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Obrizo "Obi" was foaled approximately 24 hours before the "Storm of the Century" or "No Name Storm" came ashore near Keaton Beach in the Big Bend  area of Florida and passed over the Live Oak area in North Central  Florida.  At the time of his foaling (4-5 AM on March twelfth) the air  was totally still and dead.  The humidity and air pressure were so heavy it  was difficult to draw a breath.  Dulce probably foaled when she did due to  the high pressure.  The storm was hurricane strength, but because it was  out of season for hurricanes
(June-November) it was never designated as  such.  No one had warning of its coming as this was in the days before  weather satellites and the Weather Channel.  The storm hit the Live  Oak area about 5 AM on the thirteenth of March. A tornado spawned by the  storm traveled its path of destruction just south of the property line of Obi's  home, Hacienda Sinsonte, twenty miles southwest of Live Oak.  It did no  damage to the hacienda, but leveled a neighbor's huge hay barn and uprooted pine  trees on an adjoining tree farm. Obi and his dam were safe in their  stall/paddock as were all the other horses, but it was a harrowing experience to  hear the ferocious wind and to watch the roofs on the barns "breathing" up and  down, up and down as the wind tore across and through them.  The  temperature dropped from the high 60s to the 30s in a matter of hours and snow  flurries were actually visible in the air.  Power was out to the hacienda  for 14 hours.  Many people were without power for two weeks.  Quite an  introduction to the world for the little colt!
 
Fortunately, Obi's life since has been much less dramatic, but exciting  nevertheless.  He is the first born son of Leo de Vez out of a  Cantante de Omega daughter, Cosa Dulce de Remanso.  He spent his early  years at the hacienda.  At age five he was shipped with his sire to Las  Vegas, Nevada where Lindsay had recently transferred.  He was started under  saddle in Florida, but his actual training took place in Las Vegas and the  surrounding wilderness areas.  Lindsay rode him much of his first year  under saddle then Ed took over and really helped Obi to become the wonderful  companion he is today.  Ed rode him all over southern Nevada at elevations  ranging from 2000 feet (Las Vegas Valley) to close to 11,000 feet (on Mt.  Charleston).  He also explored southern Utah.  Obi and Leo team penned  while in Las Vegas and were very good at it.  They were quick and  responsive and very "cow-wise".
Obi was a hit for two years in a row when he participated with Leo and  another  Paso Fino, Centinela la Joya, in drills for an all-breed  demonstration at a local arena.  The mayor of Las Vegas, Oscar  Goodman, got a chance to ride Obi while at a rally for wild horses at Red  Rock Canyon.  Their picture appeared in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.   When Ed's daughters visited from Florida they both rode  Obi.  He is very good at sensing the ability of his riders
and  adjusts himself accordingly.  If a person is a poor, not very confident  rider, he takes care of them by going slowly and calmly.  If a person is  skilled he is an amazingly fun, fast, smooth ride. 
 
Obi returned to Florida in 2001.  Since then he has started a new  career, that of limited distance riding.  He just passed the 1000 mile LD  mark in the AERC (American Endurance Ride Conference). Ed has ridden him in  all but three rides.   Obi has placed in the top ten several  times and when not top ten has almost always been in the top half of those  finishing.  Ed has gotten two first place middleweight awards on  him.  For two years in a row (2004 and 2005) he was Endurance Horse of the  Year in the Paso Fino Horse Association
(PFHA).  He was Reserve in Limited  Distance for the South Eastern Distance Riding Association (SEDRA) for the  2004-2005 year.  He placed fifth in the Southeast Region of AERC in  2005.  All these competitions have been against people riding Arabians, the  horse most often doing distance rides.  He has also competed in and  finished one competitive trail ride.
 
Obi took a much-deserved rest in 2006, but is now back in competition and  we expect him to continue his exemplary career, hopefully for years to  come. He is a noble horse, a gentle horse, a fiery, competitive  horse.  He is proof of the tenacity and toughness of the Paso Fino  breed.