All the pretty Spanish horses

Ben Godar

Nearly 300 horses of Spanish descent will showcase their long manes

and striking features at today’s annual Fiesta of the Spanish Horse.

John Rowell of Glendale is showing a Paso Fino horse in the Fiesta

this year. He said the precision movement of the breed is what

excites him about the horses, but the camaraderie among the owners is

what keeps him coming back to the event.

“There’s usually a couple hundred people walking around, and it’s

a great way to get together and talk to all of them,” he said of the

event at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.

Among those participating are Burbank residents Nancy Latta and

her daughter, Amanda Latta-Shields, who are showing three

Andalusians. Nancy Latta said the long mane and tails of the Spanish

horses give them a mythical charm that other horse breeds cannot

equal.

“I think every girl at one time or another has dreamed of riding a

white, magical stallion,” she said. “This is a way to follow that

dream.”

The festival’s main event will be tonight’s extravaganza. In

addition to riding exhibitions, horse dancing and jousting, the show

will include Latin and Mariachi bands and dancers.

“It’s like a Broadway show with horses as the performers,” event

producer Joanne Asman said during Thursday’s opening day.

Asman, a Burbank resident, conceived the event and began producing

it five years ago. While the four-day fiesta includes several

competitions, she said the main purpose is to showcase and celebrate

breeds of Spanish descent. It also provides a chance for visitors to

learn the history of how the horses were brought from Europe to South

America, eventually finding their way north into Mexico and

California, she added.

Proceeds from this year’s event will be donated to the USC/Norris

Comprehensive Cancer Center. Last year’s fiesta raised $25,000 for

charity, Asman said.