Danada Equestrian Center

The Danada Equestrian Center promotes the safe and humane handling and care of horses by advancing the relationship between humans and their equine companions. Scheduled educational and recreational experiences take place throughout the year.

Educational Programs

Horsemanship Courses and Tours

The center promotes a holistic approach to the horse and its daily care. Students gain hands-on experience by grooming, saddling, and bridling horses and enrolling in horsemanship classes, which teach basic to advanced riding skills. During the summer, weeklong day camps introduce children to the daily activities of a working stable and include horse-related arts, crafts and games. Fees for select programs are listed below, or download the Danada 2010 Program Information guide, or call the center at (630) 668-6012.

• Horsemanship I and II Classes
  Six two-hour lessons with six students per class
  $300 for DuPage residents
  $396 for nonresidents
• Intermediate to III, IV and V
  Available to Horsemanship II graduates or individuals who have successfully completed the advanced placement exam
  Six one-hour lessons with six students per class
  $185 for DuPage residents
  $263 for nonresidents
• Group Trail Rides
  Available to Horsemanship I graduates or individuals who have successfully completed the advanced placement exam
  A package of 60-minute rides
  $150 for DuPage residents
  $240 for nonresidents
• Guided Group Tours
  $35 per group of 20 for DuPage residents
  $65 per group of 20 for nonresidents

The center also offers programs for teachers and their students that meet state curriculum standards.

Horse-Drawn Hayrides and Sleigh Rides

Visitors can soak up the surrounding prairie and woodlands of Danada Forest Preserve during a horse-drawn hayride or sleigh ride. Rides, which are on a first-come first-served basis, are $5 for adults, $2 for children 5 to 12, and free for children under 5. Groups of 10 or more must make reservations.

Danada House and Model Farm

Dan and Ada Rice built this sprawling, 19-room white brick country home in 1939. The house, owned today by the Forest Preserve District and operated by the Friends of Danada, is available for formal receptions, business meetings, showers, parties and other functions.

The Danada Model Farm preserves the history of DuPage County with 1950s machinery and agricultural practices. Owned by the Forest Preserve District, operated by volunteers and sponsored by the Friends of Danada, the farm offers hayrides and tours to the public. For more information, visit Danada House, or contact the Danada House at (630) 668-5392 or jill@danadahouse.com.

Dan and Ada Rice

Danada Forest Preserve is the former estate of commodity trader Daniel Rice and his wife, Ada, racehorse enthusiasts who bred champion Thoroughbreds.

In 1928, the Rices purchased Danada Farm, a working farm complemented by apple orchards, wheat and corn fields, and grazing lots for livestock. In 1943, Dan Rice purchased eight Thoroughbreds for his wife’s pursuit in horse racing, and the Ada L. Rice Stable was born.

Every year, the Wheaton farm served as a training facility for 20 to 40 yearlings. A 26-stall Kentucky-style barn, with center stalls and an indoor track, allowed trainers to work horses even in inclement weather. The Rices’ staff also used the 0.5-mile regulation racetrack on the west side of Naperville Road to condition yearlings that arrived from a sister farm in Lexington, Kentucky.

In 1965, the Rices made their mark at the Kentucky Derby with a bay colt named Lucky Debonair, which jockey Willie Shoemaker rode across the wire in a neck-to-neck finish for a first-place win and a $112,000 purse. One year later, Advocator, another bay colt and Rice Thoroughbred, placed second in the Derby.

Ada maintained her equestrian interests until 1975, when, after her husband’s death, she sold the farm’s remaining horses.

Volunteering

Danada Equestrian Center volunteers tend to the center’s horses, maintain the stable area and paddocks, and provide information to visitors. For more information, visit Danada Volunteers, or contact the Forest Preserve District’s Volunteer Services office at (630) 933-7681 or volunteer@dupageforest.com.

Accessibility

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County is committed to making its facilities accessible to all visitors. The restrooms on the south side of the Danada House are well-suited for wheelchairs.

For special accessibility needs or concerns, please contact the District’s ADA coordinator at (630) 933-7683 or TTY (800) 526-0857 at least three business days before your visit.