Our family first encountered this wonderful breed on a vacation trip to Florida in December/January of 1982/83. While visiting relatives, Barbara/Wayne Preiss, who raise Paso Finos, we watched as their entire family worked together from mucking stalls to marketing, to showing these fabulous horses. We would listen carefully as they spoke with such passion and devotion of their horses and the breed in general. I was captivated by the hold these horses had on this family.

During our visit we were able to ride effortlessly on these extremely smooth and gentle animals through a myriad of orange groves kicking up the white sand as we traveled along. When we left to return home to Illinois, I surprised my cousin by telling her that I wanted a Paso Fino--or two, because my husband would surely want to ride with me.

Thrilled, Barb picked out a three year old filly for us, Caridad de Vez. She would get Cari started under saddle and start looking for our second Paso mare.

On our return trip in May, we were able to observe a Paso Fino show in Miami, where over a hundred Paso Finos were exhibited. It was here that I got totally hooked on the Paso Fino as a breed--its uniqueness, beauty, Spanish heritage and Latin influences. The show took on a Fiesta atmosphere with the aroma of Latin foods, hot Latin rhythms, bright colors and Spanish spoken everywhere. Those beautiful Spanish horses were ridden expertly throughout the crowds, as if on a dare, to see who could perform the tightest figure eights and serpentines without stepping on anyone's toes! There was as much show outside of the white sand arena as there was inside the ring itself! The ocean, palm trees, white sand and hot, bright sun helped to transport me to a different world, where the regal and elegant Paso Fino ruled with splendor and excitement.

In a few short months, we had become not only the proud owners of four Paso Fino mares to be used for our riding pleasure, but had also started on our way to becoming one of the largest breeders of quality pleasure/trail Paso Finos in the Midwest.

- Leonard & Michele Branson
Owners