Rare horse breed up for state title

Arroyo may not have the size of a quarter horse, the speed of a thoroughbred or the elegance of an Arabian. But this colonial Spanish horse can eat nearly any native grass, has hooves so firm they don't require shoes and is renowned for its stamina. In the late 1600s, Arroyo's ancestors carried Father Eusebio Kino from Mexico into present-day Arizona, where he credited the breed for helping him establish missions. As cattle ranchers sought bigger and stronger horses in the 300-plus years since, they cross-bred the colonial Spanish horse into many of today's most popular pedigrees. It's nearly vanished in its native Spain and is a novelty breed kept alive by people such as Marjorie Dixon, Arroyo's owner. "My husband looked at me and said, 'Marjorie, these horses should be the Arizona state horse. You should really get on that,' " Dixon said with a laugh. That could happen this year, as a bill inspired by Dixon and other members of Arizona's Colonial Spanish Horse Project is moving through the state Legislature. House Bill 2634, sponsored by Rep. Patricia Fleming, D-Sierra Vista, is awaiting a vote by the full House that would send it to the Senate...read more