Fina Vista Farm Paso Fino Horses

New Caballeros on the Horizon
It is likely no secret that my fondest wish is that at least one of our boys (Finnian, aged 3.5yrs, and Nathaniel, aged 2 yrs) will share my love of horses and join me on the trail. Whenever they do show a spark of interest (remember I have to compete with Daddy's dazzling tractor and super-fun riding lawnmower), I am very happy to have our lovely and dependable Paso Fino, Pianola (12yrs old this year), to show them the world from "up there". Nate already loves the feel of the gait and prefers to get moving once in the saddle. I hope the sight of our 2 young cowboys in the saddle will be a familiar one some day!
Pictured at left: Finn and Nate on Pia.
Below Left: Nate and Pia.
Below Right: Finn and Camilla on Pia.

ECPFHA GAITED HORSE CLINIC WITH MARY RIZO-PATRON

The ECPFHA Gaited Horse clinic with Paso Fino Trainer, Mary Rizo-Patron, (of Hacienda La Amistad in Ohio) was held May 5th-6th this year in Fenwick, Ontario. Once again Mary was a terrific clinician - educating, inspiring, enlightening and entertaining. We were very fortunate to have this time with Mary.
There were 8 horses present and several spectators. Most were Paso Fino horses, but we also had a Rocky Mtn Horse and an Icelandic. We brought two horses from Fina Vista Farm - I took my palomino mare, Finola, and Jennifer brought her buckskin mare, Dama. The weather was co-operative, but breezy. I think everyone learned a lot and had fun re-connecting with their local gaited community. Bob Darling did a terrific job organizing the clinic and also arranging for a wonderful dinner together on Saturday night.
Bob also played gracious host to myself, Jennifer, and Mary. Jennifer was very sadly called away to a family emergency on Saturday night, but the highlight of my weekend was when she returned on Sunday and not only rode again, but burned up the race track at the clinic site with her mare, Dama.
Mary and I managed to keep Bob up much too late on Saturday (we had to... there was all this wine, LOL), which was good fun. To add insult to injury, I ate half of Bob's Red River Cereal for breakfast the next day.
All in all it was a very helpful and enjoyable weekend. Many thanks again to Mary and Bob!
Go to the Clinic page ECPFHA Website for lots more pictures and details on this and other ECPFHA activities.

How can you tell it's Spring? Look Who's here!?

We were expecting 2 foals at Fina Vista Farm this year and they each arrived safely, beautifully and very well-matched.
On April 27th, the first foal was born, the very elegant Zarzuela, a lovely bay filly with a small white star. her dam is Castanuela, owned by Carlos DiVincenzo and family. Castanuela's name translates to Castanet and the Zarzuela is the dance in Spain performed to the sound of the Castanet rhythym. How perfect is that? Zarzuela's sire is the gorgeous Colombian Fino Stallion, Macondo.

On May 6th, the second young lady arrived. This one's dam is Victoria's mare, Querica, and is sired by Fina Vista herdsire, Mercenario. Querica decided that what Castanuela had looked pretty great so she'd order that, too! The second lovely bay filly with a white star was born... and though her legs were pretty wobbly at first, she made up for it with extra spunk and zip! Victoria chose the new filly's name while vacationing with her family in Spain... and Zahara is the one, the one with the big shining star.

We are all enjoying watching these new girls savour Spring and motion, and take their first smooth and natural Paso Fino steps.

ECPFHA Open Gaited Fun Show
To everyone who participated or attended the ECPFHA Fun Show on July 22nd, the photos from our brilliant official photographer, Leslie Town, are on her web site for viewing and purchase. Link: http://www.myhorse.ca/FunShow07/index.htm
This was my second year organizing this show and I think it went pretty well. A long, hot day and we still need to tweak stuff, but we had over 40 horses registered (breeds represented: Paso Fino, Paso Trocha, Peruvian Paso, TWH, Rocky Mountain, Gaited Mule and Icelandic). There were 26 classes with over 30 horses in the biggest! With all the spectators, too - I think we can all be proud of a successful day.
A few words of thanks regarding the show...
Thanks so much to Denise Boorman for her long day of judging in the heat and the dust - what a lot of work that was - thank you!! Thanks so much to Jan Kay for her awesome work as announcer. God forbid she ever wants to show that lovely mare of hers... we'd never find anyone to rule the microphone as well as her!! She is amazing. Thanks so much to Janet Grant for being the super-steward. She was terrific as always. Thanks so much to the office queens: Margaret Lauber, Jeannie Harris, Claire Christo, Lynda Smith and everyone else that pitched in there. Greatly appreciate that! Thanks also to Jeannie Harris for her help in prizes, set-ups, newspaper promos, etc.
Thanks especially to the hugely talented Jennifer Tarrant, not just for the lovely blown glass vase she made for our judge, but all her other help with signs, set-up, prizes, ring rock picking, barn help and everything - she rocks!!
Thanks to Bob Darling for all his help and for getting the great sound system at a great price.
Thanks to Denise and Peter Chandler for their efforts with set-up and take down... they
are ever reliable folk. :) Thanks to Leslie Town for taking the fabulous pics and for
her lovely prize donations! Thanks to Donna MacFarlane for all your amazing help
throughout the day and the night before... she is a wonder-woman. Thanks to Donna
MacRae for bringing the beautiful ribbons - we went for the big, fancy ones this
year... I think folks were happy about that. Thanks to Diane Vollick for whisking away
the ton-o-garbage. :)
Thanks to all the prize donors and helpers and good souls. Thanks to J.W. Langley for
his generous donation towards trophies. many, many thanks to all. We survived. For
class results, see the ECPFHA website soon.
Thanks to everyone who participated and hope to see you again next year!
(picture right by John Whaley: Donna MacFarlane on Castanuela and Camilla
Willings on Mercenario)

New Challenge: Doing a Steeplechase on a Paso Fino!
Well, I have always been a big promoter of the Do-Anything Paso Fino and been fond of saying things like, "Paso Finos can do anything you ask/teach them to do - their only limitations are us people", and so forth. However, last weekend, I had to put my hiney where my mouth was and even I was astonished at what these awesome creatures can do!
For a couple years I have been taking my Paso Fino to nearby hunter pace rides (basically a couple hour trail ride at a cort-largo pace through lovely countryside with a few optional jumps in groups of 4 or so trying to match an arbitrary unknown time). This past weekend I signed up for one that was waaaay beyond that.
I went with another paso (my friend, Donna MacFarlane, on my mare, Pianola) and I took my usual mount, Mercenario. We met up with 2 other friends (Jeannie Harris and her sister Janet) and their Paso Finos. The day started with a hunter pace, but this time it had a whopping 28 jumps in the course of up to 3 feet high and often several feet wide. The jumps were optional, so off we set. I love to jump my horse (even though we have placed 3 times at Nationals in CLASSIC FINO, he loves a gallop and to hop over jumps we find in the woods - he is the best trail horse I could ever imagine having), but I'd not ever tried jumps this big (3 feet does not sound high - but I discovered it was and they were solid!) with him. In the hunter pace we took about 1/2 the jumps at the usual leisurely pace and he was doing really well and I was having a blast and was sorry when it was over.
Next on the agenda was a "Mock Hunt". I signed up for this along, with Donna on Pia, but we lost our other 2 Pasos (sensible ladies they be) at this stage of the game. This is a short dragged scent ride with the huntmasters and all the gang headed out at a canter/gallop with the dogs. Once again we went over several jumps and it was a blast to be riding amongst all these huge horses thundering along. Once again I was sorry it was over.
Next on the agenda was an open steeplechase. Not really sure what this would involve I signed up myself and Donna again and we lined up at the start. At the start gate I find out this is a field of 10 or so horses starting out all together on an oval grass track in front of a big hill of spectators. We are told that we will do 3 laps of the course (each lap having about 8 substantial jumps!), and much to Donna's horror, jumps were no longer optional and this was a speed event (read flat out galloping!). Well here goes nothing I thought... I figured I'd just go around anything too scary and get disqualified if necessary. WOW... was that ever a huge adrenaline rush!! A flat out race with thoroughbreds and Heavy hunters over these huge (to us) jumps with a big crowd cheering us all on! We did all the jumps (3 times!) and Mercy was having a ball. I was just exhilarated to be living my "national velvet" dream - ha-ha... and on my little Fino pony no less! At one point we had a riderless thoroughbred running along beside us - yikes! I did not find out until later that Donna had pulled up at about the 3rd jump - a wise woman to be sure. Mercy and I ended up 5th... and alive!

The day was not over as the last event was a Pairs race over the initial Hunter Pace course (28 jumps and winding through forests). Jumps were optional again so I figured what the heck. As it turned out I discovered going around a jump in narrow woods at a canter-gallop was scarier than going over them so we did most of these jumps again. We were led by our new-found friend on her big cross-country jumping experienced Morgan gelding.
What an absolutely amazing experience this was. It was definitely the proudest I've ever been of my wonderful little horse (and I am often very proud of him - so this was a biggie ).
I will definitely do it again some time (this time with boots and wraps for my horse - we got lucky and he jumped very cleanly).
They definitely are capable of amazing feats.
After the last event a lady on a big pinto came trotting across the field calling to me. She said, "wow, that little guy is amazing!! I did not know they could do that!", I said I didn't really know either, and was going to tell her how amazed I was with my little horse myself and how he always does everything I've ever asked so bravely and willingly... but I got too choked up. Silly girl I am... I do love my Paso - and that was my kinda brio for sure!
Lots of people asked what kind of horse he was and many compliments and many "I didn't know they could even canter and/or jump". I hope to track down the photographer to get better action shots over jumps.

Fall Fair Season
Well, around here one of the most exciting times of the year is Fall Fair season.
That means taking the kids to the fair and watching them go on every ride at
least once, eating fluff (what they call cotton candy), seeing how many stuffed
animals Rob can win and, of course, riding in the local parade. Arthur Fall Fair
has a parade that runs through town to kick off their Fall Fair and this year's
theme was "Country Wedding". Leslie rode her Paso gelding, Teodosio and she
dressed as our bride. Victoria rode her Paso mare, Querica, and she was our
hot fuschia bridesmaid. I rode Mercenario and went as the groom. We all had a
great time and can't wait for the next parade. Really there is no more exciting
girlie activity then dolling up your horse and riding it through town.
(Unfortunately you can't see all the lovely flower bouquets we had braided
into their manes and tails).
Leslie and Teo and Mercy and I all participated in the Hunter Jumper Show at the Fall Fair as well. It was Leslie and Teo's first show and they did great! Mercy did me proud again and went in his first jumping classes, low and high division and speed class. He was brilliant (truly no help from me - it was all I could do to remember the courses), winning Reserve Champion in the Jumper division and Champion in the Games Division where he tore up the courses and earned the Paso Fino horse many new admirers.