Farm marks milestone with horse showcase

BENTON, Mo. — This Saturday, El Tomaria Farm Inc. of Benton celebrates its 40th anniversary with an open house to showcase its Paso Fino horses, a Spanish breed of gaited horse the farm has bred and trained since 1968.

The open house, beginning at 1 p.m., includes presentation of the farm's 2008 National Champions, a stallion exhibition, live music, children's games on horseback and an introduction to Tom and Mary Uelsmann, the farm's founders and recent Paso Fino Horse Association Hall of Fame inductees.

Door prizes include free breeding to El Tomaria's Grand Champion stallion Veneno de la Clara, a Breyer Model horse and complimentary riding lessons.

Managers and owners Christian and Beth Uelsmann Figueroa recently took a handful of horses and six riders to the Paso Fino Grand National Championship in Perry, Ga., returning with a handful of honors.

Ali Bedell, 9, of Sikeston, Mo., won high point youth of the year honors and Olivia Chittenden, 17, of Sikeston won reserve national championship honors.

Two other young riders, Rhett Simmons, 10, of Scott City and Claire Dolan, 18, winner by unanimous decision, also competed.

In addition, Brad Bedell of Sikeston and Norman Timbs competed for El Tomaria in the amateur owner division.

Along with breeding, training and selling of the farm's more than 70 horses, Beth Uelsmann Figueroa also teaches equine science classes for Southeast Missouri State University.

She's taught the classes, part of the school's extended and continuing education offerings, for the past 10 years. This time around, the course had the highest enrollment ever with 28 students, she said.

Students come to the farm for the classes, which focus on everything from veterinary care to riding lessons.

"They can get the hands-on experience here," she said.

She tries to keep the class sizes limited to 15 students so they can get as much individual attention in the riding ring as possible, she said, so this year she's had to divide the classes into two groups.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

388-3635

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