İlyas Uysal

Born in 1975, İlyas joined the Turkish Gendarmerie as a lieutenant in 1997, after eight years of military high school and academy training. He retired in 2025 at the rank of colonel, after twenty-nine years of active service.

His first equestrian training came in 2002, at the Gendarmerie Equestrian Sports Training Center in Ankara. A year later he was assigned to Nevşehir, joining the founding staff of the Gendarmerie Horse and Dog Training Center — the unit that trains canine and mounted teams for the entire country. He served there across four separate tours, totaling fourteen years.

His international experience comes from military operations in Bosnia and Afghanistan, and a diplomatic posting in Spain. He speaks English and Spanish with the sensitivity of a man who has lived inside both cultures.

As Head Instructor and Equestrian Director, İlyas shapes the safety culture and training methodology of the entire operation. He runs the riding instruction programs; he oversees horse training and guide preparation; he sets the field protocols that turn a busy ranch into a calm one. He brings two things that can't be manufactured: the patience of a man who has trained cavalry horses, and the composure of someone who has commanded people through things far harder than a riding lesson.