The horse has always been a part of Benjamin León’s life. As a young man, León found that if he made good grades, his parents allowed him to live the life of a cowboy, spending time in the summer working on the family’s beef and dairy farm. It was there that Leon first developed a particular fondness for the Paso Fino with its comfortable ride and versatility.

León came to the United States in when he was 16 years old. “I’ve lived most of my life here,” he says proudly. “I met my wife here. My kids were all born here, and this is my country.”

León has truly lived the American dream. After a sequence of jobs, León attained considerable success in the medical business and his love of horses had not diminished. In 1981, he purchased his first Paso Fino and then “got seriously into horses.” Some of León’s fondest memories are of traveling with his young family on the horse show circuit. When shipping the horses to competitions, León would drive one rig, and his trainer drove the other.
León still has Paso Finos and describes his broodmare band of 10 as “boutique-type,” and he still prefers the comfort of the Pasos for riding.