Trainers
Christine Hambaugh- de Rama
Christine de Rama is the owner and trainer of Stonebridge Equestrian Center. She has been riding for over 22 years, and teaching for 16 years. She started this business in 1999 after having worked at many training facilities throughout Naperville, Plainfield, and in Dekalb. She has extensive experience working with riders of all abilities, and horses of all ages. She has raised and started many horses over the past 16 years. She bred Reve and Denali herself, in the hope that they will become talented jumpers!
She has shown Hunters and Jumpers over the years. Her future goals are to return to the Jumper ring to compete. She also plans to do some eventing in the next few years. Christine has taken some time away from the show ring to start a family of her own. She has a 22 month old son named Tyler, and he wants to ride all the time!
Kristin Kucala
Kristin started riding Hunters/Jumpers when she was 13 years old. She worked, rode, and taught summer camps until she graduated high school. She took a break from riding until she found Christine de Rama. Kristin has been training with Christine for 7 years, and teaching for Stonebridge for over 4 years. She enjoys every minute of riding and teaching!
Christine helped Kristin find her thoroughbred gelding, Classic Bach "Huntley," that she bought as an off the track 3 year old. The thing that Kristin was first drawn to was his incredibly sweet disposition, and then his enormous size! He is now 8 years old, and stands 17.2 hands! He is in a consistent training program with Christine, and they have found how much he loves to jump! Since training with Christine, Kristin has vastly increased her knowledge of horses and riding. She has made several lifelong friends in the process!
Kristin graduated from NIU in 2003 with a bachelors in Corporate Communications, and a minor in Art. She currently works full time for a mortgage company in Sycamore. In her spare time, when not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Huntley, her 2 cats, and her dog...... and in no particular order!
Sarah Scheen
Sarah was born and raised in South East Michigan, and moved to Dekalb to attend NIU in 2000. She originally studied music performance, but eventually realized that was not the path for her. She aimed for a life and career that would be less demanding and stressful..... so she became a Special Education teacher instead! She is currently employed in the Batavia school district in a job that she is happy to have embraced. Her time outside of school is largely spent at the barn, at home with her husband, fat cat, and her socially limited dog.
Sarah began riding at the age of 6, and continued well into high school. Her riding days were cut short however, when the barn that she was riding at was sold. She then turned her focus onto her musical studies. Upon changing majors she retured to her first love..... horses!
The second love-of-her-life(husband has to be # 1) is her 4 year old Oldenburg mare, Passion. Sarah purchased her as a yearling, and has watched her grow and mature for the past three years. With Christine's assistance she has laid the ground work for her future powerhouse dressage horse (but she thinks jumping her is fun too!). She has been riding with Christine for almost 6 years now, and teaching for almost 2 years. In her time at Stonebridge she feels that she has learned a great deal about horses, but most importantly she feels that she has also learned a lot about herself.
Kristin on her horse Huntlley
Chris with Jennifer Walter showing Piper at Lamplight, in 2002
Sarah schooling 3ft 6in.