Sheffield Arrangements Announced
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Raymond E. Sheffield passed away Saturday, June 9, 2007 at the St. Joseph Hospital, Lexington, KY. He was former publisher of the National Horseman Magazine, longtime advocate of the American Saddlebred Horse, and member of the VFW, Middletown, KY. He was a World War II US Coast Guard decorated veteran.
He is preceded in death by his wife Ila "Pat" (Black) Sheffield. Survivors are his daughter, Tricia McBeath; son, Michael Sheffield; three grand children; one great- grandchild; and a nephew, Edward Carle.
Friends may call at the Pearson - Ratterman Funeral Home, 12900 Shelbyville Rd., Middletown, KY, from 12:30 -2:30 p.m. Wednesday. Burial to follow in the Middletown Cemetery.
Memorials may be given to the American Saddlebred Horse Association or the American Saddlebred Museum, 4093 Iron Works Pike, Lexington, KY.
The following remarks are from the ASHA’s Meritorious Service Award presented in 2005:
As owner of The National Horseman magazine for several decades, Ray provided space gratis on a regular basis to the ASHA, UPHA, American Saddlebred Museum and other horse organizations and worthy causes. An early morning call from Ray, with a smile in his voice and a joke to tell, gave many people a bright start to their day and he is well known for his contagiously positive outlook on life. He also has a serious side, and has spent many hours, on more than one occasion, compiling statistics concerning the impact of the Kentucky State Fair and the Saddlebred industry in general upon the economy of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which he presented to legislators (and he has been recently working on another such report).
While he had loved Saddlebreds from the first time he saw them as a child, he was not involved with the horse business. After some years in the Coast Guard during World War II, he applied for a job at The National Horseman, and was hired. He traveled to show stables and farms throughout the Midwest, making friends with owners and trainers, and by 1952 was advertising manager. Eventually he purchased the magazine, which he owned until 1999.
Ray is well-known for providing assistance in any way he can to anyone who asks, always cheerfully, and, in addition, he supported many horse shows with sponsorships.
He was also a horse show father: daughter Tricia’s best year was 1986, when she showed CH Copper Locket to win the Five-Gaited Pony 14-17 at Louisville and at Asheville. Ray was an accomplished writer, covering several important shows himself as well as contributing many historical articles about horses, trainers, owners and farms to his magazine.
Ray was inducted into the Kentucky State Fair Hall of Fame in 1995.
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