|
 The
Paso Fino breed can now boast of the title of National Champion
Equestrian Drill Team. Already under our cum-merbunds were the Region
IV and State of Texas Gaited Division Championships for both 2005 and
2006, but this last show year, FINISIMO, the world’s only all Paso
Fino youth team, achieved national success, as well. The team gleaned
both the Champion and Reserve Champion titles for 2006 United States
Equestrian Drill Competition, Gaited Division.
FINISIMO’s growth has been exponential since our modest
debut of 6 riders and 3 horses. We had to borrow and lease horses to
exhibit at our first show. Counting all our riders, from those who
are beginning their first lessons to those who are FINISIMO team
captains, our census is 37. Counting all our Paso Fino mounts, from
those on loan, to those beginning training, to those who are already
equestrian drill national champion mounts, our census is 27 equine.
Since commencement, practices have been con-sistent and focused.
The young riders of FINISIMO aspire to excellence in their riding
skills, horsemanship, teammanship and showmanship. Frequent practices
and rig-orous drill have demonstrated results that can be measured by
the audience response of chills, cheers, applause and tears, moved
emotionally by the youth giving their all and by the aesthetics of
fine horses, polished riding, music, choreography and costumes, a
complete production.
With precision and control, the team works together to
create an artwork with horses and riders in single file and in pairs,
trios, quads and company fronts. The individual riding skills are
essential but the teamwork makes the dance happen.
 To
pivot on the haunches while maintain-ing a continual straight line
with the other riders requires acute perception of spacing, timing and
pur-pose and the ability to commun-icate and accomplish that with the
horse. Straight lines and round circles of every possible angle and
dimension are required mastery. Timing is key. Spacing and align-ment
are adjusted recurrently to achieve the geometry of the routine. |
The magnitude of the
task is considerable for riders and horses. But the enthusiasm and
fearlessness of youth along with the intelligence and versatility of
the Paso Fino horse have thrust FINISIMO to the peak of the tsunami of
equestrian drill that is now slamming all coasts of the continent as
well as international coasts. FINISIMO also boasts the Reserve
Champion title in Mixed division at the intermediate level, not bad
for a team with less than 3 years of existence. In the Mixed/Open
Division the competition is not just teams with gaited horses but
teams with all types of horses, not just teams with youth riders, but
teams with riders of all ages. Here, the Paso Fino is unique, demon-strating
the qualities of smooth elegance, precision, beauty, and willing
energy against teams that thrill the audience with speed and make the
so-called “suicide charge” appear to be, indeed, suicide. Here,
accuracy is necessary not just for aesthetics but for the safety of
horses and riders.
FINISIMO will focus, this new com-petition sea-son, on goals to
maintain and surpass our current achievements. With more new horses
and new riders, maintaining status quo is itself a lofty goal. Beyond
this, however, the team aspires to compete and win in the gaited
division against more competitors from larger distances, to add the
canter to our repertoire in the mixed/division and to enter the
division of theme. For variety, we plan to have special costumes to
accentuate a theatrical purpose and perform more distinguished drill
choreography which will incorporate the riders’ advancing skills.
FINISIMO has a special appreciation for our major
sponsors, the Paso Fino Horse Association, the PFHA Youth Committee
and LaserWeld, Inc. Much appreciation also to Robin Ratliff, SWPFHA,
Pasos del Robledal, Riverview Farms, and SkyWater Paso Finos for
encouraging FINISIMO youth. Thank you to the Tonetti Family, the
Theut Family and the Hampton Family for entrusting us with your
wonderful Pasos. Thank you to Delores Bostic for the gift of three
Paso Fino mares and Michael Martinez and the Estate of Emilio “Alex”
Martinez for the gift of two Paso Fino horses. We treasure having
you on our team! |
