About Us - Owners
Mission Ridge Stables was founded in 2019, built on a foundation of love, faith, and family by two sisters.
Located on 80 acres of land within minutes of St Albert, we offer a laid-back and welcoming family environment where equestrians of all ages and experience levels can enjoy horses. From age 1 - 100, all are welcome. Our mission is to connect humans with horses in an educational, safe, and affordable setting.
At this facility we offer horse board, kids programs with our miniature animals, birthday parties, and beginner to advanced riding lessons and other opportunities with our horses to those that don't own a horse of their own.
Everyone is welcome here. We look forward to seeing you around the barn!
- Roxy and Brandy
Instructional Team
Emmah Douglas
Hi, I’m Emmah! I coach group lessons on Monday and Wednesday as well as private lessons at the barn. I have been around horses my entire life. My grandmother put me in riding lessons at the age of three and bought a pony named “Yankee” for my brother and I to ride around the farm. That was just the beginning of my horse journey!
Since then I have taken years of formal lessons with top coaches all over southern Ontario and Alberta, I have competed in hunters, jumpers, dressage and have evented! In my teen years I worked closely with one of my coaches at her facility in Ontario where I had the opportunity to ride a variety of different horses from sport ponies to warmbloods. I gained a ton of classical dressage training experience with this coach and was able to begin applying that knowledge to young horses and start training them up the levels. That included my personal horse “Viccos W” who I have done up to 4th level dressage moves with.
I currently own 4 horses; “Much Too Clever” is my retired pony who I got when I was 11 he taught me the importance of having a good seat and how to ride a horse straight; “Tex” is a Miniature horse I got when I was kid who is currently living his best life with Clever at my family’s farm in Ontario; “Vicco” is my heart horse, I got him when I was 14 as a 4 year old and we have grown up together, I have done it all with him and am still training up the levels in dressage as well as playing in the jumper ring; “Remington” is a 5 year old pony who I bought as a feral 2 year old. He was a flip project fail and is currently in training with me to become a hunter pony! I have owned a few other horses and ponies inbetween who I have broke and resold to good homes. I don’t spend as much time competing anymore but you can still find me in the ring with my horses Vicco and Remmy throughout the summer.
I am now focusing more on coaching and sharing my years of knowledge with riders! I throughly enjoy teaching riders of all levels everything from the ground up focusing on proper equitation, and how to ride a horse with straightness and connection.
When I’m not at the barn I enjoy hiking with my dogs, and visiting my family in Ontario.
Sarah Healy
Tuesday, Thursday Lessons
Teacher Assistants
Ruby Davage
Hey my name is Ruby and I TA on Monday's and Thursday's, as well as working chores at the barn! I’ve been leasing one of the coach’s horses for nearly two years (Candy). I’m part of a jumping program, and recently graduated high school. I love competing at shows with my pony, a hardworking, spicy Morgan mare, and I spend most of my time at the barn working, riding, and hanging out. The barn and horses have become a huge part of my life, and I’m happiest when I’m around them!
Kailey Turnbull
Hi! My name is Kailey, I am the Tuesday evening TA, and I’ve been at Mission Ridge since 2019, which is also when I started riding! I’m currently in university working towards a bachelors degree in psychology, but most of my time is still spent with the horses!
CJ TenBrinke
Hi, I’m CJ! I’ve been riding for about six years. I've leased a few barn favourites from JD and Halia to BailLee, and now our biggest boy, Jax. I’ve enjoyed competing in local schooling shows and jumped up to 3ft. Now I balance my barn time with my other passion: playing rugby. You can usually find me TA-ing on Wednesdays or spending time with Jax around the barn!
Hazel Bolt
Hi, my name is Hazel, I'm a TA on Saturday's, and I've been around horses since I was 4. I lease Bumblebee, who is an up and coming lesson horse! I enjoy jumping with her, and look forward to doing more horse shows with her in the future. I also love to go for walks and play with my dog in my free time.
Heidi Maan
Hey my name is Heidi and I'm a teaching assistant on Saturday's! I have been riding for 5 years and I'm currently leasing a horse named Remmy. I leased the lesson horse Red for a year before that, and went with him to my first horse show! As well as riding I enjoy playing volleyball and traveling.
Our Management Team
Christel Chattargoon
Hi I'm Christel! I am the barn manager at Mission Ridge, and assist with admin work at our south location Meadow Ridge as well.
My passion for horses was ignited during childhood trips to the Netherlands where I learned to ride and fell in love with breeds like Fjords and Friesians. My horsemanship journey later grew through lessons at Shady Lane Stables and then exploded through the Paul Kane High School Equine Studies program. This lead me to spend every spare moment at the barn in order to pay for a lease on an amazing Arabian gelding named Maverick. I have worked for every opportunity I had in the horse world, especially coming from a non-equestrian family, and have paid for it all through many long hours of work at various facilities!
I began coaching in 2013 and discovered my calling for working with both kids and horses. After purchasing my first and forever horse, a thoroughbred named American Girl, I pursued a bachelor's degree in secondary education. In 2019, while teaching junior high school full time, I returned to coaching after connecting with a new lesson barn "Mission Ridge", and later stepped into barn management. Today I have a busy family with two young kids, but still enjoy riding and taking lessons, coaching (now as an Equine Canada Licensed Coach), participating in clinics, working with my young horse Valyria, and trying new disciplines and activities - including regularly driving with my amazing mini ponies, Major and Maple.
With experience caring for up to 75 equines at a time, and a deep commitment to positive, relationship-based horsemanship, my focus is on creating a welcoming and encouraging community for riders and non-riders of all levels.
Lan Deleeuw
Lan started with Mission Ridge Stables in 2020, and is now our main staff member. There are very few days you won't find her at the barn! She has the unique ability to connect with people of all ages and walks of life, and make people laugh! Lan has decades of horse experience behind her, as she grew up around working horses in Waterton.
Lan is media-shy, so we share a photo of her favourite animal on the property instead - our senior donkey Mango.
"Lan is the Greatest"