HORSES ABOUND

From 2015 to 2021, the figurative hole in Ashlee LeCompte Lazic’s heart grew larger with each year.

A horse had been the comforting constant for the Barrington Hills native, beginning with her first pony, Bonnie, and later with Trixie, an off the track thoroughbred mare who lived to 31 and had joined Lazic at Michigan’s Hillsdale College and Michigan State University, where she earned an undergraduate degree in biology and a graduate degree in equine physiology.

Post-college life found Lazic living in Nebraska and Florida and dismounted the horse lover from horses for six years. “My heart’s ‘hole’ was horse-shaped,” she surmises.

But it didn’t take her long to fill that void. Lazic moved back to where she grew up—the striking Bateman house at the sprawling estate Oakwood Farms, a Barrington Hills horse boarding stable and training facility dedicated to the passion, tradition, and legacy of the equestrian lifestyle. Established in 1996, it had been operated by Ashlee’s parents, Berry and Cathy LeCompte, for more than two decades.

Ashlee, 33, and her 32-year-old husband, Nemanja Lazic, took over the reins at Oakwood Farms in 2021, three years after they got married on the grounds of the 125-acre (laser-level polo field included) property. Ashlee serves as director of operations, while Nemanja oversees Oakwood Farms’ marketing.

Oakwood Farms—named for Oakwood the downstate village where Cathy grew up—offers boarding, training, lessons, and sales. It’s a community that welcomes horses and riders of every discipline, skill level, and age. Boarders compete, trail ride, and participate in Natural Horsemanship events. Berry and Cathy LeCompte sought to provide a safe, clean, and enjoyable atmosphere for the horses and riders of the Greater Chicago area, and that’s exactly what Oakwood Farms became.

Among its amenities are 60 stalls, all-day turn out (horses’ freedom to run, play, and graze), outdoor and indoor arenas, semi-private tack rooms, all-weather paddocks, and 24-7 on-site management. Plus, it’s located next to the Cook County Forest Preserve and a few strides (across the street, actually) from the Barrington Hills Riding Center on Bateman Road.

Damian Malagon has been Oakwood Farms’ barn manager for eight years, and an employee of the farm for 15 years. He calls Oakwood Farms home, too.

“Animal husbandry is our No. 1 priority at Oakwood Farms,” Ashlee says. “Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of our boarders. Damian takes so much pride in the barn and the happiness of our clients. He’s phenomenal.”

“What sets us apart from most other farms,” she adds, “is, how my husband describes it, our wide range of eclectic offerings. We’re not a place for just hunter jumper or just dressage or just showing. We’re focused on hands-on full care, not one discipline. Our business model has never been a hard-sell operation.”

A few of Ashlee’s early experiences on a pony were rough ones. Bonnie “dumped me a whole lot of times,” Ashlee, a former Fox River Valley Pony Club member, recalls. But her love for horses—mirroring her mother’s passion—ruled out any attempt to seek another top activity. She was 9 when Trixie entered the picture, and the two connected instantly.

“When I didn’t have an answer, Trixie did,” Ashlee says. “She was reliable and quick. She took care of me. She was a good girl.” Ashlee’s primary horse today is Andrew, a 17-year-old, chestnut Belgian Thoroughbred cross. They recently competed in a Three-Day Event, a triathlon-esque equestrian competition (dressage, cross country, show jumping), in Lexington, Kentucky. “When I’m on the back of Andrew, it’s like we’re going to battle,” she says. “When he goes, it sounds like thunder. It’s exhilarating, every time I’m on a horse. I’m fascinated with horses, captivated by them. Chaos disappears when I’m riding.”

“I love what Winston Churchill once said about horses. He said, ‘There’s something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.’”

In addition to running the show at Oakwood Farms, Ashlee works remotely as director of health product development for SmartPak, an equine nutrition company based in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

“My entire day,” a smiling, grateful Ashlee observes, “is horses.”

Oakwood Farms, meanwhile, remains an integral part of the equestrian tradition in Barrington Hills, a village that protects and celebrates the equine lifestyle.

“There’s something about it, something special, the horse-agriculture community in which we live,” Ashlee says. “There’s this wonderful feeling of community in Barrington Hills, with horses serving as the common denominator, that energizes and lifts all who live here. What we have here, it’s hard to find.

“Operating Oakwood Farms,” she continues, “was a labor of love for my mom. That’s what it is for me, too.”

No wonder Cathy LeCompte can’t stop beaming.

“Berry and I,” the matriarch says, “feel blessed that Ashlee, who inherited her love for horses at an early age, will be carrying the legacy of Oakwood Farms into the next generation and beyond.”

For more information, visit oakwoodfarmsequestrian.com or call 847- 809-3843. Oakwood Farms is located at 362 Bateman Road, Barrington Hills.