Owned By: Panadero was gifted to Margit Deerman Christmas 2016 by Lisa Alley-Zarkades

Trainer/DVM Name: Margit Deerman, a 4-Star Senior Parelli Professional

Breed/Discipline: P.R.E. Pura Raza Espanola – The Pure Spanish Horse

Date of Birth: May 14, 2002

Location: Valley Center, California

Website: www.mypanadero.com

History, Career Highlights, and Future Goals

Panadero, a Pure Spanish Horse from some of the best Spanish studbook bloodlines, is honored to be a Spokes Horse and an Ambassador for Omega Fields’® nutrient dense supplement, Omega Horseshine® COMPLETE.

Panadero has been on Omega Fields products since he arrived from Spain. Tari, my Palomino mare, has been on the product for many years and her coat is so shiny and healthy. I really like how I didn’t have to feed my horses psyillium anymore to prevent sand colic. Panadero loves the taste of Omega Fields products. We use the Omega Nibblers® treats as part of his training at Liberty. His coat, mane and hooves are so healthy. He even shines when he is dusty and dirty from rolling. Julie Krone, a member of Panadero’s fan club said, “We all have to wear sunglasses around these horses because they’re so shiny.” The Omega Fields stabilized ground flax based products are very high quality and are very affordable. I’ll always use Omega Fields’ products!

The Pure Spanish Horse or P.R.E. (which stands for Pura Raza Española in Spanish) is a rare breed, and not often seen in the United States. In fact, only about 5,000 exist in the United States. Also sometimes referred to Andalusian in the United States, it’s one of the oldest breeds of horses in the world today.

Panadero, whose formal or registered Spanish name is Panadero XLVI, comes from a bull-fighting bloodline, which gives this stallion a very strong intellect and makes him very curious and engaging— important traits if he’s going to be used for working with fighting bulls on horseback. In addition, he’s passed the rigorous tests for reproduction, and is currently approved for basic breeding.

“This is a huge step because if you don’t get basic breeding approval, then you cannot breed this horse and pass on his bloodline,” said Lisa Alley-Zarkades, who, along with Gene Alley, Tricia Alley-Zines and Wendy Bathgate, own Panadero. “It’s the way breeders control the quality of the breed and therefore assures all P.R.E. horses are exceptional animals.”

Update by Margit Deerman, March 2017

My journey with this horse since 2009 has been a great learning experience.  After he got through level 4 in the Parelli Program Lisa and I decided to see how he would do in Dressage.  We were amazed.  Not only was I learning dressage but training him as well.  We won All Around San Diego Open Dressage Champion three years in a row.  In 2015, we got our Bronze Medal.  A huge accomplishment for both of us.  2017 we are getting ready to show in Open 4th Level division.  I believe that giving him variety is the key for him.  He can go one day and rope cattle at a branding and the next day show in dressage and the next day ride bridleless on the beach.  He is so willing and such a great partner.  I am forever grateful of this precious gift. 

Why do you use Omega Fields products?

Panadero has been on Omega Horseshine since he arrived from Spain. We also use the Omega Nibblers treats for training purposes. Since using Omega Fields® products, his coat is very shiny (even for a grey horse!), his hooves are very strong and healthy, and his mane is long.

Panadero XLVI has been a loyal Omega Horseshine® COMPLETE (previously Omega Grande®) Ambassador for many years now. His photographic beauty in films and pictures have shown off his amazing shimmering silver shine. He gets many compliments regularly on his beautiful shine as his coat color evolves each year. Panadero’s long time trainer and partner is Margit Deerman 4 Star Senior Parelli Professional. She has taken Panadero to Level 4 in the Parelli Program. And he has been a guest at the Parelli Pagosa Springs Ranch several times. Linda Parelli has ridden him while at her ranch. She has always been very complimentary of his behavior, temperament and beauty. Omega Grande Complete and Parelli natural horsemanship have been our winning combination.

I am always getting complements on his shine.  Even when he is not bathed his coat is healthy and shiny.

Panadero’s Voyage from Spain to the United States

Lisa’s mother’s first cousin, Diana, married Jesus Osuna Diaz, who came from the Cardenas Osuna family—a prominent family in Écija, Spain. This city in the southern region of Spain is known for being a prime area not just for agriculture but also for horse breeding. Knowing Lisa loved horses, Diana told her about the Pure Spanish Horse breed and invited her to see their horses. Lisa then researched the family on the Internet. She learned that the Cardenas Osuna families were very famous breeders and that the Pure Spanish Horse was a very unique breed. One family member in particular, Miguel Cardenas Osuna, had success in selling to the Hollywood set such as Bo Derek, Michael Douglas and Keanu Reeves. Lisa immediately agreed that she wanted to see this breed of horse.

In February 2005, Lisa visited Spain for a week with some friends. They were escorted to the private Yeguada de Miguel Cardenas, a farm where Pure Spanish Horses are bred. This was the first time Lisa had seen a Pure Spanish Horse up close and personal.

“It was the most beautiful horse I had ever seen,” said Lisa.

That fall, Lisa received the famous auction flier from Cardenas for a live auction at SICAB (the Spanish National Horse show for the P.R.E.). She logged onto the website and watched young P.R.E.s being paraded around by men in traditional costume while Spanish guitar music was played. Seeing the starting auction price, Lisa thought perhaps she could afford one.

In February 2006, Lisa made a return visit to Spain to see if she could purchase a very young stallion from Miguel, Jesus’ uncle. When she arrived, she learned Miguel was having open heart surgery that day. The manager of his farm said she couldn’t see his horses. However, Miguel’s brother Pedro (Jesus’ other uncle), who was also a famous Pure Spanish Horses breeder, agreed to show Lisa his three finest stallions for sale. So Diana and Jesus took Lisa to visit Yeguada Pedro de Cardenas who had purebred horses with the bull fighting bloodlines.

“I immediately became worried, thinking I wouldn’t be able to afford any of the finest stallions,” Lisa said.

She spent an entire day at this farm where she was shown each of the stallions’ walks, trots, how they rode, and each of their special characteristics. At the end of the day Lisa learned the family was expecting an answer on whether or not she wanted to buy one of the horses. She had fallen in love with one of the stallion. His name was Panadero.

Panadero was born May 14, 2002. His sire was Jaguar V, Champion of Champions at SICAB and a gold medal winner for his age class at SICAB. His grandfather was Leviton, one of the most famous P.R.E.s in the history of Spain. His grandmother was Taifa, also a Champion and a gold medal winner of Spain. She was by Vasallo II, again one of the most prized P.R.E. sires in the history of the breed, having set a record point score at SICAB. Lisa asked Pedro if they had ever sold a P.R.E. to a Californian. He said they had sold one to a man named Ronald Reagan for his famous ranch in California.

Lisa put a non-refundable deposit down on Panadero and asked the owner to hold the horse for six months while she made arrangements for the additional funds and for shipping him to the United States, as well as where he would live and who would train him.

In September 2006, Lisa made her third trip to Spain, again accompanied by friends and potential co-owners. After riding him and spending half a day with Panadero, they all decided it was the horse they wanted. “He had a very kind spirit about him, and I felt like this was a horse I could connect with and that maybe I could handle,” said Lisa. “I’ve never owned a stallion before.”

Upon returning home, Lisa worked on the tedious importing process. Panadero arrived at the Los Angeles Airport that November. “I was really impressed with how good he was coming out of the barn at LAX,” said Lisa, who added the breed is famous for having a very gentle disposition.

Shelly Martin, who had been Panadero’s trainer, was there helping Lisa. Shelly, a previous National Cutting Horse Association World Champion trainer, had been working with Carolyn Resnick learning her method of liberty training. Within a month of working with Panadero, Shelly realized that a lot could be gained for both she and this young stallion by working more closely with Carolyn.

Before long Panadero was living at Carolyn’s ranch in Escondido , Calif., where both he and Shelly were immersed in her liberty work known as “Beyond a Whisper,” a method where the horse is not restrained in any way. This method does not use any tack, bridle or saddle—and many times not even a halter. Carolyn’s even written a book titled, “Naked Liberty,” which is about her life with wild horses and what she’s learned from observing herd behavior.

“Panadero’s particularly skilled at learning new things because he’s so inquisitive. He just loves doing it,” said Lisa. “When people see him doing this liberty work they are just moved by his and Shelly’s performance. They sometimes cry because they’ve just never seen anything like this and didn’t know such a connection existed between human and horse.”

Continues Lisa, “The joy of owning him and seeing the joy he brings to other people is more than I imagined. He does require a lot of work and dedication, but the network of people who want to be a part of his life has been really rewarding. I don’t know what’s in store for me in the future, but I’m really open to whatever comes my way. It’s the journey that I’m really enjoying.”

Interestingly, and somewhat prophetically, Carolyn commented that she felt Panadero was special and that he was going to be famous. Carolyn did some filming of her work with him during his stay. That filming is now part of Carolyn’s DVD collection. Also, some of the filming is included in the documentary film, “The Path of the Horse,” by Stormy May (which has won film festivals awards). Shelly took over his main training in November 2007. She has since done a number of exhibitions with him.

In January 2009, it was announced that Panadero’s mesmerizing beauty was selected as one of five horses to be pictured on the Spanish Horse Visa Affinity credit card, created by The Foundation for the Pure Spanish Horse, a not-for-profit organization that develops, perpetuates and fosters an appreciation and understanding of the Pure Spanish Horse. Not surprisingly, the card featuring Panadero’s image is the most requested.

With his photo on a credit card and on Omega Fields’ Omega Horseshine COMPLETE bag, as well as being chosen as an ambassador for the Omega Horseshine COMPLETE product, being a star in a documentary, and having his own fan club and website, he’s already well on his way. Perhaps a Hollywood contract is next?

UPDATE: Panadero was gifted to Margit Deerman Christmas 2016 by Lisa Alley-Zarkades. 

“Just thought I would share photos (above) of Panadero XLVI recently. No, his coat is not wet and people at the shows are consistently asking me what product I have on him to make his coat so shiny. I tell them about Omega Horseshine COMPLETE, which he has been on since it came out and his picture is on the bag! I highly recommend this product.” 
– Margit Deerman 4*
* Parelli Professional