An “Unparalleled Family” of Equestrian Excellence

An “Unparalleled Family” of Equestrian Excellence

March 19, 2022

“As a relative newcomer to the horse world, I can say without hesitation that my Cavallo family has been instrumental in making me the rider I am today.”

Ian McFarlin

Cavallo Farms touches the lives of both students and their horse companions. The leadership style of owners Amy Center, and Janet Cawley creates an environment to not only make riders feel safe, and welcome, but to cultivate excellence in each individual. Cavallo Farms alumni Ian McFarlin is continuously inspired by the passion of his peers and teachers and chose to recount that in an essay encompassing his journey from novice to Southern Hunter Jumper Association’s Rider of the Year and beyond.

See Ian’s essay on his journey training with Cavallo Farms after this short bio…

Ian McFarlin is a seventeen-year-old senior at Saint John Paul II Catholic High School in Tallahassee, Florida. He began riding just five short years ago and since that time Ian has been named the recipient of the USHJA National Youth Leadership Award, the USHJA’s USEF Youth Sportsman’s Award, the IEA National Youth Sportsmanship Award, the EQUUS Foundation Champion of Equine Service Academic Alliance Scholarship Award, the Southern Hunter Jumper Association’s Rider of the Year/Lawson Mayfield Sportsmanship Award, the SHJA Carol Windham Scholarship Award and the CPI Florida Horsemanship Scholarship and Sportsmanship Awards. He is a two-time SHJA Medal Finals Champion and the 2021 High Point Equitation Rider/Foxcharger Memorial Equitation Cup winner for that organization. Ian was also named High Point Equitation Rider & High Point Jumper for the 2021 Cavallo Farms Circuit and was recognized recently as a 2021 NSBA Youth of the Year National Finalist.  Ian currently serves on the USHJA National Youth Board, is a three-time USHJA Horsemanship Quiz Challenge National Finalist, has been selected twice to attend the prestigious USHJA Emerging Athletes Program and holds multiple USEF Varsity Letters in Equestrian Sport. Ian is co-captain of the Tallahassee Riding Academy IEA team, one of two IEA teams that currently train at Cavallo Farms. When he isn’t on a horse, Ian serves as student body president at his high school as well as captain of his school’s aerospace engineering, Brain Bowl, and Model UN competition teams and he volunteers his time at Hands and Hearts for Horses in Thomasville, Ga and AVS Equine Hospital in Tallahassee. Ian is currently competing his mount, Lachlan, in the ASPCA Maclay and USEF Medal classes, as well as in the jumper ring. 

Image Provided by @shellywilliamsphotography