CAROLINA VARGAS PERAZA
SWEET HOME FARM
I was born in Bogota, Colombia. My family has never had much
contact with horses but they have always loved animals.
I was raised by my mother and grandmother, and I started
riding horses when I was 5 years old.
My love for horses started when my mom moved me to a new
school because we relocated. Next to it was a riding
center, and after spending many months watching the horses
there being trained and riders taking lessons, one day my dream
came true. The instructor asked if I would like to get on and
saddle walk one of his horses, from that moment on I was
hooked. My horse passion grew larger and larger.
At 15-16 years old I was working as an assistant for a GP rider
and as soon as I graduated from high school I accepted an offer
to go work on a farm located in Venezuela, where I trained and
showed jumper and dressage horses for competition.
After slightly more than a year, my dreams grew even larger and
North America was in my future plans.
After a few calls, I was accepted to come to Florida to work.
My larger concern was the language barrier but I knew
horses spoke a language that I could understand very well.
After spending close to a month in Ocala, I met a Canadian
Grand Prix rider and without knowing anything about
him, I asked for a job. Next thing I knew, we were at Spruce
Meadows, The Royal Horse Show and every prestigious horse
show in Canada.
Winter approached and we moved back to Florida but my
dreams still grew even larger. So at the end of that winter I
started working in Wellington with two American GP riders,
they taught me a lot and we traveled to many shows in the
northeast until I got the idea to get my own place.
With the help of these two Gp riders, "Sweet Home Farm"
found a beginning as a training center for dressage horses
based in Wellington, FL until 2007. After that "SHF" kept it's
name but I started opening other doors which caused me
to travel a lot with a trainer from NJ, a very fine lady who I
helped for quite a while.
State College, Pa became home and SHF base from 2009
until the beginning of 2013 when I had to make a decision to
move south because of my health. I was sad to leave State
College, but happy to relocated to Ocala, Fl which is a
beautiful horse town.
Located minutes from HITS Horse Show in Ocala, our home
is full of lovely horses, dogs, and cats.
My Past:
* 1985-1991 : OLYMPIC JUMPER BARN
Rider/Showing.
DRESSAGE / JUMPING.
(COLOMBIA)
* 1991-1994 : LOMITA STABLES
Rider-Trainer.
SHOWING/INSTRUCTOR.
(COLOMBIA)
* 1995-1996 : OLYMPIC DRESSAGE FARM
Rider/TRainer/Manager
DRESSAGE
(COLOMBIA)
* 1997-1999 : SUASUQUE STABLES
Rider/Trainer
(COLOMBIA)
* 2000-2001 : LA ALEGRIA EQUESTRIAM CENTER
Rider /Trainer/Showing
Dressage/ jumpers
(VENEZUELA)
*2001-2004 : KINGRIGDE STABLES
Flat rider for Show jumper horses
.(USA/CANADA)
*2005-2020 : SWEET HOME FARM
Owner/Manager
SPORT EQUINE BOARDING
Vacation ~Rehabilitation~ Retirement~Mare & foal care
(USA )
* 2011-2012/2020 FURFASON & ASSOCIATEDS.
Vet assistant.
(USA)
*2019: HEATHMAN FARM
Barn Manager
(USA)
HIGHLIGHTS:
* FEI COURSE ~ CLINIC WITH MR. LEOPOLDO PALACIOS
(OLYMPIC COURSE DESIGNER)
* COURSE DESIGN ~JUMPER JUGDE DEGREE FEC (FEDERACION
EQUESTRE DE COLOMBIA)
* ECUADOR TEAM MEMBER FOR 2015 PANAMERICAN GAMES & 2018 WEG.