Perry, Ga. – After a year of competition, hard work, and dedication to the Paso Fino horse, competitors gave it their all at the Paso Fino Horse Association (PFHA) Grand National Championship Show. “The championship, held at the Georgia National Showgrounds in Perry, Ga., from September 17-22, provided six days of fierce competition. As one of the country’s most prestigious Paso Fino shows, exhibitors and spectators alike look forward to attending this competition every year for a chance to see the best of the best Paso Finos showcased.
Carmen Cepero (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.), Helen Frost (North Las Vegas, Nev.), Diego Gonzalez (Puerto Rico), Angela Ochoa (Bogota, Colombia), Sofia Passariello (Summerfield, Fla.), and Jorge Torres (Bogota, Colombia) served as judges as professional, amateur, and youth riders vied for the title of champion. The Grand National welcomed nearly 1,100 total entries across 200 classes. Most classes fell under the categories of pleasure, performance, and classic fino. Other class divisions included trail, versatility, Western and country pleasure, horsemanship, equitation, trocha, trote y galope, and trocha y galope. Learn more about the Paso Fino gaits.
Beyond the competition, the Grand National also included the Stallion Service Auction (SSA) featuring Misterioso de Toto, McLeod Equestrian, LLC’s eight-year-old champion pleasure and performance stallion. This program is driven by the generous donations of PFHA members for breeding services to their stallions. The resulting fees paid by the buyers become the purse to be paid at the Breeder’s Sweepstakes classes that take place yearly during the Grand National Show. Two Breeder’s Sweepstakes classes are offered each year, one for yearling fillies and the second one for yearling colts and geldings. Only offspring of SSA participating stallions that received bids through the SSA are eligible to participate in the Breeder’s Sweepstakes.
The Paso Fino Horse Association is a recognized affiliate of US Equestrian. Keep up with the Grand National on Facebook and follow PFHA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Find out more about the Paso Fino horse and all of US Equestrian’s 29 recognized breeds and disciplines in this Learning Center video. Join the conversation and follow US Equestrian on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Use #JoinTheJoy.
Photo by Larry Williams Photography