October 5, 2026 – As farmers seek ways to maximize the profit of their land so they may stay active in agriculture and keep working the land rather than selling for development, agritourism is a growing tool. So to speak.

Established in Florida law more than a decade ago, agritourism includes everything from “u-pick” farms, barn weddings, goat yoga, hay rides, and much more.

And now you can include “horse dancing” and “bull riding,” thanks to the work of four Lewis, Longman & Walker attorneys in earning a complete reversal of a magistrate’s decision in Hillsborough County.

Rancho Los Arados is located in rural, eastern Hillsborough County near Plant City.

The area is very well known for its strawberries; this 56-acre farm owned by P&P Holdings is used mostly for cattle farming.

But on some nights, the farm was best known for hosting “Jaripeos.” The word has slightly different meanings in Latin American countries, the event at this location includes bull-riding, plenty of music and food, a petting zoo, and horse dancing – a sort of dressage with precision movement between the horse and the rider.

In early 2024, complaints were made to the Hillsborough County Code Enforcement Board with accusations including bright lighting, heavy traffic and loud noise. And in April 2024, a special magistrate ruled that the activities did not meet the legal definition of agritourism due to live music being played, an integral part of Jaripeos.

Enter LLW who handled an appeal to the Civil Appellate Division of the 13th Circuit. In July, Judge Laura E. Ward not only quashed the magistrate’s decision, she accepted each of LLW’s arguments in a lively and succinct ruling.

The main argument from the county was that because there was music at these Jaripeos, they could not be considered agritourism.

The judge, to say the least, did not agree, saying “… no competent substantial evidence shows that the concert style event was so distinct … as to fall outside of the agritourism classification and because the special magistrate failed to appropriately apply the law, this Court finds the order finding violation and imposing fine must be QUASHED,” bold and italics hers.

Judge Ward said that the county presented “minimal testimonial” evidence at the code enforcement board hearing while the owner of the farm brought two witnesses who were not allowed to testify.

She also dismissed the county’s argument that the Jaripeos impacted surrounding neighbors including “homes that pay property taxes,” noting that the surrounding area is not a neighborhood or subdivision or zoned residential.

Judge Ward also found that the magistrate cited a Florida Department of Agriculture Memorandum and wrote that “(t)he memorandum is not law” and even if it were, the memorandum “explicitly allows for ‘ceremonial’ and ‘recreational’ events that include music …”

The county filed a petition challenging Judge Ward’s decision to the Second District Court of Appeal. LLW filed a response defending Judge Ward’s opinion. On July 24, 2026, the appellate court agreed with LLW that there was “no miscarriage of justice” in Judge Ward’s analysis and left her ruling intact.

The appellate decision clears the way for the fiestas to resume, thanks to a team of LLW attorneys – John J. Cavaliere, III, Allan J. Charles, Nicole J. Poot and Robert Angus Williams.