My history with horses began riding ranch horses. I came along at the end of a booming era where smooth "Shuffle Gaited" Athletic Stock Horses with a lot of " bottom" ... were in high demand. So
naturally, I was drawn to a smoothly gaited athletic horse as an adult. I didn’t
find a specific gaited breed that was as athletic, smooth and smart as the Stock horses I
grew up on – until I found the Paso Fino.
From the get-go I was intrigued with the breed’s athleticism, brio and unique performing abilities.
After I rode a few, I knew I had found something special and immediately began a study of the
training and preservation of the Paso Fino Horses as a breed, culture and art form.
I soon found that generations of the the creative Latin American breeding programs for the
Paso Fino were very intertwined with the Latin culture. The fact that they unilaterally had produced remarkably versatile hardy animals was interesting to me. And I found that each country/ nation
was very proud of their accomplishments. So! it didn't take me long to grasp - that we have more
than just a horse, we have a culture and heritage that goes hand in hand... and we need to
understand " the value - comprehensive". It also motivated me to do my own personal best to
preserve it.
I have been involved in this breed now for over 20 years - training for competitions and adventure
riding - and training today's and yesterday's show ring pleasure and performance skilled athletes.
While I did show for a while and had reasonable success for my farm and the farms of my customers
- I wanted something different - for the Breed and for Myself.
In the middle to late 1990's - I began building programs to purposely develop a market for the
Paso Fino Athlete who carries Royal Bloodlines, Excellent Gait, Sound Conformation who naturally exhibits athletic ability, brio, intelligence, partnering orientations and teachable sound minds - in an attempt to preserve the excellence of their historical breeding, proven bloodlines and product quality
- for a market outside of the show ring and any I found within the organization.
I wanted to ride, train and provide a show ring quality, competitive contender / winner with super
blood lines and excellent gait execution - for a new market. I appreciated - all the years it took to
generate the quality I enjoyed and I intended to build upon it - not tear it down.
So - with this! and because I believed in my product. I totally embraced the marketing position that
-> if I stewarded my horses right - they would sell themselves. And - they did! Folks saw what I
rode for fun! and all the ways I liked to ride! and I began selling horses: one here and another there.
It wasn't long before I ran out of horses to sell.
With this experience - I am convinced that this breed's unique performing abilities, athleticism,
intensity, and partnering disposition makes them a most exceptional and rewarding equine sport
horse partner for many disciplines of experienced riders and handlers.
Since - those days - we have enjoyed an unusual amount of success. And in this journey
we have met folks from all over - most from other disciplines and established some awesome
Paso Fino horses ( by any standard you measure ) in new owners lives.
We have also developed new and valuable relationships - with some over-lapping from my old
showing days. It has been super - connecting aspects of what I do and have done - with the new
thing - keeping continuity and quality from the past and carrying it forward successfully -> " building
out -ward" in new ways. " Onward and Upward ! " as they say!
Here is a good place to share an interesting dynamic that has profited my market brand, another individual and the Breed profoundly .... and needs to be included - as it is a major part of my story.
The dynamic is Market Sharing.
Working and stretching across the lines of different interests within the same breed, using the same breed standards, same quality - to protect our Breed and her future -> is very important.... and has
many common goals and often times very similar training foundations. In my opinion, Market sharing honestly applied - propels the advancement of Breed Promotion in excellence and comes much
closer to exhibiting the Breed's qualities in an excellence that can't be known otherwise.
I have learned that we have so many opportunities among us -> to be good stewards together over
our common fundamental goals. We can unite to serve - so many different persuasions of interest -
with ONE Breed... in an excellence that reflects the best - if we maintain high standards and goals among ourselves and for the Breed.
This Breed has so much to offer - so many different dimensions of Equine Enjoyment. And we can
supply it by giving each horse his best shot with his most valuable marketing gifts - with top notch
training for the application of those gifts - and then making sure we get him into the right environment for his life's work - without compromising - the quality of our cultural and historic breed standards. We have open doors - all around us. And I have walked through one....
Withal - I have determined that THIS BREED is probably the best kept secret in the USA ! And while
I will continue to develop what I know is good and pure and substantial - I will also work very hard to
keep this breed's treasures and exceptionalism in tact and without sacrificing her quality nor her
diversity.