The handsome young man and his high-stepping horse danced gracefully around the lovely señorita as she swirled her skirt and spun to the rhythms of the Marinera, the national dance of Peru. The steed bowed deeply before the flirtatious young woman, while his rider (called a chalán) tipped his sombrero and accepted the handkerchief she offered.
The dancing couple, chalán José Mariano Dongo Alcántara and Olenka Saavedra Sorogastúa, performed this traditional dance for an excited audience of tourists and local school children at Casa Sipan, a ranch and restaurant located about 20 minutes from Chiclayo, Peru. The third member of the party, the chalán’s elegant dancing horse, belonged to a distinguished breed known as Caballo de Paso or the Peruvian Paso.
The Peruvian Paso (paso means step) possesses a unique four-step lateral gate, which allows for great endurance and an especially smooth ride. Carefully bred for generations, the Paso has become a cultural treasure in Peru. Descended from horses Spaniards brought in their conquest of Peru in the 16th century, the Peruvian Paso traces its heritage to the grace of the Andalusian horse, the stamina of the North African Berber horse, and the smooth ambling gate of the Spanish Jennet. In northern Peru, plantation overseers especially prized the Paso because the vast size of sugar and cotton plantations meant travelling long distances over rough terrain.
José Dongo Ávalo, proprietor of Casa Sipan, told the crowd something of the horse’s training. Soon after birth, foals can be seen ambling after their mothers in that peculiar four-step gate. Training with a chalán does not begin in earnest until the horse reaches physical maturity at three years of age. The goal for many chaláns, including the younger Dongo, is to compete in national competitions organized by the Association of Breeders and Owners of Peruvian Paso Horses. The largest of these, the National Paso Horse Festival, takes place at the Mamacona stables in Lima near the sacred pre-Inca site Pachacamac. The festival attracts an international crowd of breeders and riders eager to see these exquisite horses.
While training prepares a horse for championship competitions or for the rigors of plantation life, many a chalán teaches his equine partner the joyful steps of the Marinera. Moving as one, horse and rider leave the day’s worries behind and court the pretty girls of the Peruvian lowlands.
Another Peruvian cultural treasure, composer/singer Isabel Chabuca Granda recorded “José Antonio,” a beautiful song that tells the story of a chalán and his pretty horse.
So graceful! I love how the horse, rider and woman became one swirling together.
thanks for sharing….its beautiful
The horse is gorgeous.