pc: Jess Windhurst Photography
pc: Jess Windhurst Photography
The River Wind Farm Team
Carl Catani
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​Carl is one of the most well respected trainers in New England. A lifelong horseman, he trained early on with Leo Boyle, an old-school trainer who broke all horses to ride, drive, race and jump. After graduating from Utica College, Carl opened River Wind Farm and entered the hunter/jumper scene. Carl’s students have found great success on the “AA” circuit in the hunter, jumper, and equitation rings, and many have gone on to become successful professionals in their own right.
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Carl demands good sportsmanship from his students, a number of whom have been honored with the sportsmanship awards at New England Equitation Championships and MHC Days of Champions. Carl is known for his uncanny ability to evaluate horses, and to match a rider with the right horse. He has sponsored countless working students who have shown themselves to be dedicated and talented kids who otherwise could not afford to ride.
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Carl serves the horse community as an “r” judge and by serving on many committees helping to improve competition on many levels, including the New England Equitation Championship Committee. In 2010, he was honored with the New England Equitation Championship Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2022 was honored as the "Mish Atamian" Person of the Year at MHC Days of Champions.
Spencer Catani
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Spencer Catani has been involved with horses for many years, riding casually as a child, and then competitively as an adult. She has shown in the Amateur Owner Hunters and in the Jumpers with RWF, collecting many ribbons along the way. In 2010, Spencer won the Massachusetts Horsemen's Council Adult Medal final with her longtime partner, Amazing Grace. A few years later, she turned in her amateur card and began teaching at the farm. Spencer specializes in teaching our youngest students and beginner adult riders.
Abigail Greer
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When Abby Greer began riding with Carl Catani at the age of eight, she could hardly have known that she was embarking upon her career; after a successful run in the junior hunters and equitation, Abby graduated from Babson College and returned to RWF as a professional rider and trainer, where she has enjoyed tremendous success in the professional hunter divisions on the "AA" circuit and at the national indoor shows. With over thirty years’ teaching experience, Abby inspires her students to always give their best without ever compromising compassion for the horse. Under Abby’s tutelage, many RWF juniors have qualified for the Maclay, USEF Medal, and USET finals. She has also coached many riders to top ribbons and championships at New England Equitation Championships, MHC Days of Champions, and MHJ finals. Abby enjoys sharing her knowledge with riders of all levels and mentoring young professionals.
Lia Chafee Edmonds
Lia is a lifelong rider who competed as a junior under the tutelage of Linda Langmeier and earned top honors at shows such as WEF, Devon, Lake Placid, Saratoga, and Harrisburg. She was recruited to ride for the Division I NCAA team at Texas A&M where she still holds the record as the winningest hunt seat rider in team history. As a captain of the team, Lia helped guide Texas A&M to four national championships as well as being a two-time individual All-American.
As a professional, Lia has gained a wide range of experience at large show and sales barns. She has successfully brought along young hunter, jumper, and equitation prospects and is adept at matching horses and riders based on ability and compatibility. As part of the River Wind Farm team, she has coached juniors and adults to top ribbons and championships at regional and national finals.
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Kelly Siok
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Kelly is a lifelong rider and fantastic horse person. While enjoying great success in the adult hunter and equitation rings with her partner, Santeur, Kelly has worked as a groom and road manager for River Wind Farm for several years. Her hard work and success in the amateur ranks has led her to a promising career as a professional rider and teacher. Kelly has a natural connection with horses that allows them to flourish under her care and training. In addition to riding, Kelly enjoys teaching up and coming riders.
Grace Gratkowski
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Grace grew up in Easthampton, Massachusetts, where she began her riding career in the eventing world at age seven. Grace competed in the Interscholastic Equestrian Association throughout middle and high school, including a trip to the national finals her freshman year, and was chosen to lead her team as captain in both dressage and hunt seat during her junior and senior years. Grace is passionate about providing top notch care to our horses and helping young horses and riders learn and grow to their full potential.
Deb Barretto
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Deb Barretto learned to ride at River Wind Farm over 40 years ago! She has run her own program at Freedom Gate Farm for many years, teaching new riders and coaching students at horse shows. Deb brings a wealth of knowledge and a passion for compassionate horsemanship to our program, generously sharing her time and expertise with RWF several days each week.
Susan Boyer
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Susan Boyer’s love of horses has taken her from the trails behind Briggs Stable in Hanover, Massachusetts at age ten, to competing in local hunter/jumper shows as a teenager with her first horse, Doorshop, to a three-year stint working at a dude ranch in Wyoming, and finally to River Wind Farm, where she has been teaching since 2002. Susan has spent over 30 years teaching Special Education in the Norwell public school system. This experience allows her to see the potential in every rider and to craft an individualized program to ensure each student’s success in riding. Susan tries to instill in each of her students a love of riding for the joy of it, and an appreciation for all a horse has to offer.
Deb Sloan
Deb Sloan began riding with Richard and Julie Ulrich at Friars Gate Farm in Pembroke, where she also trained in classical dressage with Karl Mikolka from the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. At age sixteen, Deb joined Carl Catani and Leo Boyle at Fleetwood Farm, and went on to become Carl’s first student at the incipient River Wind Farm. Deb and her Amateur-Owner Hunter, Audacious, notched champion or reserve at nearly every horse show they attended, earning high ribbons at Madison Square Garden, Harrisburg and Washington. Deb teaches lessons at RWF on weekends, balancing her career as an elementary school educator.
