2 Burke County Paso Fino farms heading to the national show
Penny Anne Taylor stands with Aladino de LM at Peacock Farm Paso Finos on N.C. 18 in Morganton.
Standing (from left) are Ashley Evans Williams, Savannah Williams, Mickey Evans, and Debbie Evans. On the horse is trainer Shaw Laney. Oak Ridge Farm is in Connelly Springs.
Salomon de Las Camelias from Peacock Farm Paso Finos in Morganton will compete for a third straight Grand National Championship at the Tryon International Equestrian Center, Sept. 15-19. The show is free and open to the public.
Two Paso Fino horse farms in Burke County have qualified their horses for the 54th annual Paso Fino Grand National Horse Show, which will be held in Tryon Sept. 15-19.
Oak Ridge Farm in Connelly Springs and Peacock Farm Paso Finos in Morganton will compete against other farms from throughout the U.S., including Puerto Rico. This marks the first time in more than 20 years that the GNS will be held in North Carolina. The show is free and open to the public.
In case you’ve never heard of a Paso Fino horse, or have never seen one, here’s a little information to introduce you to this very unique and rare breed. The Paso Fino is of Spanish heritage, with the name translating to “fine step” due to the incredibly smooth gait they are born with and naturally exhibit.
The Paso Fino is a small breed of horse that is extremely hardy and biddable, meaning the horses form attachments to their human counterparts and will go to great lengths to work for them. The smooth gait that the Paso Fino is known for is discussed in three speeds: fino, corto, and largo. The fino gait has the most rapid footfall, but slowest forward movement. The corto is relaxed and has moderate forward motion. The largo gait has an elongated stride and fast forward movement. But a Paso Fino can also do the “normal” gaits that any other horse can do, including walk, trot, lope, and canter.
While the Paso Fino gait is completely natural, it is refined through training, so one of the methods used at horse shows to hear the evenness during classes is through a board placed in the arena that is called the “sounding board.”
At the end of a class, each horse traverses this wooden strip, and the judges listen for the perfect cadence. Some people call them the “dancing horse” because of this very athletic ability. In Paso Fino Horse Association/United States Equestrian Federation-sponsored shows, Paso Finos compete in three main divisions to showcase their gait: Classic Fino Division, Performance Division, and Pleasure Division. The Paso Fino is so versatile that the shows also include Western Pleasure, Trail, Versatility (jumping), Bella Forma (Halter), Country Pleasure, Horsemanship, Equitation, Costume, and Pleasure Driving. Paso Finos show at numerous regional shows throughout the year to secure points to qualify for the Grand National Show each September.
PEACOCK FARM PASO FINOS
Peacock Farm Paso Finos, or PF2, is owned by Michael and Penny Anne Taylor. It is on N.C. 18 beside Walter Johnson Middle School. They have four horses qualified to compete in the Bella Forma, Performance, and Pleasure divisions, as well as the Super Horse Challenge for $10,000, which includes a timed obstacle course and agility classes. They use trainers Bill and Candy Hurd of Ducktown Farms, who ride in the professional classes. Penny Anne rides in the amateur classes.
PF2 has been at this Morganton location since 2020, having moved from Boone after a major decade-long restoration of the family farm that was originally constructed in 1889 by Penny Anne’s great-great-grandfather, William Washington James.
Many of you may have watched as the old house came together again after 25 years of decline — especially if you went to school at Walter Johnson Middle School and rode by on the buses every day. Or maybe you didn’t see much of the house but marveled from the highway as the magnificent white barn with the red roof came into view. Either way, the Taylors say they’ve appreciated all the encouragement from the community as the farm slowly turned around from sagging to glorious again. They would appreciate your continued support this year at the nationals, too. Come by the stalls and say hello to Salomon, Tremendo, Carolina, and Cotton — The Super Horse. And cheer Salomon on to a third straight Grand National Championship.
OAK RIDGE FARM
For more than four decades, Oak Ridge Farm has been a place where family, horses, and a passion for the Paso Fino breed come together.
Owned by Mickey and Debbie Evans, Oak Ridge Farm was established in the early 1980s and has since been home to numerous National and Grand National champion horses. Today, the Evans family continues that tradition with two accomplished mares, Candelita de JM and Sophia Americana.
The mares are shown by Mickey and Debbie’s granddaughter, Savannah Williams, along with their trainer, Shaw Laney. Both horses have qualified for the National Championships in the Pleasure and Performance divisions.
Sophia Americana, the Evans family’s most recent home-bred filly, has already earned an impressive three National Championships in the Pleasure Division. Candelita de JM is a five-time National Champion and a Grand National Champion in the Performance Division.
The Evans family has been involved in showing Paso Fino horses for more than 40 years, and their dedication to the breed remains as strong as ever.
Their love of horses also extends beyond the show ring. The Evans family has deep roots in the rodeo world through their sons, Kris and Kyle Evans. Both have been involved in various aspects of rodeo, including bull riding and roping.
Kris, a former roping horse trainer, suffered a traumatic brain injury in a roping accident in 2005. Mickey and Debbie cared for him full time until his passing in 2016. Today, the family honors Kris’ passion for horses by continuing to raise and show Paso Finos alongside their daughter, Ashley, and granddaughter, Savannah.
Kyle has continued his own rodeo journey and is now a full-time rodeo announcer, traveling throughout the East Coast while pursuing his passion for the sport.
For the Evans family, horses have been much more than a hobby. They have been a source of faith, family tradition, perseverance, and cherished memories spanning generations. Through Oak Ridge Farm and their continued involvement with Paso Fino horses and rodeo, the family’s love for horses lives on.
Tryon International Equestrian Center is 45 minutes from Morganton, in Mill Spring, on U.S. 74. It has eight restaurants and on-site lodging. The family-focused campus has many options for entertainment and live music. If some members of your family aren’t horse enthusiasts, including simulated driving and gaming.
For more information about the Grand National Show or the Paso Fino horse, go to pfha.org/gns. For information about events happening at Tryon, go to tryon.com.
