The Second National Marinera Horse and Step Dance Contest was recently held in Peru with the participation of several paso horse associations and marinera dancers.

NTD News reported on this important event which brings together two parts of Peruvian culture, the paso horse and the marinera dance, along with some of the country’s finest riders.

“I think that the beautiful thing about the Peruvian paso horse is that it identifies us as a nation, as a country. And in itself, the step is unique in the world, and that’s what I like,” said paso horse rider Michelle Rizo-Patron.

Carlos Penny, a Peruvian citizen attending the event, said the show was really beautiful with “people from around sharing that beautiful moment that means the national marinera dance.”

The marinera is a kind of courtship dance where a couple makes graceful movements with scarves, in a dance of joy and rhythm. It can be done on horseback, on foot or both.