Our Story

Ballentine Farms is a historical family farm located in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. that specializes in boarding and horseback riding lessons. The riding academy was founded in 1989 by the late Nancy Ballentine Elliott, and her legacy of an environment where everyone feels like a part of the farm family continues to live on through her daughter Caroline Elliott. Ballentine Farms is one of the only bi-centennial farms still operating in Wake County and has been in the Ballentine family since 1779.

Whether you're looking to learn a new sport, get back in the saddle, enhance your riding skills, make new friends, spend more time with animals, or just need a fun way to pass an afternoon, come check us out!

Meet the Owners

Keeping everything running smooth in this 30 stall lesson and boarding barn takes talent, hard work, dedication, and lots of love! These are the awesome people that make it all happen.

Owner

Caroline Elliott

Caroline grew up in the barn while her mom ran the farm. Horses run in her genes on every side of her family! Caroline is a World Champion and Reserve World Champion rider and has trained her own horses to multiple state championship titles. Caroline inherited the love for Ballentine Farms from her mother and is now sharing it with her son!

Owner in Training

Rhett Elliott Allen

Rhett Elliott Allen is the farm's smallest cowboy. He is starting young with his pony Butler that his late grandmother gave him when he was born. You can catch him barefoot, covered in dirt, playing at the barn or riding his new stock "Jellybean"!

Owner

Jon Allen

Jon Allen moved to NC in 2011 from Shelbyville, Tennessee where he trained Tennessee Walking Horses. Jon Allen and Caroline were married in the venue barn of Ballentine Farms in 2017. He is the man behind the beautiful grounds, which he maintains!