Upcoming Events
2026 Calendar of Events
- Minnesota Horse Expo | April 24–26, 2026 | Minnesota State Fair Grounds
- Spring Opener Camp & Ride | May 8–10, 2026 | Governor Knowles State * Forest – Trade River Campground, WI
- Earn Sport Horse Points! Competitive Mounted Orienteering Event | May 30-31, 2026 | Zumbro Bottoms West Camp - Thielman, MN
- Open Gaited Versatility Show | August 8, 2026 | West Salem Fairgrounds, WI
- Michael Gascon Clinic | August 8-9, 2026 | Private Facility Appleton, WI | cjwe99@gmail.com
- Foothills Ride | September 10–12, 2026 | Foothills State Forest, Backus, MN
- Fall Ride | October 9–11, 2026 | Running Deer Ranch, Rochester, MN
🌿 Host a Camp & Ride Weekend with MAPFHA
Do you love to camp and ride? Hosting a MAPFHA Camp & Ride Weekend is one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to connect with fellow Paso Fino enthusiasts, without stress or formal requirements.
Getting started is simple. Choose your favorite riding park, campground, or trail system. Pick a date that works for you, then share the details with MAPFHA and we’ll help promote your ride.
These weekends are relaxed and flexible. You can organize a group ride or keep it open so riders choose their own pace and trails. At the end of the day, everyone comes together to enjoy conversation, stories, and time around the campfire.
Some weekends are quiet and peaceful. Others are full of laughter and camaraderie. Both are exactly what these gatherings are meant to be.
If you’re interested in hosting, we’d love to hear from you. Send us your idea, location, and dates and we’ll help spread the word.
🌿🐎 Spring Ride Opener – May 8-10! 🐎🌿
Our Spring Ride Opener at Governor Knowles State Forest – Trade River Horse Camp is almost here, and we are looking forward to a great weekend on the trails.
May 8–10
Join us for a relaxed weekend of riding, good company, and celebrating the start of trail season. Whether you ride a Paso Fino or another breed, all riders are welcome.
Come for the day or make a full weekend of it. We would love to see a great group of riders there.
Enjoy:
- Beautiful forest trails
- Great horses and great company
- Campfire conversations after a full day of riding
Dust off your tack, load up your horse, and come ride with us as we kick off the season together.
We hope to see you there!
Join Us August 8 for a Fun & Inclusive Open Gaited Show!
Open Gaited Versatility Show August 8 | West Salem Fairgrounds, WI
We’re excited to invite you to a fun, welcoming, and truly versatile day with our Open Gaited Versatility Show! This event is designed to bring riders of all backgrounds together and encourage everyone to try something new.
👉 View the show bill, entry form, and class descriptions here: https://www.mapfha.org/events-shows/
Whether you’re new to showing or a seasoned exhibitor, there is something here for you:
Used to games? Try a rail class Prefer rail classes? Step into a trail obstacle class Have a young horse? Our in-hand classes are perfect for exposure Only done rail before? Come have fun with a speed event
This is more than just a show, it’s a chance to build community, support one another, and enjoy the diversity of gaited horses. One of the best parts of the day will be seeing all the different gaits sharing the same classes.
All classes are Open Gaited
We hope you will join us for a relaxed, encouraging environment where trying something new is part of the fun. Bring your horse, invite your friends, and come be part of a great day at West Salem.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Learn more at events@mapfha.org
One Breed. Many Paths. Meet the Paso Finos at the Minnesota Horse Expo
Minnesota Horse Expo April 24–26
- Parade of Breeds 9:00am-11:00am & Noon - 1:00pm Twice a day all three days in the Coliseum!
- Horse Barn Presentation 10:30AM
- Breed Demos 5:30pm Friday & Saturday in the Coliseum
- Find us in Stalls AB10-AB14 right across from the entrance!
Paso Finos are well known for their smooth, natural four-beat gait. What truly sets the breed apart, however, is its remarkable versatility.
From national show competition to youth partnerships, endurance riding, and liberty work, Paso Finos excel across a wide range of disciplines. At this year’s Minnesota Horse Expo, four exceptional horses will help demonstrate just how diverse and capable this breed can be.
El Cardenal de FH A proven national show competitor, Cardenal earned Reserve Champion in the Amateur Pleasure Geldings Championship at the 2021 PFHA Grand National Show, along with multiple first-place wins at major national events.
Fiero Bred in Minnesota at Rainbow Ends Paso Finos, Fiero recently made his debut at the MN State 4-H Horse Show. In a busy and energetic environment, he remained steady and confident. During the Pleasure Type class, his rider Hazel was told she looked like she was floating, a perfect reflection of the Paso Fino ride. At home, he is also a dependable trail partner.
Sundancers Paxon Paxon highlights the athletic side of the breed with his powerful Paso Largo, reaching speeds up to 14 mph while maintaining a smooth gait. He competes in competitive trail rides, endurance, gaited dressage, cattle work, and orienteering, and is the grandson of Hall of Fame Paso Fino Coral LaCE.
Jinx Sin Par (Jinx) Jinx showcases the intelligence and connection of the breed through liberty work. In his first competitive season, he earned multiple International Liberty Horse Association High Point titles, demonstrating both talent and partnership.
Together, these horses represent the Paso Fino as elegant, smooth, athletic, and incredibly versatile.
We invite you to stop by, meet these ambassadors, and experience the Paso Fino for yourself at the Minnesota Horse Expo.
News
Paso Finos will be at Midwest! 🐴✨
April 17, 18 & 19 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin
While MAPFHA wasn’t able to attend this year due to the minimum requirement of six horses for breed association representation, we’re excited to share that Pasos will still be there! We know of at least two, and possibly a third — we’ve heard Paso Fino Mistica, part of the 2026 Heart of the Horse Trainer’s Challenge, may be there as well.
We’re excited for Paso Fino representation:
🌟 Caz (Casadero Sin Par)
🌟 Jinx (Jinx Sin Par)
They will be presenting with the North Central Liberty Horse Club and participating in the Grand March. Don’t miss the chance to see these beautiful, talented horses in action!
Come cheer them on, learn more about the breed, and help us showcase the smooth, versatile, and eye-catching Paso Fino to a wider audience.
A Quiet but Important Moment for PFHA
Tucked near the bottom of the recent PFHA E-Newsletter was a notice that deserves a closer look. It is not dramatic on the surface. It reads like routine governance language. But it carries weight, and it invites reflection.
At the upcoming April 16, 2026 Board of Directors meeting, two constitutional amendments will be considered. The most notable change would raise the threshold required to dissolve the Association from a two-thirds majority to eighty percent of the total voting membership.
On its face, this is being presented exactly as intended. A safeguard. A way to protect the longevity of the Paso Fino Horse Association. It has been reviewed and recommended by legal counsel, which suggests careful thought and foresight behind the proposal.
And yet, even thoughtful safeguards often come from recognizing a vulnerability.
The fact that this amendment is being proposed means something worth acknowledging. Under the current structure, a two-thirds majority could, in theory, dissolve the Association. That is not an insignificant detail. It highlights that the framework governing PFHA is not immune to pressure, whether that pressure is large or small.
This is not a cause for alarm. But it is a moment to pause.
For many, engagement with PFHA has changed over time. Some have stepped back. Some question the value of membership. Others remain deeply committed. Wherever you fall on that spectrum, this notice is a quiet reminder of something fundamental.
PFHA is not just a registry on paper. PFHA exists because its members exist.
Membership is more than access or affiliation. It is participation. It is a voice. It is, quite literally, a vote in the future of the organization and the preservation of the Paso Fino as a recognized and supported breed.
For us in MAPFHA, that perspective becomes even more grounded. Our region currently represents just 22 PFHA members. That is 22 voices in decisions of this scale. Twenty-two votes shaping conversations that affect the entire future of the Association and the breed we care so deeply about.
The proposed amendment aims to make dissolution far more difficult. That is reassuring. It reinforces stability. It ensures that no small or concentrated group could make a decision of that magnitude without overwhelming consensus.
But it also underscores something deeper. The strength of PFHA has always rested in its collective membership. Not just in numbers, but in engagement, belief, and shared responsibility.
This is not a moment to panic. It is a moment to pay attention.
Because the future of the Association, and the continued identity of the Paso Fino within it, is shaped quietly over time. Often in small decisions. Often in participation that may not seem significant in the moment.
And sometimes, in notices placed at the bottom of a newsletter.
Breed Ambassadors
MAPFHA had a Nomination in our Region for the 2026 Hall of Fame Horse!
While PFHA Hall of Fame voting has officially closed, we are incredibly proud that MAPFHA had one of our own nominated for Hall of Fame Horse…
🌟 Casadero Sin Par (“Caz”) 🌟
Caz is the definition of a true Paso Fino ambassador. For over 30 years, he has introduced thousands of people to the breed through horse fairs, expos, performances, educational programs, and community outreach.
From national-level competition to water ski shows and even classroom visits, his versatility and temperament have left a lasting impression on everyone who meets him.
He represents everything we value in the Paso Fino: heart, partnership, versatility, and a lifelong impact on the breed.
📖 Read more about his incredible lifetime of adventures in the PFHA E-Newsletter or reach out if you’d like the full bio!
🏆 We’ll find out the 2026 PFHA Hall of Fame Horse this April!
We are honored to have Caz represent our region so well. 💛
Information
🎥🐎 Share Your Paso Fino Videos at the Expo!
Do you have high-quality videos of your Paso Fino that you’d love to share?
Want to showcase your horse at the Expo but can’t attend in person? This is your chance to still be part of it!
We’ll have a monitor playing Paso Fino videos near our stalls throughout the event, helping us highlight the incredible versatility of the breed to everyone who stops by.
From smooth trail rides and liberty work to show ring moments and everyday partnerships, we want to see it all.
📩 Send your videos and photos to: events@mapfha.org
Help us tell the full story of the Paso Fino and inspire new fans of the breed!
🔔 Ring Steward Needed – Open Gaited Horse Show (West Salem, WI)
MAPFHA is looking for an experienced Ring Steward to support our upcoming Open Gaited Horse Show on August 8, 2026 at the West Salem Fairgrounds.
This is an exciting milestone for our association — our first organized show in over a decade — and we’re building a fun, welcoming event that brings together a variety of gaited breeds and riders of all experience levels.
About the role: The Ring Steward plays a key part in keeping the show running smoothly by assisting the judge, coordinating with the announcer and gate, organizing class flow, and helping exhibitors feel informed and comfortable throughout the day.
What we’re looking for:
- Prior ring steward experience preferred
- Comfortable working with a relaxed, inclusive, multi-breed gaited show environment
- Strong communication and organization skills
- Steward card not required — experience is what matters most
Event highlights:
- One-day, casual and welcoming format
- All classes are open gaited
- Focus on versatility, trail, rail, and community participation
- Supportive environment for both seasoned exhibitors and those trying something new
If you or someone you know may be a great fit, we would love to connect. This is a great opportunity to be part of a growing event and help reestablish gaited showing in our region.
📩 Please reach out to MAPFHA for more details or to express interest.