Shirley Curtis grew up on an lowa farm with three sisters, a brother, and always horses. She grew up loving horses and encouraged that love in her husband. Reading and writing about horses became her outlet as time went by. Shirley has been published in "Horsemans Yankee Pedlar", the last issue of Gaited Horse (with Elvis Presley) and other magazines. The issue of Gaited Horse included pictures of Shirley's first Peruvian of her own, a generous gift by her husband. He was joined by two others. Shirley's family moved to Peru in 2012 and lived there until it was necessary to return to lowa. She met many more Peruvian Paso horses and came to love the people of that fascinating country.