Riding High

By Michelle Dellinger
Appears in the January 2021 issue.

Just over a mile away from the suburban shops on Randall Road are five special acres waiting for the right owner. Although the Batavia property boats a 3,360-square-foot midcentury modern house, the land’s focus—and the views from the ranch’s floor-to-ceiling windows—is its home for horses. Built in 2015, the heated stable includes 25 stalls, two tack rooms, two wash stalls, and an office—all with app-controlled lighting, security cameras, and speakers for music. Indoor and outdoor arenas offer a total of 26,000 square feet of riding space for lessons and showing. Builder Jeff Muellner bought the property five years ago for his adult daughter Laurie O’Brien, who grew up with a bridle in her hands. After competing at Miami of Ohio, she started teaching at a riding school in Florida. “Long story short,” says Muellner, “she decided she wanted to come back to Illinois, so I bought this place. There was a really small barn and I tore it down and built this equestrian center.” New responsibilities make it difficult for the family to continue to manage the barn, but Muellner is hopeful the right buyer will see the property’s potential—including O’Brien’s training skills. “She’s got a gift for teaching—she really does.”

Photos courtesy Susan Chylek