Posted in Agendas, Algonquin Rd, Animal Welfare, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, BraveHearts, Commercial Horse Boarding, Cost of Living, Countryside Elementary School, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, HARPS, Horizon Farm, Immigration, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Lighting Ordinance, Massbach Hounds, Overhead, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club Commission, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Taxes, The Other Half, Transparency, Unions on March 11, 2026| Leave a Comment »
The Barrington Hills Park District Board/Riding Cult of Barrington Hills will hold their monthly meeting this evening in person and via Zoom at 6:00 PM. Some topics on their agenda include:
A copy of their agenda can be viewed here. Instructions for accessing the meeting remotely can be found here.
Posted in HARPS, John Kass, OP/Ed on November 16, 2025| Leave a Comment »
By John Kass | John Kass News
The other day I set aside the great book I was reading—“A War Like No Other” about the Peloponnesian War by Victor Davis Hanson—got up from my chair and used my cane to hobble over to the glass doors.
I opened the doors and there it was, a perfect Northwest Indiana lake effect snowstorm.
The flakes puffy and white against the red burning bush in the backyard, on the evergreens, the wind swirling the flakes cold in the yard beyond.
And that’s when I thought about that horse and how great it would be to ride that horse in the snow.
Sounds odd, I know.
I remembered it years ago. It was a different life. This was years ago when I rode that horse, and years later when I first wrote of it. About seven years ago now, in another column and another snow, like this quiet heavy snow from days ago that I’m thinking about now.
Mid-November was time for bird hunting back then in my world with my stubborn mule-headed German Shorthair Pointer, Jason.
I could still walk then, and ride, and hunt a field of cut corn, and train a dog and wade a cold river fishing for trout, steelhead and salmon. And I could drive a car.
But things change. You know this if you have wits. And if you can’t grasp this truth of life then quit or grow the (bleep) up.
Many of you probably don’t give two figs about the horse. That’s OK too. But back when I could drive, I was heading east on Ogden Avenue in that snowfall and my car wipers stopped working. I had to repair them. The Honda guy noticed the tread was gone on my front tires, and the front brakes were gone, too. Merry Christmas to me.
But I was thinking of how nice it is to ride a good horse in the first snow.
Read more here.
Related: “Column: Riding a good horse in the snow” – John Kass/Chicago Tribune November 12, 2019
Lucy, a rescue horse at the Hooved Animal Rescue & Protection Society in Barrington Hills, sports a snowy nose while outside in 2016. | Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune
Posted in Barrington Hills Country Club, HARPS, Traffic, Uncategorized on August 24, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Barrington Hills Country Club employees and local neighbors cleared damage on Oak Knoll Road immediately after the storm on the August 16th. The damage was extensive and the volunteer action cleared the roads for residents.
Photo above is of a massive tree being removed by volunteers on Oak Knoll Road near HARPS.
Posted in Animal Welfare, Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Polo Club, BraveHearts, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Equestrian Commission, FRVPC, HARPS, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Mane in Heaven, Politics, Resident Spotlights, Riding Club Commission, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Springfield, Unions on March 5, 2025| 1 Comment »
“The fifth day of March of each year shall be designated as the Day of the Horse, to be observed throughout the State as a day to encourage citizens to honor and celebrate the role of equines in the history and character of Illinois, and to recognize the benefits of the equine industry to the economy, agriculture, tourism, and quality of life in Illinois.”
Posted in Animal Welfare, Commercial Horse Boarding, HARPS, Horse Boarding, Politics, Topics Of Interest on August 13, 2024| Leave a Comment »
By Steve Zalusky | Daily herald
Palatine Stables supporters raised concerns this week about the welfare of the horses that must change homes when the facility closes at the end of November.
Park commissioners voted 4-1 at Monday’s meeting to declare as surplus property and relocate the park district’s 12 horses and 15 ponies.
The ordinance calls for the relocation to occur by donation or “the most humane course of action based on veterinarian recommendation.”
The no vote came from Sue Gould, who has been a staunch opponent of closing the stables. Gould took the relocation ordinance off the consent agenda so it could be discussed.
“This is horse abuse,” she said, adding that horses are herd animals that not only get used to the other horses, but children and the people who feed and water them.
Gould said the horses belong to taxpayers.
“Every resident is a part owner of those horses and ponies,” she said. “And what we’re proposing to do to them is abuse.”
Gould tried to get the matter tabled, but failed to get a second.
The large and angry crowd of stables supporters at Palatine village hall cheered as Gould lashed out at fellow commissioners for not responding to the steady stream of speakers at Monday’s meeting.
“These people should be listened to, because you’re doing a really lousy job of it,” she said.
The park district said the rehousing process is being handled by the barn manager at the stables and stables staff.
Read more here.
Related: “Park district outlines plan for closing down Palatine Stables,” “Closure of Palatine Stables to move ahead following revote,” “Hold your horses: Park district taking another look at Palatine Stables,” “Citing ‘unfortunate reality,’ park district closing Palatine Stables this fall”
Posted in Algonquin Rd, Animal Welfare, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Commercial Horse Boarding, DARCHED, Don't Change Barrington Hills, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, HARPS, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, LeCompte/Anderson Commercial Horse boarding amendment, Lighting Ordinance, Look For The Union Label, Mad Cows, Massbach Hounds, Organizations, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Resident Spotlights, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, SOS Party, The Other Half, Topics Of Interest, Transparency, Unions, WTF, Your Barrington Hills on April 5, 2024| 1 Comment »
Following are minutes from a March 6th, 1971 Riding Club of Barrington Hills board meeting. Handwritten notes title the topic as:
“Owen Fairweather: outlined the impact of the heavy tax load on the economy of the financial operations of the Club. He demonstrated how the adoption of the proposed plan to place the Center under the aegis of the Park District would free money that could then be used to expand the facilities of the Center property, adequate paddock areas, for example and make the Center a more attractive facility for larger numbers of the area people. He said the officers and directors had studied every aspect of the proposal together with the conceivable alternatives for a long time and that he and they would welcome dialogue hopefully to gain the permission of the Club membership to finalize the arrangement with the Park District.
Owen presented and read three items pertaining to the proposed transfer:
Item one – a letter to the members of the Board of the Park District of Barrington Hills;
Item two – a proposed resolution that might be adopted by the Park District to implement the formal transfer and
Item three – a “reverter clause” limiting use of the Center facility to “horseback riding purposes and, for purposes of Boarding horses only”.
Two aspects rendering such a transfer desirable are:
a) an end to our tax load with the added and also very desirable possibility that gifts to the Center operation could be tax deductible. This would attract substantial amounts from persons in this area, Owen added.
b) perhaps the tax remission could be made retroactive for the past year leaving us some $7,000 to the good.
Owen averred that without the tax relief promised by the Park District our path leads nowhere but downhill into the hands of the professional tax buyers.
Discussion ensued as to the degree to which the actions of current Board of the Park District might bind future Boards. Fear was expressed that in years to come should the complexion of that Board shift away from an understanding and appreciation of the horse in the community emphasis might be directed into other types of activity (i.e. tennis courts etc.) deleterious to the interests of the horse-oriented groups. Owen said that some latitude must be allowed to make room for future understanding by all parties but that in any dire event our aforesaid “reverter clause” stands as our protection to any radical deviation from the riding and boarding concepts for the entire operation. If plans are announced for undesirable uses of the property we can, under the clause, recover our property.
Mr. Holtzer asked what the reaction of the part of the community not interested in horses might be to having their Park District invest their funds in a horse-oriented activity. Owen explained that the Park District will, undoubtedly be faced with choices among a variety of interests as time goes on and will accommodate and help these interests in the order of their desirability and interest in the community in a balanced deployment of available money. The Park District, he said, is less a politically oriented body than the Village Board and less vulnerable to shifting tides of pressure from different groups.
There will be no major change in the operating procedures involving Jack as the Management Committee consisting entirely of people related directly to horsemen and their activities will work with him, honor his contract and protect his administration of the Center. (The proposed member of the Management Committee from the Park District Board is a well-known horseman and member of the Mounted Patrol to boot).
In the event that the Center should through some disaster cease to exist in its present form details of settlement would depend upon the insurance and encumbrances effective at the point of transfer.
Some confusion seemed to exist about the relationship between the Riding Club and the Riding Center as separate entities. It was explained that the Park District proposal relates only to the Center property. The Riding Club would continue to be an entirely separate organization with its dues income, trail maintenance and other activities separate from Park District control.
Discussion returned via a question from Ed Holtzer as to the possible future change in personnel on the Park District and the impact inherent in the appearance of a person or persons not horse oriented. Julian Hansen that the reverter clause would be binding but that no political body could possible, agree to certain nominees being selected down through all future years. Owen added that a certain amount of reliance on the honest intentions of the Park District spokesman must be entertained as their commitment has to be an implied one not a legal one. However, once again, the reverter clause is a legally binding and viable barrier to any deviation from the exclusiveness of horse related use of the Center property.
It was explained that the Park District will have no control or relationship to our riding trails; just to the barn and the surrounding fifteen acres of land.
Rob McCullagh noted that Park District ownership of the Center would be a valuable protective feature. The Center is surrounded entirely by the Forest Preserve who might undertake to acquire it from the Riding Club. Or the Forest Preserve might install a large public parking lot or other unwelcome public activity proximate to the Center property and the Riding Club as such might find it difficult in a political atmosphere to defend against such encroachments on our environment. The Park District being a politically oriented entity would be in a much more feasible position to erect defenses against such moves. A tentative plan for a Forest Preserve parking area is considering (installation of) a parking area about two years from now.
Mr. Scott asked if Riding Club dues automatically entitle one to use of the Center facility. No-such usage is arranged for by payment of use fees.
Ralph O’Neil outlined the clearly individual segments of the Riding Club/Riding Center relationship:
a) The Center will be on its own, the property of the the Park District of Barrington Hills, operated by Jack Arnold and administered by the Management Committee as defined and peopled in Item 2, Section 7 on page 2 (of the item) where the committee makeup is set forth.
b) The Riding Club of Barrington Hills as we have always known it with its own dues income, Horse Show, trail rides and other activities and the riding trail system. Riding Club income will continue to be applied to Riding Club debts, mortgages and other obligations.
Rob added the observation that the Center is not supported by Riding Club dues–many members do not use the Center and such support would be unfair to them, for one thing.
Owen felt that the people on the Park District Board are all dedicated to the concept of providing healthy, recreational activity facilities for the people of Barrington Hills. In any form of such activity they will play a major role in providing for the people facilities for the type of activity for which a demonstrable need and demand exists. As time goes. on this might include any of a number of activities in various parts of the area. In this particular instance an arrangement is contemplated around a demonstrated need and demand for a financially viable horse riding and horse boarding center and the desires of that segment of the population will be met.
In the process and to insure the proper control and management in a type of activity demanding great expertise, experience and understanding it is arranged through a management group made up of representatives of the established horse clubs to provide the proper control of the activity. In other areas of activity it is presumed that similarly sophisticated control groups will serve in like capacity.
Owen explained that in fact the same individuals will be managing overall affairs at the Center that are now performing that function and that Win Alberts, of the Park District Board, is of the same ilk.”
We’ll have some thoughts to share on this at a later date.
A copy of the minutes can be found here. A copy of the deeds that resulted can be found here.
Posted in Agendas, Algonquin Rd, Animal Welfare, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Countryside Elementary School, Don't Change Barrington Hills, Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Goat Rodeo, HARPS, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Lighting Ordinance, Mad Cows, Massbach Hounds, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Taxes, The Other Half, Transparency, Unions, Well Water Quality on September 4, 2023| Leave a Comment »
The Barrington Hills Park District Advisory Committee meets tomorrow evening at 7 PM. Some of the topics on their agenda include:
A copy of their agenda can be viewed here.
Posted in Algonquin Rd, Animal Welfare, Audubon Society, BACT, Barrington Hills Polo Club, BH Polo Club, Citizens for Conservation, Commercial Horse Boarding, Cook, County, Crabtree Nature Center, Deception, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, FPDCC, Friends of Forest Preserves, FRVPC, Goat Rodeo, Going green, HARPS, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Mad Cows, Massbach Hounds, Organizations, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Club Commission, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Taxes, The Other Half, Traffic, Unions on August 19, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Front to back: Robert McGinley, Dan Lobbes, Renae Frigo and David Holman head back after checking the status of a former dam on Goose Lake in Horizon Farm preserve on Aug. 18, 2023, in Barrington Hills. Members of the Barrington Area Conservation Trust and The Conservation Foundation were out surveying Horizon Farm as part of an annual effort to track changes on the property. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
On a group tour of Horizon Farm Forest Preserve and its rolling pastures, a visitor joked that it would make a great par 3 golf course. Nature lovers shuddered at the thought, though such a use is prohibited on the site.
But the comment illustrates the tension the Forest Preserve District of Cook County faces balancing preservation and recreation. The district’s main mission is to preserve open space, and provide “nature-compatible” recreation.
In the case of Horizon Farm in northwest suburban Barrington Hills, the issue boils down to whether to save a half-mile horse racing track. The nearly 400-acre preserve used to be a horse breeding and training ground. The track was used to train thoroughbreds for racing at the now-closed Arlington International Racecourse.
When the forest preserve district bought Horizon Farm out of foreclosure for $14.5 million in 2013, officials expressed openness to keeping equestrian uses of the site. But 10 years later, the racetrack sits filled with wild plants, unused, its railing falling apart. A big chunk of the preserve remains closed, and some trails are overgrown. Horse lovers and other preserve users are wondering whether the district will save the track.
“It’s really a prize,” Barrington Hills Park District President Dennis Kelly said. “There’s been a lot of interest in the equestrian community, but we have not gotten a response.”
Not everyone is married to the idea of a horse track. Friends of the Forest Preserves, an independent nonprofit, takes the general position that recreation in the forest preserves — from boating to fishing to camping — should facilitate enjoyment of nature.
“As soon as recreation becomes about the activity, that is not in line with what should be done with the forest preserves,” Friends President Benjamin Cox said.
The group supports horse trails since anyone can use them, but has not taken a position specifically on the horse track. Exclusive sites such as a golf course or baseball diamond are only for those uses, so Friends would prefer not to build those in the preserves.
Read more here.
Posted in Agendas, Algonquin Rd, Animal Welfare, Barrington Hills Farm, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Big Red, Cook, Countryside Elementary School, County, Deception, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Goat Rodeo, HARPS, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Massbach Hounds, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Transparency, Unions, Well Water Quality on July 12, 2023| Leave a Comment »
The Barrington Hills Park District Board will be meeting this evening in person and via webcast at 7:00 PM when the Board has two agendas to cover.
The first agenda is for the regular monthly District meeting, and a copy can be viewed and downloaded here.
The second is for the, “Decennial Committee Meeting,” and topics include:
A copy of that agenda can be viewed and downloaded here.
Instructions for accessing the meeting remotely can be found here.
Posted in Animal Welfare, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Don't Change Barrington Hills, Entertainment, Equestrian Commission, Fox River Valley Hunt, FRVPC, Fundraisers, HARPS, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Land Use, News Media, Nostalgia, Politics, Real Estate, Resident Spotlights, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Save 5 Acres, Your Barrington Hills on July 8, 2023| 2 Comments »
John Rosene and the Barrington Hills Polo Club offers a nationally recognized polo school for newcomers to the sport helping generations of families play together on the field
When John Rosene was a boy of 9 years old, his mother signed him up for a horse-riding lesson at the Starlight Stable in Skokie. It was something to keep him busy, not a family tradition. He joined other children from his neighborhood on the bus ride over but didn’t make it to the trail ride. “When they put me on the horse, I was so scared that I got off and stayed at the barn while the other kids rode off,” Rosene said.
A few years later, the Rogers Park native attended a summer riding school at the Northwestern Stables in Morton Grove, now called Freedom Woods. Rosene started at the beginner’s level with the five-day-a-week program where each student learned how to saddle, ride, and hose down the horse, then letting their horse graze while holding its lead line. At 14, he took a job at the same barn where he learned to ride, having 21 horses in his daily care. Feeding, watering, and cleaning the tack and stalls was compensated with two dollars a day—and all the riding he could get in.
At 16, with his driver’s license and a car, Rosene took a job at the same barn for $200 a month and did that for a couple of years before college. “Very few boys stuck with horse riding by that age, so besides being able to ride as much as I could, all the girls were the attraction,” he said with his classic sense of humor.
Rosene bought his first horse during his college years during a gap year in Texas. Having returned to Northwestern University, he met his future wife, Karen, who he intended to impress with his horse-riding skills in a PE class. The two finished school in 1962, and married two years later. They each bought a horse and found an old dairy barn, through some friends, for boarding.
Read the full Quintessential Barrington feature story here.
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