65 years and has seen several monumental developments that have revolutionized equine care. In discussing what kept him going for so many years, he mentioned his fascination with the innovations to improve horse care. When he started in 1957, they didn’t know about DNA, MRIs, nuclear medicine, or several surgeries that have increased horse life expectancy. “It’s amazing what we can do today,” Dr. Beeman remarked.
Even at 89, nothing is slowing him down. He plans to keep practicing equine medicine as long as he can provide exceptional care. His daughter commented that he has tried to retire six times, but nothing can keep him away from what he loves.
The Beeman family is synonymous with Stock Show and will be for generations to come. Just as Dr. Beeman’s passion for horses keeps him going, he has enriched his family in the Stock Show tradition. He shares the respect and hard work of the western lifestyle.
Blog Post By:
Morgan Jacobus, 2023 NWSS Marketing & Communications Intern
Morgan is a senior at Regis University pursing a degree in Communication with a focus on PR and marketing. This year is the third year she is serving as the Editor in Chief of Regis’ student publication. After attending Stock Show for over a decade, she was honored to finally be a part of the Denver tradition with her internship. Though she is not from an agriculture background, she is an admirer of the industry and passionate about advocating for the people within it.