Hello,
my husband and I will be relocating to Chicago in the summer and are looking for a boarding barn that mainly focuses on dressage. It seems like that there are a lot of hunter/jumper barns out there but I couldn’t really find much in terms of dressage.
Thanks for your help!
https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/f…e-no-horse-yet
This thread got some answers you might be able to use.
I lived in Chgo for over 30yrs & kept horses in Schaumburg then moved them to Michigan City,IN < to follow my dressage trainer at the time (now deceased).
I relocated to Crown Point 13yrs ago & now keep mine at home.
OTOH:
Since you will be driving 1h+ to get to any of these places from Chicago, would you consider NW Indiana?
I can PM you info about my current trainer - clinics regularly with Jeff Ashton-Moore & has trained her own horse to GP & clients’ to 3rd/4th.
Double W in Gurnee
Townline in Mettawa. Mixed use but a good dressage contingent. There’s more dressage in Barrington (Uulke, Flying Dutchman)
Entropy Farm in Woodstock is very nice. The care is excellent. Owned/operated by a Vet. Large grass turn-outs and sand lots. Some have run-in sheds. Horses are checked on each night by staff on site. Owner lives on the property. Feeding program is great. No skinny horses. Large indoor and outdoor. No focus on dressage but there are a few of “us” in the barn. Boarders get along and support each other no matter what “saddle” you choose. It’s a fun group! And if you are in a shopping mood, there are many nice young horses for sale.
Restructuring my response from the linked thread above with some additions:
I would recommend Patricia Becker at Fireside Farm with every fiber of my being - the barn is gorgeous, she’s an exceptional trainer, her assistant is great when she’s showing/doing clinics, and it’s a short drive from the Northern Suburbs in Camp Lake, WI.
It looks like Sara Latokhin is operating out of Libertyville now - Independence Farms, shares space with Hunter/Jumpers.
Agree with Flying Dutchman Farm in Barrington - Julie Julian is still the head trainer but her daughter Rosie Julian-Simoes also takes on clients who are boarding and is a really wonderful teacher for both horse and rider.
Amanda Johnson is a really wonderful trainer and person. I believe she’s at Paris Farms now?
I can’t seem to find any info on the farm itself but Amy Walker-Basak trains out of Marquis Dressage and she’s got a great reputation.
Tempel Farms is always an option - they have a boarding program though I’m not positive who’s training out of there for their non-Lipizzaner horses.
Sunflower Farms has a great boarding program, but also not sure who the trainer on site is.
I’m not sure if KYB Dressage is taking boarders right now, but Kim and Yvonne also are great trainers with a long-standing reputation in the community.
If you’re willing to make the trek to Madison, Megan McIsaac at Lindinhof Equine Zestrum has a great contingent of boarding clients.
Heather McCarthy and Brittany Burson’s Paddock Hill Farms is also wonderful.
Wild Rose Farm - trainer is Katie Hiller - is absolutely beautiful. Katie is up and coming - still a U25, I believe, but studied under JJ Tate and has a great approach.
I’ve heard Cranewood Farm in St. Charles is getting a bigger dressage contingent and has Joan Pecora teaching lessons - she’s a tough but fair trainer. I think she’s also teaching at Double-W Stables in Gurnee?
It might be worthwhile heading to Lamplight for their first Dressage show May 20th-21st and ask around. It’ll also help you get a good idea of the talent here.
Good luck!
Cranewood Farm- St Charles, IL
full service private dressage barn offering customized, exceptional care & training. ping me for more details
A lot will depend on where in Chicago or suburbs you’ll be living. Traffic is a mess in Chicago (and metro area). Certain highways are much worse than others. And if you’re living on the north side along the 94 corridor, you really don’t want to be going to Barrington to board or if you’re living south, you want to try and avoid having to cross downtown to go north or west because you’re almost guaranteed traffic coming and going.
Once you know where you’ll live, then picking a barn will be narrowed down based on geography.
Not a northern suburb
Unless she’s moved she’s in Belvidere, probably 1.5 hrs from Chicago.
I’m not sure if KYB Dressage is taking boarders right now, but Kim and Yvonne also are great trainers with a long-standing reputation in the community.
Heather McCarthy and Brittany Burson’s Paddock Hill Farms is also wonderful.
I’ve heard Cranewood Farm in St. Charles is getting a bigger dressage contingent and has Joan Pecora teaching lessons - she’s a tough but fair trainer.
These are not in the northern suburbs
If you’re willing to make the trek to Madison, Megan McIsaac at Lindinhof Equine Zestrum has a great contingent of boarding clients.
2.5 hrs from Chicago?!
I am wondering, who was that trainer in Michigan City? PM me if you would prefer.
I don’t know anything about this place, but a Google search helped me find it: https://www.facebook.com/pg/The-Ranch-127778333946513/notes/
Here is another older CoTH thread that might still be useful: https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/forum/discussion-forums/dressage/108268-dressage-trainer-in-south-suburbs-illinois
Thank you all so much! We are in town this weekend and are looking at a couple of places. We will be settling in Evanston so a lot of the options you posted would work well from a travel distance.
Sorry to respond so late.
Trainer was George Schimpf.
I learned a lot from him & miss him still.
He must have moved to Michigan City after I left there. I found an online article about him, and I could tell from reading it that I would like to have known him too.
I rode with George at Lamplight and after he moved to Michigan City. My friend and I drove to MC about once a month to ride school horses. George was a great trainer.
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