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Middleburg Soul
By DALE LEATHERMAN
Horses, land and family (not necessarily in that order) are valued more than wealth or position in this exclusive Virginia community.
Middleburg, Virginia,
and its close-knit community of high-profile horsemen and women might have remained out of the public eye if it weren't for President John F. Kennedy, Families had lived here for generations, raising their children to ride before they could walk, compete at horse shows, and foxhunt through expansive estates. But then the charismatic young President and his wife Jackie, an avid rider, decided to lease a local farm. The press followed, and soon alerted the world to the millionaires, celebrities and ordinary folk enjoying their rustic lifestyle a mere 50 miles from the Washington Beltway.
EQUESTRIAN LEGACY
Middleburg's history is inextricably tied to the horse. In the 1730s what is now the Red Fox Inn & Tavern provided lodging on the Ashby Gap Road (Route 50), a day's horseback ride from Alexandria to the east or Winchester to the west. By the turn of the century the inn was surrounded by large farms, and wealthy residents embraced foxhunting, a passion inherited from their British forbearers.
The Civil War was a crushing blow to that lifestyle, but after the war the area's favorable foxhunting conditions drew new landowners with the wealth to rebuild. They became the "old guard" whose descendants now ride over the same countryside.
Long-time residents regret the passing of more recent "good old days," when local icons such as Theo Randolph, revered as the "first lady of foxhunting," served as master of the Piedmont Fox Hounds, the oldest hunt in the U.S.; and billionaire philanthropist Paul Mellon raised champion Thoroughbreds at his nearby Rokeby Stables.
But life is unchanged in ways that count. The upscale shops and restaurants in historic buildings along Middleburg's main street are flourishing. Not far from the town's lone traffic light, roads narrow and pavement gives way to gravel scored with hoofprints. The distant Blue Ridge Mountains are a backdrop to sprawling farms with gated entrances. Horses graze in pastures stitched together by miles of board fences and stone walls, their lines interrupted by coops and panels for riders to jump cross country.
OLD AND NEW
"All of the traditional equestrian activities in the area are thriving," says Cricket Bedford, a real estate professional who grew up in Middleburg and rides with the Piedmont Fox Hounds, as did her late father, Erskine Bedford, a beloved joint master of PFH. "The hunt fields are a wonderful mix of old and new people. We've lost some great leaders like Paul Mellon and Theo Randolph," she says, "but new folks are stepping into their shoes. Shelby Bonnie, Mrs. Randolph's grandson, has taken over her farm and is a joint master of Piedmont. He's a great example of the next generation carrying on. State senator Jill Vogel and her family own part of the former Mellon estate and host the Piedmont Fox Hounds Thanksgiving Day meet, a tradition held by the Mellons for decades."
Under the management of some sage elders and new blood, equestrian events like the Upperville Colt & Horse Show are going gangbusters, and steeplechase races at Middleburg and Great Meadow attract large crowds, according to Bedford. Polo has expanded in the area, with the addition of many new polo fields and opportunities for new enthusiasts to learn the sport. The area is home to many devotees of three-day eventing, a sport combining dressage, cross-country and show jumping.
The eventing community includes former Olympians Karen and David O'Connor, who now train other riders, candy heiress Jacqueline Mars, who is a major supporter of the sport and owns top competition horses;
and several active international riders. Many riders have been coached by James "Jimmy Wofford, winner of two Olympic silver medals in eventing, now one of the sport's top trainers. He lives at Fox Covert Farm with his wife Gail, a former joint master of the Piedmont Fox Hounds.
"We love the area's natural setting, the horses and the atmosphere," says Gail. "When we moved here in the 1970s there were fewer than 20 Piedmont Fox Hounds landowners. They were old Virginia foxhunters who understood the value of preserving open space and cover for wildlife.
"Middleburg was a sleepy little town with a lot of horses and horse-crazy people until the Kennedys and actress Elizabeth Taylor [who was married to the late Senator John Warner] arrived," she recalls. "When it became portrayed as the 'Horse Capital of the World' many people thought they wanted to live here. They bought big places and turned everything into lawns, disrupting the wildlife habitat--and then discovered they preferred life in the city
"That said, we have newcomers who understand the culture and are supportive," she adds, "Several local organizations educate them about how to conserve their land and historical sites, such as the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area, and the Goose Creek Association. The Virginia Outdoors Foundation and the Piedmont Environmental Council set up conservation easements for landowners in exchange for tax benefits."
Generous donations from locals have preserved and expanded Middleburg's National Sporting Library and Museum, a world-class research facility with more than 20,000 books and periodicals and about 800 pieces of art.
EQUESTRIAN EVENTS
MIDDLEBURG SPRING RACES
(steeplechasing, Glenwood Park, Middleburg) APRIL 15, 2023
VIRGINIA GOLD CUP
(steeplechasing, Great Meadow) MAY 6, 2023
TWILIGHT POLO
(Great Meadow) MAY 27 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 17, 2023
UPPERVILLE COLT & HORSE SHOW
(show jumping, Upperville) JUNE 5-11, 2023
GREAT MEADOW
International (eventing) AUGUST 24-27, 2023
NSLM POLO CLASSIC PRESENTED BY MARS EQUESTRIAN
(Great Meadow) SEPT. 10, 2023
VIRGINIA FALL RACES
(steeplechasing. Glenwood Park, Middleburg) OCTOBER 14, 2023
INTERNATIONAL GOLD CUP
(steeplechasing, Great Meadow) OCTOBER 28, 2023
SADDLE UP
You don't have to be a local or a horse owner to enjoy equestrian activities in Middleburg, thanks to Sheila Johnson and her Salamander Resort & Spa. Johnson was drawn to Middleburg by her daughter's love of horses. Her daughter became a successful show jumper, attended the local Hill School (now home to the Sheila Johnson Performing Arts Center) and polished her riding skills on her mother's Salamander Farm between Middleburg and Upperville. When Johnson decided to build the resort (opened in 2013), there was no question that it would be inspired by the surrounding equestrian community and 200 acres of the resort's property were placed into a conservation easement.
Equestrian art, much of it by local artists, decorates the resort interior and the 14,000-square-foot stable. Set on 25 acres, the equestrian center contains 22 large, airy stalls, two tack rooms, wash stalls and a function room for classes, parties and corporate events. A 120-by 240-foot arena lies nearby, along with riding trails through 340 acres. "We have 11 resident horses and ponies that are used in our riding and horsemanship programs," says Equestrian Director Ashley Farrell. "Stalls are available for short-term boarding by horse owners coming into town to compete, foxhunt or enjoy the Middleburg countryside on horseback. Guest horses also arrive for a rest during a long hauling trip, to be in wedding photos or just for relaxing and pampering," she explains. "While their owners are at the spa, their horses can have their own spa day with a bath and massage."
Thousands of resort guests visit the equestrian center every year for a trail ride, riding lesson, horsemanship program, pony ride or to stable their horses, according to Farrell.
One of the center's cherished residents is Cupcake, an 11-year-old miniature horse who appears in the resort's lobby and living room every weekend. "She gets braided and dolled up to visit with our guests from 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. every Friday and Saturday afternoon," says Farrell. "Guests love cuddling with her and taking pictures. She's quite a ham and loves the attention. Cupcake is also available to attend weddings, private dinners and corporate events."
The equestrian center offers private riding lessons, walking trail rides and a variety of horsemanship and children's programs, with reservations required. The facility is open year-round 9 a.m. to 3 pm. daily, but activities are limited in January and February to trail rides and horsemanship programs Friday through Sunday.
THE HUNT BREAKFAST
Hunt breakfasts are an American tradition. Often close to midday, participants return to the farm where the hunt originated, take care of their horses, and gather in the home of their hosts for sustenance and a rehash of the day. Bacon and eggs are never part of the hunt breakfast. Virginia ham biscuits often are, but the menu is entirely up to the hosts. For For instance, Bryce Lingo offers Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey to several hundred guests at his Orange Hill Farm before the hunt. Back at his home afterward, riders are served "Barn Chiller Punch a mix of orange juice, lemon juice and tequila with mint. The main course is Julia Child's recipe for beef bourguignon, served with salad and roasted fall vegetables. To add to the convivial atmosphere, Lingo says: " always have a piano player".
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