about us

Double J Riding Club is proud to welcome Nicole Quintavalle, one of our newest Double J Farm employees!

Nicole is our new Farm Programs Director and will be creating the curriculum for our Junior and Future Farmer classes and camps.

Nicole is an Illinois licensed Elementary and Special Ed Teacher and has taught in many schools in the Southwest suburbs of Chicago. Along with having a knack for working with children, Nicole is passionate about animals and excited to work at our ever-growing farm!

You can find her at the Farmhouse organizing classes and upcoming events, caring for our small animals, and even teaching early childhood, special needs, and senior citizen classes!

For questions about our Farm Program, please contact her at (708) 203-0717 or email nquintavalle.doublejridingclub@gmail.com.

I think my passion for teaching and my love of all things outdoor or animal related came from my parents. As a family, growing up in Michigan, we often did outdoor activities together like swimming, skiing, skating, and hiking. In addition, I honestly cannot remember a day where I wasn’t playing outside. I have always worked in some way as a teacher whether it was as a swim instructor and coach or in classrooms working with all ages from preschoolers to adults.

I have a Masters in Education from the University of Michigan and had a career as a Corporate Trainer/Instructional Designer. I was still working as a Corporate Trainer when my husband Dave and I first moved to the Chicago area. While working in the business world I never gave up on my love of the environment and the desire to teach children about nature and our role in protecting the earth. I decided to continue my studies and earned an Aquatic Biology Certification from Shedd Aquarium. After finishing that degree I worked at Brookfield Zoo where I developed and taught programming for all students including children and adults with disabilities. I became Manager of School, Group and Teacher programming and helped to create the School of Environmental Education (SEE Team) with Riverside Brookfield High School. When our daughter came along I decided to be a stay-at-home mom.
My exposure to Double J Riding club came from years of my daughter participating in camps, riding lessons and birthday parties. I feel like it is a little oasis for our children. Seeing that Double J was offering Jr. Farmers and Nature Science classes I just knew I wanted to be a part of the Double J Riding Club team. In addition to teaching about animals and the environment around us, I have walked a sheep, cooked Goat treats, picked grass for the baby cow and given our pigs a “spa day!”

I am a Mother, Grandmother, dog owner (Pug) and music lover who fell in love with horses when I was a Girl Scout. I am a Certified Riding Instructor and attended Meredith Manor in Waverly WV. I Specialize in centered riding, and my strengths are developing riders to 2nd level. I love Dressage, it is as beautiful as it is challenging but when done right, looks effortless as the horse dances beneath its rider. I previously worked at Arabian Knights Farms and Oakbrook Farms and reminisce about my former students all the time!