Middleburg Life | April 2018

POSTAL CUSTOMER

Volume 35 Issue 1 | April 2018 | middleburglife.com

Presort Std ECRWSS US Postage Permit #75 Fredericksburg, VA

MIDDLEBURG

LI F E

MIDDLEBURG • 540-687-6321 PURCELLVILLE • 540-338-7770 LEESBURG • 703-777-1170 ASHBURN • 703-436-0077

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MIDDLEBURG

LI F E APRIL 2018 middleburglife.com

PUBLISHER Greenhill Media LLC EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Elaine Anne Watt EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Chelsea Rose Moore COPY EDITORS Chelsea Rose Moore, Rachel Musser BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & DISTRIBUTION Thomas Jeffrey ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVES Thomas Jeffrey, Jennifer Richards ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Joanne Maisano CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mollie Bailey, Trevor Baratko, Heidi Baumstark Callie Broaddus, Kerry Phelps Dale, Morgan Hensley Kaitlin Hill, Dulcy Hooper, Richard Hooper, Carolyn Kincaid Peter Leonard-Morgan, Peter Milligan, Chelsea Rose Moore Kate Parker, Beth Rasin, Ashley Bommer Singh Anne Sraders, Summer Stanley, Martha Wolfe CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Callie Broaddus, Eryn Gable, Doug Gehlsen Tony Gibson, Crowell Hadden, Joanne Maisano Karen Monroe, Julie Napear, Yetta Reid MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Abbey Veith DESIGNER: Elisa Hernandez PRODUCTION DIRECTOR: Nicky Marshok ADVERTISE IN MIDDLEBURG LIFE Greenhill Media, LLC P.O. Box 328 | Middleburg VA 20118-0328

FIND US ON Instagram @middleburglife Twitter @middleburglife Facebook.com/middleburglife

540.687.5950 | info@middleburglife.com

ON THE COVER

SUBSCRIBE TO MIDDLEBURG LIFE www.middleburglife.com

Celebrating 35 Years of Living the Middleburg Life

All editorial matter is fully protected and may not be reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the publisher.

All unsolicited manuscripts and photos must be accompanied by return postage; the publisher assumes no responsibility. Middleburg Life reserves the right to reject any advertising. Distributed in Aldie, Alexandria, Ashburn, Boyce, Delaplane, Dulles, Front Royal, Gainesville, Haymarket, Leesburg, Manassas, Marshall, Middleburg, Millwood, Paris, Purcellville, The Plains, Rectortown, Reston, Tysons, Upperville, Warrenton, Washington, D.C., and Winchester.

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Images photographed and digitized

by Tony Gibson. Cover Design by Elisa Hernandez, Elaine Anne Watt and Tony Gibson.

ON THIS PAGE Daphne Walsh on Quick Draw McGraw at the Piedmont Fox Hounds Point to Point Pony Race. Photo by Joanne Maisano.

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ON THE

has been documented and celebrated.

After searching the archives and reviewing hundreds of past editions, a relatively few were chosen to be photographed and digitized by the very capable hands of Tony Gibson. He did a fabulous job of replicating the covers for us so that we could prepare this month’s cover. Selections were made from each month of the year over the span of 35 years to capture the heart and spirit of our community.

With a collage in mind, our designer, Elisa Hernandez, then worked with Tony and I to come up with the final cover layout.

Look closely and you’ll see some wonderful moments from many talented

COVER

By Elaine Anne Watt

T

he cover for this month’s 35th Anniversary Issue was a labor of love.

From the very first edition showing a mare with her foal entitled “New Life” by photographer Howard Allen to our recent cover images, Middleburg Life as we know it

photographers. A few of the contributing photographers over the years to Middleburg Life include Madelyn Marzani, Pamela Rahray Brown, Allen Studio, Marshall Hawkins, Janet Hitchen, Mary Coker, Douglas Lees, Pam Hovey, Mark Young, Crowell Hadden, Lauren Giannini, Karen Monroe and Doug Gehlson of Middleburg Photo, Noel Ryan, Yetta Reid and many more. Not everyone’s work could be included, but we hope you enjoy the selection.

We look forward to bringing you many more in the years to come. ML

THANK YOU FROM THE PUBLISHER

W

e would like to personally thank our readers for being a part of this commemo-

rative anniversary edition, celebrating 35 years of living the Middleburg Life.

Middleburg’s monthly magazine, covering people, lifestyles and trends that define our community. In these pages, we reminisce the old days, welcome new businesses, and meet old and new faces.

Take a moment to celebrate the history of

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A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated

editorial department, production team, contributors, distribution and sales representatives in putting this special issue together. May our next 35 years be as fulfilling as the last!

— David Greenhill

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MELVIN POE HUNTSMAN LEGEND HOMEGROWN IN FAUQUIER COUNTY

By Heidi Baumstark

T

hey say legends never die. When it comes to the late Melvin Poe, his legacy in the world of foxhunting lives on.

Poe, a native of Fauquier County, was noted as the most celebrated huntsman in American foxhunting and famous worldwide. A beloved member of the equestrian community for more than half a century, Poe captured the hearts of hounds and hunters.

A man of modest background, Poe was born on August 24, 1920, raised during the Depression on a farm in Hume with hounds, horses, cattle and a bounty of animals to trap for food. He grew up hunting with his father, siblings, cousins and neighbors. The third of 10 children born to Ollie and Eva Poe, his boyhood home was five miles down the road from Ozark Farm, which is where he lived until his death at age 94 on Sept. 13, 2014.

In the book (published 2017) “Foxhunters Speak: An Oral History of American Foxhunting,” which is a compilation of interviews and photographs, in Melvin’s own words, he shared, “My dad worked for a dollar a day. As poor as we were with so many kids to feed, we took our hounds out every day to catch game.” Game included opossum, squirrels, skunks and muskrat. “Muskrat is one of the best things you can eat … [and] I got fifteen squirrels in one day with a rifle.”

In those days, many farmers had their own pack of hounds. On Sundays, they would join the packs together. “We’d have a big go of foxhunting…We were ole country boys that came up the hard way and weren’t scared of nothing,” said Melvin.

During World War II, he served a tour in the Army as a jeep mechanic, taking part in the June 1944 Normandy invasion in France.

In October 1945, he returned to Virginia, and a month later, he was hired as professional huntsman by Old Dominion in Orlean, Huntsman | Page 7

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Huntsman | From page 6 where he stayed until May 1962.

Two months later (July 1962), Orange County offered him a position as huntsman, and he remained in that position until his retirement in April 1991, four months before his 71st birthday.

But that was not his final destination as huntsman. In “Foxhunters Speak,” Melvin said that Mr. George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. came to him in 1992 with an offer “to start a little hunt in Bath County [in Warm Springs, Virginia] with me as huntsman.”

Ohrstrom, a long-time president of Orange County and admirer of Melvin, hired him to be huntsman until that folded in 2011. (Bath County was founded in 1932, but the hunt was declared inactive during World War II until Ohrstrom revived it in 1992.)

With all this experience, Melvin was known as the dean of American huntsmen, breeding, training and riding hounds to conquer the ruses of the fox. Wearing the traditional scarlet coat and carrying an English horn during hunts, Melvin

and his famous pack of American “red ringed-neck” hounds led horses and riders on exhilarating chases through the Piedmont’s forests and fields. He was a familiar name in Middleburg circles, well known

by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, sports magnate Abe Pollin, actors Robert Duvall and Dick Smothers, and some of Virginia’s most distinguished families.

But to those who knew him best, he was a pure countryman who raised cattle and made hay on his 70-acre farm in Hume. He played baseball, umpiring or coaching his Hume teams, and competed in jousting tournaments. Famed for his down-to-earth southern charm, Melvin performed his duties with amazing ease, achieving a remarkable connection between foxhunter and hound.

“He was a real countryman, quite a character,” remembers Malcolm Matheson III of The Plains.

Matheson is a joint Master of Foxhounds at Orange County Hounds since 2004, along with MFHs John Huntsman | Page 8

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Huntsman | From page 7 Coles and Neil Morris. Matheson first met Melvin in the early 1970s when he would come from Washington, D.C., to hunt at Casanova in Fauquier County. In a 2007 document written by Matheson, he describes Melvin: “By far the most recognized name associated with the Orange County [Hounds] is that of the legendary Melvin Poe who is revered worldwide for his skills in the breeding, training, and hunting of hounds.”

To further cement Melvin’s role as huntsman, the award-winning film, “Thoughts on Foxhunting,” was released in 1979 by Delaplane filmmaker Tom Davenport, and it remains a popular classic. The film includes Melvin’s wife, Peggy, who hunted with him. The premiere of the film was at the Kennedy Center in D.C., but the first showing locally was at the Middleburg Community Center.

Furthermore, “Foxhunting with Melvin Poe” was published in 2002 by the late Peter Winants, who himself was a celebrity in horse circles as long-time editor and publisher of The Chronicle of the Horse magazine and a driving force—along with Ohrstrom—behind the creation of Middleburg's National Sporting Library. Melvin was also featured as the cover story in the Feb. 21, 1991 issue of Britain’s leading equestrian magazine, Horse and Hound. In 2011, Melvin was inducted—along with younger brother Albert—to the sport’s Hall of Fame: the Huntsmen's Room at the Museum of Hounds and Hunting at Morven Park in Leesburg.

But back to Orange County: Originally, Orange County Hounds dates to 1900 and was formed by wealthy foxhunters in Orange County, New York (hence the name). But by 1903, urbanization and cold winters caused enthusiasts to seek happier hunting grounds in Virginia. In 1905, Orange County purchased William Skinker, Jr.’s 70-acre farm

and pack in The Plains, where it remains today.

Stephen “Reg” Spreadborough, a native of England, has been Orange County huntsman since 2006 and remembers Melvin well. “Melvin would come by to say hello at the kennels, and I’d see him at hound shows,” Spreadborough says. “He gave pointers. I’ve always listened to the older generation, including Melvin.” In England, foxes are more of a pest in the farming community. But here, it’s about the sport, the thrill of the hunt, chasing the fox to ground.

“Definite dedication,” that’s how Spreadborough describes Melvin.

“If you don’t love it, you can’t do it for long. And he dedicated himself [to Orange County] for roughly 30 years. That was Melvin.”

Matheson remembers, “Though he brought his homemade wine for after hunts, I never saw him actually drink it. Melvin would say, ‘You’re out there for fun.’ He knew his hounds, and his hounds loved him; he was so fun to watch.”

And, the birthday parties. “We loved going to his birthday parties,” Matheson said. “Especially, my wife, Gail—she loved them. He had bluegrass bands. It was in August, and we’d sit out there on his farm in Hume and dance on his walkway going to the house.”

Up until the last year of his life, he hunted his hounds and managed his farm. As stated in “Foxhunters Speak,” Melvin said, “At the age of 93, I still hunt my hounds on Fridays and Sundays from my backyard kennel. I love all types of hunting, not just foxhunting.

Foxhunting was the only sport that paid me to do what I’d do anyway! … If you love to hunt like I do, it’s just who you are, and I’m too old to change!”

One of the most beloved and respected huntsmen in North America, Melvin Poe is truly a legend whose memory lives on. ML

Page 6, top: A Wally Nall painting of Melvin Poe in his scarlet coat with the Orange County pack. Courtesy photo from "Foxhunting with Melvin Poe," by Peter Winants.

Page 6, bottom: Iconic black-and-white image of Melvin Poe with his hounds. Courtesy photo by Janet Hitchen. Page 7: At the age of 12, Melvin (kneeling) playing with foxhound puppies in 1932. His brother, Jim, is in the center standing, neighbor Jack Thompson is on the horse. Courtesy photo from "Foxhunting with Melvin Poe," by Peter Winants. Page 8, top: Peggy Poe, Melvin’s wife, helping him get ready for a hunt.

Courtesy photo from "Foxhunting with Melvin Poe," by Peter Winants. Page 8, bottom: Melvin Poe posing for a photo to promote Tom Davenport’s 1979 documentary, Thoughts on Foxhunting, starring Poe. Courtesy photo from "Foxhunting with Melvin Poe," by Peter Winants.

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GOVERNING MIDDLEBURG

By Chelsea Rose Moore

T

he Town of Middleburg is unique for many reasons. There are the horsedrawn carriages, the beautiful farms and rolling hills, the world-class wine, the spectacular vistas, the iconic peanut soup, the luxurious dining experiences, and the rich history. Then there’s the town itself and the people who give it its signature style and sophistication. But those who have spent time in Middleburg, know there’s more. Middleburg is about a feeling—a feeling spread through the community, touching every person who comes within its borders.

The Middleburg life is a different kind of life, carefully preserved by a staff of employees who have a deep understanding and love for the town. More than anything external, it’s written on their hearts and guides their daily actions.

“It’s not that we are trying to be snobs about it; we just love the way we live,” said Mayor Betsy Davis. “As much as we are for-

ward-thinking and want to be on the cusp of new things, we want to retain that tradition and history. We want to be modern on the inside, but we don’t want to be modern

on the outside. [People ask,] ‘Why won’t you let things like McDonald’s in [the town]?’ We like the fact that you come here and don’t Middleburg | Page 12

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Middleburg | From page 10 have those kinds of stores. You want to come here and be different.”

Middleburg’s Town Council appointed the current Town Administrator, Town Clerk, Town Treasurer, Chief of Police, Town Attorney and other members of various Boards and Commissions, each of whom work tirelessly to continue making Middleburg an appealing place to live and work. With the exception of the Police Department, all departments have a staff of one and must wear many hats to get the job done.

Every single town employee understands and truly knows Middleburg, Davis remarked.

“They all came here originally because they knew about our town and were charmed by it and loved it,” she said. “We’ve hired people who are not only talented but who understand the town. They love working here.

That’s what keeps them going strong. They love what they are doing and where they are doing it.”

As Middleburg Town Administrator, Martha Mason Semmes is a jack-of-all-trades.

She is responsible for the overall administration and oversees the staff at the town office.

In her job interview in 2010, she said, “I don’t think there’s anybody you could hire who could have more love and appreciation for this town.” To her, Middleburg is an incredibly special town (“Everyone here has such a strong sense of place!”), and she loves working to preserve its flourishing community.

“We are a small town,” she said. “We are not Ashburn. We are not Leesburg. We don’t want to grow like crazy. We like very incremental growth.”

Helping a town as small as Middleburg continue to thrive comes with its own set of challenges. For example, providing water and sewer services to a town with 487 customers can become both challenging and expensive.

Semmes and her coworkers are always looking for ways to economize, while not compromising the quality they provide to residents.

“A lot of times people take for granted that they flush the toilet and it’s taken care of, or that they have the police there to protect them, or that their trash is picked up,” she noted. But that’s part of the reason she is so passionate about local government: You see the results of your work quickly. When a change is made, or a system is updated, you see the tangible effects of the work you did.

“You see people using the sidewalk instead of walking in the road,” she said.

For Town Clerk Rhonda North, the thing that makes Middleburg so special is the people. She is particularly impressed by the amount of volunteerism she sees, a trait that enables the town to get things done quickly.

“I think it’s a matter of helping your neighbors and helping your community,” she said. “I think folks understand that you’re more successful if you’re working together to

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the whole process of how the council works and what we get done,” said Mayor Davis.

“It is so important to have a well-oiled and knowledgeable staff. We have hired excellent staff that are completely dedicated. They do the work 110 percent, and they make us look good. They are doing this day in and day out.

We make the decisions, but if you don’t have the right staff working, you are up a creek.”

With a historic election coming up on May 1, Mayor Davis is ready to pass on the mayoral torch and focus more on family and a slower pace of life. She is confidant Middleburg will be in good hands after her departure.

“All the candidates understand the town, what we want to be and who we are,” said Davis. “It’s extremely important for people to vote. That right we were given [to vote], we should learn what is going on and should vote. We all should care. We all should have a say.”

In general, local and national elections have seen low voter turnout in recent years.

When Davis reflects on how hard America’s forefathers fought for the right to vote, and further, how tirelessly women worked to achieve the right to vote, she is saddened by the complacency she sees today. Every vote cast is an opinion voiced. Every vote cast makes an impact.

Voting is a means of becoming engaged with your community, according to North.

“It’s your way to share what things you think are going well and what you would like to see continue. We are here to serve the citizens and need input from those citizens. And they in turn, help guide the staff, so we can get things done for the community.” She referenced a Middleburg election where a candidate won by literally one vote. “Your vote counts.” ML To vote in the election on May 1, 2018, visit your normal polling location.

try to achieve goals. They understand it, they appreciate it—it’s sort of a way of life here in the community.”

North has been working as Middleburg’s Town Clerk since 2007, and she tracks agenda items for council meetings, takes minutes, and works on special projects. Each department has their own “functions,” and North ensures they have the items they need to work together to achieve their goals. Currently, the departments are working on producing an Electronic Agenda System for greater efficiency in meetings, and they are setting up a system for videotaping town council meetings. Residents will be able to watch council meetings online or type in specific topics (like “water” or “sewer”) to watch segments relating to their topics of interest. North is hoping these systems will be fully functional by May. “We have a fantastic staff of employees for the town, and they are so very important to

APRIL 2018

Unregistered voters can register to vote in the upcoming election by visiting Loudoun County’s Voter Registration Office at 750 Miller Dr. S.E., Suite C, Leesburg. Contact Judy Brown, General Registrar, at 703-777-0380 with questions, or email vote@loudoun.gov.

Or register online by visiting www.vote.virginia.gov to submit a registration form online, or print it out and mail to the office. Online voter registration deadline is Monday, April 9 at 11:59 pm. In-person voter registration deadline is Monday, April 9, at 5:00 pm. By-mail voter registration must be postmarked no later than April 9.

Page 10: Mayor Betsy Davis waves to bystanders as she sits with Town Council members, Photo courtesy of Betsy Davis. Page 12, top: Mayor Betsy Davis poses for the camera. Photo courtesy of Betsy Davis.

Page 12, middle: Martha Mason Semmes is Middleburg's Town Administrator. Photo courtesy of Martha Mason Semmes. Page 12, bottom: Rhonda North is Middleburg's Town Clerk. Photo courtesy of Rhonda North.

Mount Gordon Farm

Red Gate Farm

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149 acres along the historic and scenic byway between Aldie and Leesburg • Open, usable, rolling farmland • 2 ponds, windmill, lots of road frontage • 5/6 BR Victorian farmhouse plus converted water tower • Charming setting, large porches, beautiful specimen trees, large garden side pool • First time offering in 50+ years • Not in Conservation Easement Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905 Helen MacMahon (540) 454-1930

203 acres in Fauquier w/nearly 1 mile of Rappahannock river frontage • Elegant stone & clapboard house • 5 BR, 4 full & 3 1/2 BA • 4 FP • Wood floors • Gourmet kitchen • Gunnite pool w/stunning views overlooking Blue Ridge Mtns and private pond • Situated amongst protected properties • 5 stall Jim Fletcher barn w/pristinely maintained paddocks, pasture and gdns • 2 car garage w/in-law suite • Old Dominion Hunt territory • VOF Easement Alix Coolidge (703) 625-1724

“Mayapple Farm," purist delight • Original portion of house built in 1790 in Preston City, CT • House was dismantled and rebuilt at current site • Detail of work is museum quality • Log wing moved to site from Western Virginia circa 1830 • 4 BR, 4 full BA, 2 half BA, 9 FP & detached 2-car garage • Historic stone bank barn and log shed moved from Leesburg, VA • Private, minutes from town • Frontage on Goose Creek Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905

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Belvedere

Gileswood Farm

Lovely residence situated atop a knoll overlooking President James Monroes's famed Oak Hill • Property consists of 5 bedroom main house and tenant house • All on approximately 40 cross-fenced acres • 6 stall barn with wash rack and tack room • Top level finishes and construction throughout • Turnkey and private Paul MacMahon (703) 609 1905

52 acres, 3 miles from Middleburg within the Little River Historic District • Original 1780’s farmhouse has been completely renovated w/an impressive kitchen, old charm, porches & stone fireplaces • 3 bay garage has space above for overflow guests or home office • Extensive site work has been completed to at excellent building site w/views of Bull Run & Blue Ridge Mts • Well & septic installed • New board fencing • Original stone walls, old growth hardwood trees & multiple outbuildings.

Helen MacMahon (540) 454-1930

Gracious home with 5 BRs • Gourmet kitchen • Twostory floor-to-ceiling window display of the Blue Ridge Mountains • 3 FPs, coffered ceilings, random width rustic cherry floors • Large home office, gym, rec room, multiple porches and patios • Three finished stories, approx.

10,000 sf. • Carriage house • Garage • 27 acres Helen MacMahon (540) 454-1930 Margaret Carroll (540) 454-0650

Immaculate custom-built craftsman home with gorgeous finishes • Gourmet kitchen • Vaulted ceilings • Open floor plan maximizes light & views • 1st floor master suite • Home office • Large family room opens to impressive pool area with cabana and extensive stone terrace overlooking neighboring lake • Large barn easily built out for horses • Land fenced & prepared for 2 acre vineyard Helen MacMahon (540) 454-1930

Marley Grange

Old Fox Den Farm

Stoneway

Winchester Road

Understated elegance • Finely appointed home built in 1997 on 76 acres • 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2 half baths, 5600+ sq. ft.

• Very private • 10 stall barn • 224 ft. X 128 ft. blue stone ring • Fine horse property • Choice ride-out • In conservation easement, bordered by farms in conservation easement Tom Cammack (540) 247-5408

Restored 3 bedroom 1830's farmhouse on 65 acres • Multiple porches & fireplaces, lots of charm • Lovely pool, shared pond, 4 stall barn, workshop • Expansive mountain views, rolling open pasture & fully fenced elevated land • Gorgeous setting in the protected valley between Middleburg and The Plains • Conservation easement permits 2 more homes to complete the compound Helen MacMahon (540) 454-1930

Well designed stucco single story • 3 BR • 4 full BA • 2 half BA • Master bedroom w/his and hers dressing room/bathroom en suite • Library • Sun-filled sitting room-dining room • Kitchen with breakfast nook and chef’s caliber appliances • 2 FP • Large mudroom off 2 car garage • Cutting garden • Nestled on 10 private wooded acres in sought after Orange County hunt Alix Coolidge (703) 625-1724

1.69 acres with frontage on Route 17, right off Route 66, currently zoned R-4 • New Marshall code zoning calls for Gateway District, potential office building, etc. • Solid stone house on property • Sold in "As Is" condition • Owner licensed real estate agent in VA Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905

Firethorn Lane

Hunts End Place

Watermill Stone Cottage

Madison Street

Main residence recently renovated • Large master suite and two additional generous sized bedrooms, each with their own full bath • Large gourmet kitchen • Lovely living and dining rooms • Wrap around porches with western views from the elevated site • Charming guest house • Beautiful gardens and stonework Alix Coolidge (703) 625-1724 Helen MacMahon (540) 454-1930

Mt. Gilead location, minutes to Leesburg & Greenway • Major upgrades to home since 2010 • 4BR with great master suite • 2-1/2 BA, 3 FP, high ceilings, wood floors throughout • Pool w/brick & stone terrace, paved driveway • 5-stall brick barn, tack room, hay storage • New board fencing, run-in shed.

Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905

Exquisite jewel located in North Fork between Middleburg & Purcellville • Circa 1770 stone cottage with antique floors, stone fireplace & beams • Main level bedroom & kitchen addition by renowned Allen Cochran seamlessly blends with original cabin • Stone terrace surrounded by perennial gardens & fenced paddock • Great front porch, barn, storage building & additional space for studio & guests.

Helen MacMahon (540) 454-1930

The Plains, Virginia $9,850,000

Aldie, Virginia $2,900,000

Millwood, Virginia $1,875,000

The Plains, Virginia $775,000

Aldie, Virginia $3,750,000

The Plains, Virginia $2,480,000

The Plains, Virginia $1,750,000

Leesburg, Virginia $725,000

info@sheridanmacmahon.com www.sheridanmacmahon.com

Hume, Virginia $3,600,000

Middleburg, Virginia $1,950,000

The Plains, Virginia $1,195,000

Purcellville, Virginia $675,000

Middleburg, Virginia $3,400,000

Purcellville, Virginia $1,950,000

Marshall, Virginia $895,000

Middleburg, Virginia $425,000

Immaculate cottage in village of Middleburg • Very well maintained and cared for • 2 bedrooms on main level, new kitchen, new bathrooms, new roof, new HVAC and new windows • Charming back yard with views of Salamander Resort • Finished lower level with full bath and separate entrance • Bright sunroom and pretty plantings • Easy and minimal maintenance Helen MacMahon (540) 454-1930

110 East Washington Street • P.O. Box 1380 Middleburg, Virginia 20118 (540) 687-5588 APRIL 2018

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EARLY SPRING RACES:

A GRAND START Photos by Joanne Maisano

1

3

4 The beginning of the spring race season brought fine competition and eager participants. The Warrenton Point to Point races were held on March 17th at the Airlie Racecourse, followed the next day by the Pied-

5

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2

mont Fox Hounds Point to Point at the Salem Racecourse.

If you missed them this time, be sure to gather your tailgate supplies and head out to the next events coming up. ML

Photos: 1. Capturing each stage of the jump at the Piedmont Fox Hounds Point to Point Races. 2. Bret Owings, winner of Foxhunter Timber race on Prime Prospector at the Piedmont Fox Hounds Point to Point Races. 3. 4th Race Open Flat, Keri Brion on Taper Tantrum took 2nd place, Mark Watts on Balance the Budget took 1st place and Gerard Galligan on Junonia took 3rd place at the Warrenton Point to Point Races. 4. 5th Race Novice Rider Flat in the snow.

Winner in yellow silks was Bryan Cullinane on He's One Wild Dude, Warrenton Point to Point Races. 5. Linda Devan and Kim Ginn enjoy tailgating and sport Spring Races | Page 16 at the Piedmont Fox Hounds Point to Point Races.

PIEDMONT HUNT $9,800,000 | 9092 John Mosby Highway, Upperville, VA 254 acres | Gloria Rose Ott +1 540 454 4394

RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER $6,300,000 | 12473 Crest Hill, Flint Hill, VA | 100 acres Gloria Rose Ott +1 540 454 4394

FOX DEN $799,000 | 306A E Marshall Street, Middleburg, VA John Edelmann +1 202 423 6900 Alexander Cernik +1 434 981 9144

ALMOST AN ACRE IN MIDDLEBURG – COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL POSSIBILITIES $5,900,000 | 115 West Washington Street, Middleburg, VA Bundles Murdock +1 540 454 3499 | Laura Farrell +1 540 395 1680

MIDDLEBURG $695,000 | 208 Locust Street, Middleburg, VA Laura Farrell +1 540 395 1680 Bundles Murdock +1 540 454-3499

ALEXANDRIA — WELLINGTON VILLA $5,750,000 | 7615 Southdown Road, Alexandria, VA | 7615southdownroad.com Phyllis Patterson +1 703 408 4232

GEORGETOWN $5,600,000 | 1515 31st Street NW, Washington, DC Michael Rankin +1 202 271 3344

MILESTONE FARM $1,248,000 | 19634 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont, VA | 30 acres Gloria Rose Ott +1 540 454 4394

BROKERAGES: MIDDLEBURG, VA +1 540 212 9993 • GEORGETOWN, DC +1 202 333 1212 • DOWNTOWN, DC +1 202 234 3344 • CHEVY CHASE, MD +1 301 967 3344 • McLEAN, VA +1 703 319 3344 ALEXANDRIA, VA +1 703 310 6800 • ARLINGTON, VA +1 703 745 1212 • ANNAPOLIS, MD +1 410 280 5600 ttrsir.com ©2018 TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, licensed real estate broker. Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated. Equal housing opportunity. All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Price and availability subject to change.

APRIL 2018

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SPRING RACES (continued from page 14)

1

3

2

4

Photos: 1. A little hound love at the Piedmont Point to Point Races. 2.

Sunset District finished the second race without a rider at Warrenton Point to Point Races. 3. Woods Winants on Eva Smithwick's Rutledge Classic at the Piedmont Fox Hounds Point to Point Races. 4.

Winner of the 1st Race, Airlie Steeplechase, Dance King ridden

by Ross Geraghty, owned by Rosbrian Farm. Second #2 Orchestra Leader trained by Jimmy Day, owned by Team Ollie and ridden

by Keri Wolfsont Brion.

A VISION FOR OUR COMMUNITY Preserve & Protect Middleburg Safe, sustainable water and utilities Help our local businesses thrive Invest and prepare for our future Paid for and authorized by Bridge for Middleburg

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www.bridgeformiddleburg.com 571-276-7730 | bridgelittleton@gmail.com

EXPERTS IN APPRAISAL, RESTORATION, CLEANING AND REPAIR SERVING THE ENTIRE METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY FOR

32 YEARS

Co-owners Paul Aliloo and Arash Aliloo Amir Raza, Manager of Restoration & Cleaning Bulmaro Gutierrez

Aliloo and Son Rug Gallery Direct Importer of Fine Handmade Oriental Rugs, specializing in semi-antique and antique silk and wools Finest selection of Heriz, Serapi, Tabriz, Caucasians, Silks and Oushaks From small area rugs to palace size 11 S. Madison Street Middleburg, VA 20117

Hours: Monday - Saturday 10 - 5 p.m.

Sunday 12 - 5 p.m

540-687-3048 arugs@msn.com

www.facebook.com/AlilooandSon/ APRIL 2018

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Timber Frame Horse Barns HANDS-ON APPROACH TO CUSTOM, QUALITY CRAFTSMANSHIP

Few things are more rewarding than building a horse barn from the ground up. Timber by timber, each piece is cut, milled and carved with fine precision. We know that the success of an authentic timber frame structure rests on expert engineering, quality materials and craftsmen who are skilled in traditional post and beam construction techniques. At B&D Builders, we build it right, or we don’t build it.

Request a quote or meeting with Ben or Daniel 717.687.0292 CustomBarnBuilding.com

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ALL IN THE FAMILY Local wineries reward their loyal followers with exclusive perks Story and photos by Trevor Baratko

F

amily. It's the word that won't stop surfacing during a zig-zagging trek through Hunt Country wineries. Beyond the inviting wine itself—and the therapeutic, spotty-cell service surroundings—the conversations revolve around wine clubs.

What are their perks; what are their aims?

Among Virginia's 280 wineries, most, if not all, offer a club membership or rewards program. Some are quarterly clubs, while others are yearly. Some aim to keep out the masses; others hope to lure them in. A few clubs like an aura of exclusivity, and others want to be a place for the everyman.

But whether it's the welcoming tasting room team at Rappahannock Cellars, Desert Rose Ranch's husband-wife hospitality or the icon Jim Law at Linden, the theme persists: Wine club members are family.

“To be able to stay and relax and enjoy what we enjoy—I love for people to do that,” Law tells Middleburg Life of his club, wherein one of the main perks is access to the grounds.

“I couldn't make that happen in a civilized way before because there were so many people. It's our way of saying thank you, thanks for supporting us. Enjoy the peace and quiet.”

Law says 10 years ago the winery's popularity was ballooning to unsustainable levels.

“This place was a zoo, and I hated it,” he notes.

So the wine club was one way to stave off the shenanigans. While anyone can come into Linden for a tasting, only club members or their guests can stay, sit and sip afterwards, taking in a tranquil view overlooking the valley. Linden's website says it best: “Tasting wine in situ (in its original place) gives one a deeper appreciation and understanding of the terroir and personalities that make up what you sense in the glass. Linden’s driving winemaking force is to respect and explore the terroir of our vineyards. We strive to have Linden’s winery and grounds reflect our

unique setting and atmosphere.”

Simplicity is a second selling point for Linden's club. Interested parties merely have to buy a case of Linden wine, and they're in the club for a year. While that may mean a steeper up-front cost than splitting up a case or 10 bottles throughout the year, it's also a swifter transaction.

Down the road at Desert Rose Ranch and Winery in Hume—to which the wondrous, winding journey is, in the words of Clark W. Griswold, “all part of the experience, honey”—the club is known as The Posse.

“You've got to join The Posse,” says a jovial Bob Claymier, the owner who explains the club's commitments.

Posse members buy at least two bottles a quarter, and they're then entitled to 10 percent discount on all wines purchased, a complimentary tasting or glass upon each visit, and special release parties. As with nearly every club, membership includes either early or exclusive access to “member-only” wines.

Wineries | Page 20

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Wineries | From page 19 A true “mom and pop” producing around 1,300 cases a year, Desert Rose counts about 400 members in its club.

“We're honored. What else can it be but an honor?” says Claymier, who owns the winery with his wife, Linda. “Obviously they are committing to pay for the wine.

They come in enough that they're comfortable, and they clearly like the wines. We want our club members to be family. I sometimes have trouble remembering all their names, but nevertheless they are our family.”

In Middleburg, at John Kent Cooke's polished Boxwood Winery, the club offers tiered levels – gold, which requires purchasing three bottles twice a year; platinum, bumped up to six bottles twice a year; and diamond, 12 bottles twice a year.

Boxwood's more than 800 club members across all levels enjoy 20 percent discounts on all purchases the day of joining, new release priority, 15 percent case discounts and quarterly club member events, among other perks. Those events range from a summer celebration in the vineyard, a holiday party at the winery and tastings in Boxwood's pristine barrel room.

One benefit Boxwood's club offers no other local winery can is the carryover to The Tasting Rooms, the company's chic wine bars in Reston and National Harbor, Maryland.

“We want them to feel like there's value,” Jessica Chivers-Wilson, Boxwood's regional sales manager, says of their club members. “The value is great. We have a series of regulars who come in often, always give us a hug.

They're happy to see us; we're happy to see them. There's a strong level of camaraderie among our winery program.”

Like Boxwood and Linden, Rappahannock Cellars pays close attention to experience and ambiance.

Tess Delmare, Rappahan-

nock's club manager, is eager to show off her Huntly winery's “club only” rooms, where members are essentially ensured calm, quiet elegance in which to savor their vin.

“We're really a wine community; it's very much a family,” says Delmare, whose dad Jim is the owner. “If you join our club, you're really a part of the family. We want to get to know you.”

Delmare says the wine club, which includes a minimum of two bottles every four weeks for around $55, accounts for nearly 80 percent of Rappahannock's business (though the Rappahannock team is playfully mum on just how many club members they have).

Jim Delmare says he's no longer surprised to hear from club members that events are their favorite aspect of the program. “As I’m often reminded,” he says on the winery's website, “before our customers fell in love with our wine club and the events, they fell in love with our wine. And that’s what makes me most proud.”

Wine clubs are about commitment, something that can be pesky for the more exacting wine drinker. Just because you belong to one or two clubs doesn't mean you can't indulge in other wines, of course, but joining a club can at times limit your imbibing options. “We may as well go there to get our money's worth,” the thinking goes.

But it's that commitment that bolsters the bond between a local vintner and their followers.

“Our friends introduced us to this place,” Linden club member Leah Nicholls says while taking in the scene. “It just blew us away.

We save the wines for special occasions, our anniversary or our birthday—that's when we pull out the Linden wines.” ML Trevor Baratko is the managing editor of the Loudoun Times-Mirror in Leesburg. His wine industry coverage earned first place in column writing from the Virginia Press Association in 2014.

Page 18, left: Linden Vineyards owner Jim Law in his Hardscrabble vineyard, just down the hill from the winery's low-key tasting room. Page 18, right: Bob and Linda Claymier own Desert Rose Ranch and Winery in Hume, where the motto is, “We take our wine and wine making very seriously but not ourselves.” Page 20, top: Leah Nicholls and Jonathan McDaniels of Washington D.C., club members at Linden Vineyards, take in the view from the winery. Page 20, middle: Two wines from Desert Rose Ranch and Winery in Hume that were recently released during a club party for The Posse. Page 20, bottom: A calm and comfortable club room at Rappahannock Cellars in Huntly.

Rappahannock offers several club only rooms.

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CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF TWILIGHT POLO

WITH

The Silver Anniversary Season presented by Greenhill Winery & Vineyards

Photo by Cheryl Hurn

SATURDAY NIGHTS FROM MAY 19 TO SEPTEMBER 15 AT GREAT MEADOW

Tickets Available at greatmeadow.org/tickets.

5089 Old Tavern Road 2018 Twilight Polo Middleburg Life Ad.indd 1

F

The Plains VA, 20198

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(540) 253-5000

APRIL 2018

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m i d d l e b u r g l i f e . c o m27/03/2018 2116:02

A SPORTING VISION AN EXHIBITION AT THE NSLM

The Paul Mellon Collection of British Sporting Art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

By Richard Hooper

P

aul Mellon’s influence in Middleburg, as elsewhere, is significant and lasting. When Mellon moved into Brick House on his estate outside of Upperville in 1941, it became a base for his sporting, collecting and philanthropic interests—all of which overlapped.

In the coming years, he would underwrite the construction of Trinity Church in Upperville, build the Middleburg Training Center, and purchase more than a thousand acres of land near Paris, Virginia, which he would give to the state as Sky Meadows Park.

Along with a million-dollar donation Exhibition | Page 23

Above and Beyond the Rest

Overlooking Upperville and the bucolic surrounding valley this Mountaintop Retreat offers something very special. The mid-century modern 4 level home has been renovated and features 4 BR, 3.5 BA, FR w/ FPL, 1st FL. BR w/ BA, 2 car gar. The views are rare and spectacular. Total privacy on 117 acres. Close to the Appalachian Trail and Shenandoah River.

Please contact

Joyce Gates 540-771-7544 joyce.gates@LNF.com Middleburg Sales Office

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Exhibition | From page 22 toward the construction of the new buildings for the National Sporting Library & Museum, he donated books and works of art. Among these are a bronze statue of his horse Sea Hero (winner of the Champagne Stakes, Kentucky Derby and the Travers) and another bronze depicting a Civil War horse, a memorial to the 1.5 million horses and mules that were casualties. The NSLM also has the collection of weathervanes formed by Mellon, one of which adorns the cupola of the library building itself.

We are reminded again of this tremendous impact with “A Sporting Vision: The Paul Mellon Collection of British Sporting Art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts” on exhibit at the National Sporting Library & Museum from April 13 through July 22.

The 84 paintings on exhibit were a gift from Mellon to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. They currently form a traveling show, of which Middleburg is the first stop, followed by the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature in Paris. The collection will then return to the United States for exhibitions at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts (Tennessee) and The Frick Art & Historical Center (Pennsylvania).

The tour will end in September 2019, after

which the paintings will return to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to go on permanent display in their refurbished galleries.

Beginning with six magnificent paintings by George Stubbs, the exhibit is divided into five categories. Four of the Stubbs paintings are equestrian scenes, one is of a recumbent tiger, and the last is of a black and white spaniel.

“In Pursuit” depicts foxhunting, shooting and angling, with angling represented by Henry Thomas Alken. In four small paintings

by Dean Wolstenholme the Younger, shooting is portrayed in each of the seasons. There is also a painting of shooting by Benjamin Marshall. The emphasis, though, is foxhunting, a pursuit in which Mr. Mellon was passionately engaged for more than 50 years, both here and abroad. Chronologically, it begins with “A Meet of Foxhounds” painted by James Ross in 1732. Some of the other canvases with hunting scenes are by John Nost Sartorius, James Seymour, John Frederick Herring Sr. and the naïve painter John Cordrey.

Also exhibited in “In Pursuit” is “The Melton Hunt Going to Draw the Ram’s Head Cover,” a large painting by Sir Francis Grant containing 37 portraits spread across its breadth. Grant, aside from a few lessons from John Ferneley Sr., taught himself to paint

by copying old masters. After significantly depleting his abundant inheritance on collecting paintings and chasing the fox, Grant began painting professionally, becoming one of the most sought after portrait painters of Victorian high society and royalty, including several of Queen Victoria. His portraits frequently depicted his subjects engaged in equestrian activities. Grant was only one of two sporting artists to become President of the Royal Academy. The other, Sir Alfred Munnings, is represented in the exhibition with three paintings.

The paintings exhibited in the category “In Motion” show the English racing scene from 1715 with John Wootton through Sir Alfred Munnings in the mid-20th century.

It also displays paintings by Peter Tillemans, James Seymour, and John Frederick Herring Sr. This section is also devoted to scenes of coaching and carriage horses. Paintings by James Pollard represent both coaching and racing with additional carriage related paintings by Charles Cooper Henderson, Richard Barrett Davis and others.

Rural life, horses, hounds, exotic animals, pigs and other creatures make up the category “Animal, Man, Country.” Among Exhibition | Page 24

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Exhibition | From page 23 these paintings, we are shown the gentle activity “A Game of Skittles,” painted by the French artist Pieter Angellis and “Two Durham Oxen” by the painter of prized livestock, Thomas Weaver. There is a family portrait by Herring Sr., painted in 1842, of Thomas Dawson, his wife and their three children, one of whom sits upon his pony, and the pet greyhound. Dawson, an innovative racehorse trainer, is not portrayed working with horses but with his family. It is a lovely painting, representing an emerging middle class.

“The World Upside Down” is the concluding section of the exhibition. It is made up of the delightfully satirical painting, “The Rising Woman and the Falling Man,”

by John Collet, a most entertaining scene

by Philip Reinagle of a spaniel playing a piano and a series of 10 paintings by John Ferneley Sr., showing the hunting exploits of Count Sandor in Leicestershire in 1829.

The Count takes a large number of falls, including two spills into drainage ditches.

Perhaps Mr. Mellon felt a certain sympathy for the Count. As he recounted a hunting experience in England in 1970 in his autobiography, “Reflections In A Silver Spoon,” Mellon stated that, “I had the misfortune more than once to fall into deep, water-filled ditches, earning for myself the nickname ‘Water Mellon.’”

There will be a members-only opening reception for this exhibition on the evening of April 13. If you are not a member, there could not be a better time to join and, in the spirit of Paul Mellon and others, support this world-class resource and treasure of our region. ML

Page 22: Tessa Pullan, (British, b.1953) Sea Hero, 1995 bronze on slate stone base 96 x 88 x 29 1/4 inches National Sporting Library & Museum, Bequest of Paul Mellon, 1999, Acquired 2014 Page 24, top: Sir Alfred Munnings (English, 1878-1959) Linin’ ‘em Up, Newmarket, ca. 1940-53 oil on panel 19 3/4 × 23 1/2 inches Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond.

The Paul Mellon Collection Page 24, middle: Philip Reinagle (English, 1749-1833) Portrait of an Extraordinary Musical Dog, 1805 oil on canvas 28 ¼ × 36 ½ inches Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond.

Paul Mellon Collection Page 24, bottom: Dean Wolstenholme the younger (British, 1798–1882) Shooting in the Four Season of the Year: Autumn- Pheasant Shooting, ca. 1850 oil on panel 10 ½ x 14 15/16 inches

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38386 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg VA

22553 Creighton Farms Drive, Leesburg, VA 20175

38386 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg VA Mosby Highway, 22553 Creighton Farms Drive, Leesburg, VA 2017 38386 John Middleburg VA 22553 Creighto

22553 Creighton Farms Drive Leesburg, VA 20175

35185 Dundee Court Round Hill, VA 20141

$2,099,990

$2,699,990

$2,699,990

$1,150,000

Exquiste Renovated Gem Farm… with over finished square perchedproperty on Investors Dream with a five year tenant in place through May, 2022. 9,000 Welcome to Woodland 169,800 breathtaking acres offeet equestrian Investors with a five year tenant in place through May, hand2022. eight acres with pristine views! inVast planwith separate square foot Dream Farmhouse-style home with Habersham Plantation kitchen, andprime majestic countryside nestled theopen heartfloor of Virginia’s renownedoffice, Hunt 9,000 square footfloors, Farmhouse-style home withwalk-in Habersham Plantation LIving and Dining Rooms, Chef’s Kitchen, Sun Room and two story Family Room scraped hardwood elegant master suite with closet fit for royalty.

Country. Stately masonry pillars and a winding paved drive will guide you over kitchen, hardwood floors, master with with fireplace.

Upper level hosts En Suites.custom, Master stone Lower levelhand-scraped theater room and wet bar, stone wineelegant cellar and 4-stopsuite elevator. themasonry clear mountain stream and up the hillfive to spacious the extraordinary, walk-in closet fit for royalty.

Lower level theater room and wet bar, retreat features a Sitting Room, dual sided fireplace, walk in closets and Extensive hardscaping and heated custom pool with spa and pool house. and hardiplank main residence. Situated on a knoll, views of lush pastures, stone treed, wine 3cellar and 4-stop elevator. Extensive hardscaping and private Master Bathroom is aseen private with of dual Private, acre fenced lot. rollingbalcony. hills and wooded land can be fromoasis all sides thisvanities, exquisitesoaking home. heated custom pool with spa and pool house. Private, treed, 3 acre tub and separate shower.

Lower level boasts an expansive Room, full This beautiful country estate also boasts a five-stall centerRec aisle bar, fenced fenced lot.

Bathroom and a blank canvas of unfinished perfect for a sixththat Bedroom, riding ring and a Guest Cottage with twospace separate apartments each $2,099,990 $2,699,9 $2,099,990 Kitchen, and with wet bar. on the property. overlook theMedia woodsRoom and stream located

Welcome to Woodland Farm… 16 breathtaking acres of equestrian property Welcome to Woodland Farm… 16 breathtaking of with equestrian Investors acres Dream a fiveproperty year tenant in place through May, Investors Dream wit and majestic countryside nestled in the heart and of Virginia’s Hunt majesticrenowned countryside nestled in the heart of Virginia’s renowned Hunt home with 9,000 square foot Farmhouse-style Habersham Plan 9,000 square foot Fa Country. Stately masonry pillars and a winding paved driveStately will guide you over Country. masonry pillars and a winding paved drive will guide you over kitchen, hand-scraped hardwood floors, elegant suite kitchen, master hand-scrap the clear mountain stream and up the hill to the the extraordinary, custom, stone clear mountain stream and up the hill to the extraordinary, custom, stone walk-in closet fit for royalty. Lower level theater room and walk-in closet fit we fo and hardiplank main residence. Situated on a knoll, views of lush pastures, and hardiplank main residence. Situated on a knoll, views of lush pastures, stone wine cellar and 4-stop elevator. Extensive hardscaping stone wine cellar a rolling hills and wooded land can be seen from allrolling sides hills of this exquisite home. and wooded land can be seen from all sides of this exquisite home. heated custom pool with spa and pool house.

Private, treed, 3 heated custom poo This beautiful country estate also boasts a five-stall aisle bar, fenced This center beautiful country estate also boasts a five-stall center aisle bar, fenced lot. fenced lot. riding ring and a Guest Cottage with two separate each riding apartments ring and a that Guest Cottage withfenced two separate apartments that each overlook the woods and stream located on the property. overlook the woods and stream located on the property.

22694 Creighton Farms Drive, Leesburg VA 20175

10595 Brookeville Court, Great Falls, VA 22066

22694 Creighton Farms Drive, Leesburg 20175 10595 Brookeville Court, Great Falls, VA Brookeville 22066 22694 VA Creighto 10595 Court, Great Falls, VA 22066

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14917 Cub Run Park Drive per Month Rent Centreville VA 20120

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FUN ON EVERY LEVEL

By Kaitlin Hill Photos by Callie Broaddus

E

nter Middleburg’s Fun Shop, and you will instantly understand the name.

The shop’s magnitude of merchandise creates a maze-like atmosphere more similar to an endless fun house than a stuffy department store. Towers of toys, walls of rainbow colored linens, stacks of imported soaps and more are selected and sold by proprietors and sisters, Page Allen and Betsy Allen Davis. The duo acquired their keen sense for business during a lifetime spent in the store started by their mother.

When the family moved to Middleburg in 1954 it was, “just a sleepy little town,” according to Page. “With plumbing, gas, just real functional businesses,” adds Betsy.

In 1956, their mother opened a shop, in

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part to fulfill her childhood dream, and also out of necessity. “She always, since she was a little girl, wanted to have a shop and be a proprietor,” Page says.

Nancy’s struggle to find clothes and toys for her two girls was also a factor. Page remembers her mom saying, “There’s nowhere to buy children’s clothing and toys. Maybe I could do something.”

With a small loan and the shop’s name, both provided by her mother-in-law, Nancy opened the first Fun Shop. “Mom started in a hole in the wall, across the road,” Page remembers, gesturing out of her office window.

As the business grew, Nancy looked for a larger footprint. Her husband, Howard, owned a photography studio in the building across the street and invited her to share the space. “He said, ‘come on and move up here with me; I have plenty of space.’ That was the

APRIL 2018

wrong thing to say,” Betsy says with a laugh.

“Through the years, he got smaller and smaller, and she got bigger and bigger,” jokes Page.

The expansion beyond children’s merchandise was driven by town demand and Nancy’s willingness to go above and beyond for her customers. “Whatever people needed, Mom would get it,” Betsy says. Page adds, “They [customers] would say, ‘Do you have such and such?’ And she’d say, ‘No, but I can get it.’ That was mom’s thing, service.”

Now, 62 years later, that mindset is still at the heart of The Fun Shop. Betsy and Page carry on their mother’s tradition of going the extra mile for their patrons, sometimes literally. Page travels the country, often stopping in Atlanta, Chicago or New York, searching for goods to sell in the store. She Fun | Page 28

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Fun | From page 26 has even traveled as far as Toronto. If they can’t find it on the road, they will scour the internet. And as Betsy puts it, “nine out of 10 times, we find it.”

Occasionally whatever they are looking for is brought to their front door. Over the years, Nancy built strong relationships with sales reps that would often come knocking, hoping to get their product into The Fun Shop rotation. “They loved mom, but she was a business woman and she’d say, ‘Don’t take my time showing me all those things, I know what I like!’ ” Betsy says. “Mom would always be pretty blunt and say, ‘Oh that’s ugly.’ ” Nancy’s honesty earned the respect of the sales reps, often the same reps Betsy and Page use to this day.

It is these close working relationships that the sisters enjoy most about working at the shop. “It’s like a big family. We know about their families, and they know about ours,” Page says.

“At Christmas they’ll bring gifts, food they make themselves. One brings the apple pie from the little pastry shop. They’ll bring us lunch,” Betsy elaborates.

They [customers] would say, ‘Do you have such and such?’

And she’d say, ‘No, but I can get it.’ That was mom’s thing, service.

- Page Allen Though successful business has its perks, it also has its challenges. Like so many other family-owned shops in small towns, The Fun Shop has to compete with online shopping. “It’s not good, not just Middleburg, but for all these small towns.

We want to keep these wonderful small towns and keep them vibrant,” Betsy says. Large retail stores pose a threat, too. “They are on all four sides of us; you go north, south, east or west, there is a Walmart or a Target,” she adds.

But The Fun Shop remains an integral part of Middleburg’s community and a shopping destination, providing what e-commerce and large chains cannot. Page says, “We offer the service that you don’t get at all these other stores. We do free giftwrap; we do special ordering; we ship things for people.”

However, what sets The Fun Shop apart isn’t only the extra services the sisters offer. If you wander through the twisting aisles stocked with a little bit of everything, you are likely to see a few signs stating, “There’s more.” These couldn’t be more fitting. In a world that is becoming increasingly automated, where customer service is often overlooked for cost cutting, The Fun Shop is a reminder of what shopping used to be. For Page and Betsy, there’s more than just the transfer of goods between proprietor and patron; there’s service, there’s family and, of course, there’s fun. ML

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Page 26: Sisters, Page Allen and Betsy Allen Davis have lovingly tended the family store. Page 28, top: Every inch of the expansive store is full of gadgets and trinkets for sale. Page 28, middle: You will find foxes in a few departments, especially home decor. Page 28, bottom: Rainbow colored linens line the walls of their kitchen department.

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A LIFETIME OF HORSES, HUNTING & HOUNDS

By Dulcy B. Hooper

“I

’ve been around hounds and hunting, one type or another, my whole life,” said Albert Poe, legendary huntsman, horseman, houndsman and so much more.

Where does one begin in trying to capture even a modicum of this rich history and fulfill a small measure of justice to Poe’s reputation and myriad accomplishments?

Born into a family of 10 children in Hume, Virginia, Albert (who was born in 1931) and his older brother Melvin (1921-2014) are renowned in the horse world. The extended Poe

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family is credited as being one of the country’s most legendary families in the world of foxhunting. Albert is described by author Raymond G. Woolfe Jr., as “a quintessential huntsman, a veritable wizard with horses, hounds and people.”

Albert is, as well, a raconteur, his memory brimming with colorful anecdotes acquired over the decades. His stories meander seamlessly, shifting from foxhunting to horse training, from steeplechasing to the breeding of hounds—and then circle back again.

As the stories wind back and forth, Albert is patient when asked, again and again, “What year are you talking about now?” or “Which

APRIL 2018

hunt was that?” There are the hunts that have been so much a part of Albert’s life and for which he is so well known—Old Dominion, Piedmont, Fairfax, Middleburg—and the iconic individuals with whom he has been involved along the way.

At the age of 15, Albert had served as his brother’s whipper-in when Melvin was huntsman to the Old Dominion Hounds. Several years later, that experience with his brother (who was by then already renowned in the world of Virginia foxhunting) led to his first huntsman position, with Piedmont Fox Hounds. Albert was hired in 1954 by joint Lifetime | Page 32

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Lifetime | From page 30 masters Paul Mellon and Mrs. A. C. Randolph, becoming, at the age of 23, the youngest professional huntsman in the country.

Albert remained with Piedmont for almost 20 years, from 1954 to 1972. “They wanted to ride hard,” he said. “We were hunting two days a week, and then we went up to four days a week.” When Albert’s interest began to move in the direction of horse racing, he and Mrs. Randolph had a “parting of the ways.”

Albert said he had loved racing even as a young child. In Charles Town, West Virginia, he devoted himself to training and working with his already-successful race horses. “It really made all the difference in my life,” he said, “being my own horse trainer. When I found out that I was a good enough trainer, that meant everything to me.”

Albert ran his first race in 1972, and with more than 20 years of steeplechasing, said he never experienced a single fall. “And that’s because I only raced horses that I trained myself,” he said. “I wouldn’t ride someone else’s horse because I wouldn’t have known well enough what he needed to win.”

Six years later, Albert recalled, Mrs. Randolph came to visit him. “She was just by herself,” he said, “and that was very unusual. She said, ‘I made a mistake firing you, Albert. I want you to come back.’”

Lifetime | Page 33

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APRIL 2018

Lifetime | From page 32 Albert said he would have gone back, but it was too late. His success in training race horses at Charles Town had ultimately led to all of his horses being claimed, and he was spending time as an outrider. “So when Randy Rouse offered me the opportunity to join the Fairfax Hunt, I jumped at it,” he said. “Mrs. Randolph was too late. They liked to run hard in Piedmont, but they liked to run hard at Fairfax, too.” Albert remained with Fairfax for four years.

In 1980, Albert was asked to come on board with Middleburg Hunt. “They doubled my salary,” he recalled, “but I had a crazy bunch of hounds to deal with. You thought you had just let a bunch of pigeons out the window—they would just go flying out like birds.”

Albert began breeding his own hounds for Middleburg. “Ideally, you would line breed 40 brothers and sisters, but of course you can’t do that. So you breed cousins,” he said. “When you do that, they think alike, they move alike.

American Hounds—you look them straight in the eye, and they back down. They are really nice hounds. That pack—there were no stragglers, no one left behind.”

Margaret Gardner, joint master of Middleburg Hunt, 1984-1994, recalled that, “You could see them from off onto the hillside, and it was just amazing. It was like an Escher print, the way they all turned around and came back when Albert called. I will never forget it.”

Albert’s brother, Melvin, although officially retired, was hunting with Bath County Hounds when Albert decided to give him five hounds. “I had 40 hounds then,” Albert recalled. “Might have been 25 in Middleburg, some in Boyce, some in Blue Ridge. Melvin called me a couple of weeks later and said, ‘I’ve gotta have five more.’ So I asked him, ‘Aren’t they working out for you?’ And Melvin said, ‘No, your five were all out in front of the others, and they can’t keep up. I need five more.’”

In a 2002 book, “Foxhunting With Melvin Poe” by Peter Winants (1926-2009) there are numerous references to Albert and his “renowned pack of American foxhounds, the offspring of which are found in packs throughout the United States.”

“Melvin didn’t like to talk a lot,” Albert said. “So Peter wasn’t getting too far with him for that book because Melvin just answered every question with ‘yep’ or ‘nope.’ So I got in the car with Peter, and we drove for hours and hours, and I just talked.”

In 2011, Albert and Melvin were inducted into the Huntsmen’s Room of the Museum of Hounds & Hunting North America. Albert’s induction comments were made by John J. Carle, II, Ex-MFH (Keswick Hunt, Virginia): “Albert Poe is widely considered the best breeder of American Foxhounds of the 20th

century. He showed a natural gift with horses and from an early age was breaking and training ponies for neighbors. His skill in the saddle served him well over his many years in professional hunt service.”

“I could go on and on as far as how good it all was,” Albert said. And, indeed, he could. ML

Page 30: Left to right Albert Poe, huntsman, on Black Mail with Eddie Wines and Charlie Kirk on The Old Grey Horse hunting with the Piedmont Fox Hounds about 1969. Photo by Marshall Hawkins from the collection of Margaret Gardner. Copyright McClanahan Camera. Page 32, top: Albert Poe, huntsman, for the Piedmont Fox Hounds at St. Bride's Farm, 1961. Photo by Marshall Hawkins, courtesy of the National Sporting Library & Museum. Copyright McClanahan Camera, Warrenton. Page 32, middle: Fleeting Roy with Albert Poe up. Fleeting Roy won his 20th race at Southern Pines in 1990 over a course built by Albert. Photographer unknown. Courtesy of Albert Poe. Page 32, bottom: Albert Poe, huntsman for Middleburg Hunt from 1980 to 1995. Photo by Karen Osborne Monroe, courtesy of Margaret Gardner. Page 33, top: Albert Poe leads hounds in a Middleburg Hunt Christmas parade. Also in pink are Joint Masters Margaret Gardner and Dr. James Gable. Between Poe and Gardner is Pamela Harriman. Photo by Karen Osborne Monroe, courtesy of Margaret Gardner. Page 33, bottom: Albert Poe with his hounds, circa 1997. Photographer unknown. Courtesy Margaret Gardner. Page 33, bottom: Albert Poe showing 13 years of American Steeplechase Association pins during an interview in March at Wing field Farm, home of Margaret Gardner.

Photo by Richard Hooper.

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A CONVERSATION WITH

MARK SNYDER

By Elaine Anne Watt There are three registered candidates for Mayor of Middleburg for the coming election on May 1: Vincent Bataoel, chairman of the town’s Economic Development Advisory Committee since 2014, Mark Snyder, a Town Council member since 1998, and Bridge Littleton, a Town Council member since 2016. Beginning with Bridge Littleton in February, Vincent Bataoel in March, and now Mark Snyder for our April edition, we’ve been privileged to have an opportunity to discuss each of the candidates’ visions for our town.

M

ark Snyder and I had never met prior to sitting down together to discuss his thoughts on the upcoming election and hopes for the Town of Middleburg. Having read some of his columns in the Middleburg Eccentric, I was aware of his active engagement in the affairs of the town, but there was much to learn about Mark both personally and professionally.

Mark unabashedly spoke of his love for the town where “he landed in his late 20s after his marriage ended.” He remains very close to his one daughter, who lives not too far away, north of Richmond near Tappahannock, but when he first arrived in town he was eager to put down roots. His professional career matured here over the course of the past 35 years with a company originally called Advanced Technology, which then changed to the Planning Research Corporation and eventually became Northrop Grumman, a very important company in the defense and government contract world.

He started getting involved in the governance of Middleburg in the mid-90s when there was the threat of a bypass being built around town. Mark had seen what had happened to Leesburg when their bypass was built, “sucking the life out of businesses in town and changing the character and environment of the town.” He was determined that Middleburg should not suffer the same fate.

Mark notes that Middleburg may be unique in Loudoun County in that it has never suffered the effect of an urban growth area.

“If you overlook the importance of open space, you lose this town,” said Mark. And, at the same time, “it’s not realistic to expect a lot of businesses that cater to local people to choose to come here.”

“The Town Council has been proactive in promoting tourism and anticipating the needs of businesses, but they need to do more to acknowledge and accommodate the needs

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of residents as well,” he said. Mark wants the town to have the benefit of his experience in working through challenging times, when the town was not enjoying excess revenues.

“Betsy [Davis] and I came on the council at the same time, in 1998, and we’ve worked well together,” he said. “I want to provide continuity for this town while making choices on the allocation of resources and where they are needed most.”

He’s also not in a hurry to spend money that doesn’t need to be spent. “I’m a little bit concerned that we are paying consultants for things that we used to do ourselves, adding projects or potentially properties or a little too eager to talk about replacing offices or adding technologies that we don’t really need,” he said.

One of the accomplishments of which Mark is most proud was his role in addressing what was an urgent wastewater treatment problem when negotiations with Salamander Resort were underway.

“We already knew that we needed to upgrade or replace the water treatment facilities,” he said. “We once had many people

APRIL 2018

bring us jars of discolored water and complain about low water pressure. The whole town had to be shut down when a pipe burst because we had no shut-off valves.” Mark had stepped up and made utilities his issue when he first came on the council.

“So, why not ask Salamander Resort, whom we were already working on a Memorandum of Understanding with, to not just contribute, but pay for the whole thing?” he said. “They not only agreed to build the current wastewater treatment plant, they’ve built a second water treatment plant as well.”

Mark also spearheaded the importance of the Town and Salamander co-holding an easement with an open space land conservancy, which was done. Responsible development and protecting the land and character of the town always have been of paramount importance to him.

“The role of Mayor is a leadership one.

The Mayor is there to help shape what happens to the town, to invite people in and to talk to other governmental bodies to effect what is in the best interest of our communiConversation | Page 35

Conversation | From page 34 ty. We’ve been very fortunate that the Town Council has been very cohesive for close to 20 years. We argue, gain consensus, and then most votes are unanimous,” said Mark.

He is concerned that a true understanding of the financial picture has not been made clearer. Saying that we have three to four million in the General Fund in “real reserves” is “overstating, as it includes grant monies and money we’ve borrowed but not yet spent on projects that have already been committed to,” he said.

Mark would like to see a General Fund reserve that is at least 50 percent of the annual budget. “We might be there or getting close, but we certainly aren’t above that figure,” he said. “We have a lot of work remaining to be done, including replacing the substandard water lines in Ridgeview and the West End Pump Station this year. Some of the General Fund will need to be loaned to the town Utility Fund to accomplish these much needed improvements.”

As part of his position as council representative on utility issues, Mark has looked very closely at water rates in Middleburg compared to other towns. “They are higher, on average about 1 ½ times other districts.

Instead of building a wastewater treatment

plant with a capacity of 175,000 gallons, two times the normal flow needed for the town, a 250,000-gallon capacity facility was built,” he said. “Bigger is not always better, because it costs more to run and maintain.

A town of only 700 residents can’t spread out those costs.

“I spent a lot of time assessing current utility budgets, looking at end of life for major assets, and refining models to show the impact on stabilizing water rates and avoiding major fluctuations,” he added. “I walked the current council through it, and they understand it now and that we can hopefully maintain and improve our systems without the need to borrow more money.”

Furthermore, Mark said, “It is not typically the role of the Town to subsidize the utilities to reduce rates to consumers; in fact, it is usually utilities that contribute to towns.”

All in all, these types of issues, being able to make necessary improvements in good times and saving for a rainy day for the tough times, is part of good governance. “There are people who are expecting us to do more things than are realistic. Council doesn’t remember the tough times,” said Mark.

Understandably, he’s proud of the two actions recently shepherded through Richmond

by Council members. The first allows Middle-

burg and Loudoun County to send a joint real estate bill, providing fiscal savings to both, and the second allows Middleburg to waive personal property taxes for town residents while still being able to assess businesses.

Mark also has been instrumental in his role as the council representative on the Wellhead Protection Committee, which is tasked to protect source water and threats to the watershed.

“We take wellhead protection more seriously than any other municipality, I believe,” said Mark. As a result, the Virginia Department of Health wants to set up Middleburg as a model for source water protection.

“You have to serve to keep things going and get things done,” he said. “It’s not just what’s important to you, but it’s what’s important to the town. You have to ask, what are we not doing that we should be doing?

“I don’t want just trust,” said Mark. “I want people to ask questions and to be a part of the process. Governance has to be transparent, and people have to take the responsibility to look at what’s happening. I won’t promise anything in this election that I won’t answer to later.” ML Page 34: Photo courtesy of Mark Snyder.

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The Middleburg Barn at Fox Chase Farm HOLDS ITS GRAND OPENING APPRECIATION EVENT

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APRIL 2018

Sunday evening, February 25, 2018, found The Middleburg Barn at Fox Chase Farm beautifully lit for its Grand Opening Appreciation Event. Invited were area businesses, vendors and guests who had been involved in establishing this gorgeous new venue just outside of the town of Middleburg or who might be interested in planning their own event there in the future.

Sisters Maureen Hanley and Doreen Bicoy were on hand to host the evening, which included performances by Todd Brooks performing solo on guitar and later the Darby Brothers Band.

Guests were treated to an array of delicious food and had an opportunity to meet vendors in the hospitality industry eager to be a part of your special wedding day or celebration.

Congratulations to the team at Fox Chase Farm upon the launch of The Middleburg Barn! ML Photos: 1. A view from the loft onto the main barn floor. Photo by Elaine Anne Watt. 2. Salt & Sugar Desserts' owner and chef, Vanessa Rosario makes all her delicious confections from scratch. Photo

by Elaine Anne Watt. 3. Multiple levels and gorgeous structural elements combine elegance and functionality in this special venue. 4. The expansive dance floor easily accommodated the eager guests thoroughly enjoying the band. Photo courtesy of Klaire Dixius Photography.

5. Designed Perfectly Events & Design planned the event thanking guests and featuring a variety of event vendors.

Photo by Elaine Anne Watt

The Paul Mellon Collection of British Sporting Art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

April 13 - July 22, 2018 Coffee with theCurator

Saturday, April 14 10 – 11:30am

Join us for Coffee with the Curator! The event includes an informal coffee reception and special tour of the exhibition with Dr. Colleen Yarger, the Curatorial Research Specialist and Curatorial Assistant for the Paul Mellon Collections at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. $5 admission, free to NSLM members.

Sir Alfred Munnings, P.R.A. (British, 1878–1959), Linin’ ’em Up, Newmarket, ca. 1940–53, oil on panel; Sir Francis Grant, P.R.A. (Scottish, 1803–1878), The Melton Hunt Going to Draw the Ram’s Head Cover, 1839, oil on canvas; George Stubbs, (English, 1724–1806), Black and White Spaniel Following a Scent, 1793, oil on canvas. This exhibition is organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Images Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond. Paul Mellon Collection. © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

THE 98TH ANNUAL

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2018 Glenwood Park Racecourse Middleburg, VA Post Time 1:00 p.m.

General Admission $20.00 per Person Tailgate Spaces from $250.00

Ticket Information: www.middleburgspringraces.com (540) 687-6545 Sponsors The Family of J. Temple Gwathmey • The Grassi Family Merrill Lynch Private Banking and Investment Group Sonabank • Mr. and Mrs. Rene Woolcott The Red Fox Inn • Middleburg Bank Photo by Tod Marks

Sanctioned by The National Steeplechase Association • Races run rain or shine

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MIDDLEBURG'S

SHARON CEMETERY

By Martha Wolfe

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here are those of us who love old cemeteries. These places of remembrance and rest are not just peaceful; they are humbling. To stroll along an old carriage path past graves dating to the earliest days of a town’s settlement is to realize the fleeting nature of one’s existence.

Sharon Cemetery in Middleburg is just such a place. On a frigid mid-winter day yellow-gold lichens glisten in the slanting

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afternoon light. Solitary walkers and couples ambled by, one with a reluctant toy poodle unenthused by the weather. No one is in a hurry. It’s not a hurried place. The pond is frozen; great towering cedars, junipers and cypress cast long shadows across the graves and paths. A holly tree’s berries add a spark of color.

Established as part of the shared-denominational “Free Church,” now the Middleburg Baptist Church, in 1849, Sharon Cemetery is the oldest of three cemeteries that occupy

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land adjacent to the Church. The Middleburg Memorial Cemetery was incorporated in 1938, and the Emmanuel Cemetery was established in 1965. The only other cemetery in Middleburg is the Solon just west of town on Rt. 50.

Originally, the Free Church cemetery surrounded the two-story brick building within the churchyard boundaries. When it became full to overcrowding, late in 1849, Humphrey Brooke Powell and a dozen other citizens Sharon | Page 39

Sharon | From page 38 incorporated the Sharon Cemetery Company. Today Sharon Cemetery is administered by a board of volunteer trustees whose families have buried generations of loved ones in its 4 ½ acres, including two of Middleburg’s founding families, the Powells and the Chinns.

The portal into the cemetery on East Federal Street is a beautiful marble gate built by P. P. Perry of Leesburg. Circumscribed within a wrought iron picket fence, the grounds slope south toward a two-acre pond. The church was a hospital during the Civil War. Uneven ground is evidence of the unmarked graves of soldiers, making it necessary to probe before digging a new grave.

Sharon Cemetery is a designated site on www.CivilWarTrails.org.

Additionally, some of the 250 soldiers from Loudoun County who fought in the War of 1812 are buried here.

Headstones and monuments are carefully chosen symbolic representations of a family’s affiliations. In America the symbolism originates from Victorian ideas of death and the afterlife.

Marble lilies, roses and palm fronds adorn headstones in Sharon, symbolizing love and life ever after. Plants are also symbolic to gravesites. Evergreen trees symbolize everlasting life; the dogwood symbolizes divine sacrifice and resurrection; ivy is for undying affection, and the ash tree is supposed to deter evil spirits. Tiny blue-purple periwinkle flowers symbolize life’s fleeting spring and are often planted over graves of the unknown or poor.

At Sharon Cemetery, besides massive ancient evergreen and deciduous trees, you will find beautifully elaborate and simple headstones and family monuments of granite, marble and cast iron. The Hulbert Family plot includes an unusual monument to happiness and joy: a gargoyle. Over six feet tall and sufficiently imposing, the copper beast has weathered to a beautiful patina.

“The gargoyle was always a thing of happiness for my family,” Daphne Cheatham explains.

Formerly an ornament on the façade of a bank in Newark, New Jersey, Cheatham’s great uncle had it shipped to Virginia when the bank was demolished. “People used to screech to a halt in that bad curve on Foxcroft Road,” says Cheatham, when the dragon-like figure, standing guard at the Newmary Farm pool, could be seen from the road. The gargoyle followed Cheatham’s mother, Bettina Ward, to various farms throughout her life—McVeigh, Oak Stream, Southerly—until her last wishes placed it in its present and most important place of prominence.

Obelisks, granite plank tables, ancient coffin-shaped monuments hide beneath boxwoods, yews, cedars and cherries. A fat red fox with white-tipped tail, sans trailing hounds, trots past on his daily rounds leaving footprints on the frozen pond. Take a stroll through Sharon, or any of Middleburg’s four beautiful cemeteries. It’s good for the soul. ML Martha Wolfe is the author of The Great Hound Match of 1905: Alexander Henry Higginson, Harry Worcester Smith and the Rise of Virginia Hunt Country (Lyons Press, 2015).

Page 38, top left: Even on a frigid winter morning one can find a spark of color in the cemetery. Page 38, top right: Ancient evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs tower above the graves, making Sharon Cemetery something of an arboretum. Page 38, bottom left: The Hulbert family plot includes a gargoyle, an heirloom from a New Jersey bank inherited by Newell J. Ward. Page 38, bottom right: Some family plots in Sharon Cemetery feature the craftsmanship of fine local masters. Page 39, top: Veterans of the American Civil War and the War of 1812 are buried at Sharon. Page 39, middle: One of the cemetery's sweet reminders of a lost loved one. Page 39, bottom: Many headstones in Sharon Cemetery are adorned with Victorian symbolism; lilies symbolize innocence.

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s John Coles s “ Specializing in Large Land Holdings”

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Oakendale Farm is the epitome of an exquisite Virginia hunt country estate in prime Orange County Hunt territory. From the William Lawrence Bottomley designed Manor house to the meticulously manicured gardens, grounds, dependencies and the hundreds of acres of surrounding pastures with protected view-sheds.

333 acres @ $8,990,000 or 837 acres @ $17,990,000

ALDIE – OATLAND VIEWS off of Oatlands Road - 271 ACRES divided into 11 Parcels ranging in size from 13 – 41 Acres with private road frontage on Clear Creek Lane. 10 of the 11 parcels have wells and Certification Letters for 4 Bedroom septics. Land protected by Loudoun County Open Space Easement. $5,500,000.00

World class equestrian facility comprised of 115 Acres in the OCH Territory. The U shaped complex encompasses an 80’ x 180’ lighted indoor riding arena connected by a breezeway to the 12 stall center-aisle barn and extraordinary living and entertaining quarters overlooking the outdoor ring.

Additional structures include tenant houses and large heated equipment barn. $4,400,000

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Great elevation, fantastic views, open land, woodlands and river frontage on the Rappahannock River. 726.66 acres in 14 parcels, all of which are 50 acres or larger.

Accessed from Hume Road and from Black Rock Ford. Mixed game for hunting. Great opportunity for tax credits. $2,979,306

c.1823,one of the grand manor homes in the famed horse country of Upperville on 34 + acres with a stunning tree lined entrance offers 6 bedrooms, 31⁄2 baths. Recently renovated, the home offers wonderful indoor and outdoor living areas. Porches, gardens, barns, paddocks, riding arena, pond, pool and magnificent views from the Bull Run to Blue Ridge Mountains. $2,950,000

Stone posts and walls mark the entrance to the 133 acre country estate of Landmark. As the driveway gently rises, curves and then circles in front of the handsome two-story stone manor house, one notices that the home is sited perfectly to enjoy the expansive mountain views from the Bull Run to the Blue Ridge. The setting for this four bedroom, four bath residence is further heightened by the massive boxwoods and the stately trees. $2,790,000

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Lovely 2 story Brick Colonial on Landmark Road. 3 Bedroom, 2.5 Baths on 13 acres. 2 car garage and fenced for horses. Great ride-out. Orange County Hunt terrirory. $1,150,000

151 Acres of good mixture of hardwoods and open land on Leeds Manor Road with easy access to Warrenton, Marshall, Middleburg and I-66. $1,050,000

CHuDLeigH FARm Section 2 ~ 379.75 Acres on the north side of oatlands Road between Rt. 15 and Snickersville turnpike. Currently divided into 16 Building Lots developed under the Low Density Development option. Homesites range in size from 13.83 Acres -38.12 Acres. open Space easement in place with potential for tax credits. $7,500,000

www.thomas-talbot.com Offers subject to errors, omissions, change of price or withdrawal without notice. Information contained herein is deemed reliable, but is not so warranted nor is it otherwise guaranteed.

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This grand 101 acre equestrian estate in the Warrenton Hunt Territory and is within easy reach of Washington DC. Elegant custom-built home with 11,000 sf, smart-wired, 3 finished levels-all accessible by elevator. Features include 12-foot ceilings, heart pine floors and granite and Viking kitchen. Guest cottage, Barn, 2 streams, Stocked pond. Stunning countryside retreat. $3,475,000

Middleburg~A graceful & charming 5 bedroom French Country home is set amongst nearly 40 serene acres enhanced by majestic trees, rolling lawns and fenced paddocks. This wonderful horse property also includes a 7 stall center-aisle barn with office, additional 4 stall barn with apartment, indoor arena, and tremendous ride out potential. Located in the OCH Territory. $3,200,000

Breathtaking mountain views and glistening spring fed 10 acre lake, create a magical setting for this stunning historic estate. Encompassing over 180 gorgeous acres features include a stone and stucco 16 room residence with an ultra modern gourmet kitchen, new tiled baths and separate 2 bedroom guest wing. The 10 stall stable & tennis court complete this fabulous estate. $2,995,000

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Impeccably maintained, this is an exquisite 118 acre horse farm with ten fields and paddocks of 4 board fencing, gently rolling land and panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains with glimpses of Skyline Drive. In addition to the stucco and stone main residence, there are guest and tenant homes, numerous barns and run-ins to house 25 horses comfortably, and an indoor dressage ring. $2,495,000

145+ acres of land in sought after location on Mountville Road near Foxcroft School. Several home sites with wonderful views and vistas yet extremely private, half wooded and half pasture with over 2,000’ of Goose Creek frontage.

Minutes from Middleburg with easy access to Dulles International Airport and Washington DC. Middleburg Hunt Territory. $2,465,250

A picturesque and tranquil retreat nestled on 158+ acres in pristine Rappahannock County. At the end of the private drive is the historic Stone residence, c. 1745 with additional stone cottage for guests or office and tucked into the woods, beyond the home, is a charming and beautifully restored 2 bedroom log cabin. Gardens, lawn, barns, paddocks and tremendous ride out potential provide an outdoor haven. $1,845,000

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SO FReD WARReN LANe 137.74 acres with frontage on Little River, open Space easement, rolling fields with mature hardwood forest, orange County Hunt territory, great ride out, very private, within 5 miles of the village of middleburg. 3600 views $2,534,500

The lovely 22.8 Acre Ridgeview Farm offers a private, 4 bedroom residence sited on a knoll, with spacious rooms and views into the trees that border Little River.

Located in prime Orange County Hunt territory the horse facilities include a 6 stall barn with tack room and wash stall, machine shed, run in shed and 4 beautiful board fenced paddocks, fields and round pen. VOF $1,095,000 Easement.

Fenced pastureland and 2 stall barn are to the right of the drive that leads up to the Charming 3 bedroom, 3 ½ bath Williamsburg Colonial. Special features include first and second floor master suites, hardwood floors, 3 fireplaces and gracious entrance foyer. Sited high, the 20 area parcel enjoys spectacular western views to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Wonderful Orange County Hunt Territory, convenient to Middleburg, Marshall, The Plains, and I66 to Washington, D.C. $975,000

ThoMAs AnD TAlBoT ReAl esTATe (540) 687-6500

middleburg, virginia 20118

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SSCF’s Sponsor Appreciation HAPPY HOUR Photos by Middleburg Photo

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4 On Friday, March 23rd at Middleburg’s King Street Oyster Bar, the Side Saddle Chase Foundation (SSCF) celebrated the sponsors of their upcoming black-tie Benefit Gala. With a grant from Visit Loudoun, SSCF treated their sponsors to an adult beverage, and Banbury Cross Polo donated a $2,000 tailgate space as a raffle item for the evening’s guests.

The Gala, to be held on Saturday, April 7 at Tranquility Farm in Purcellville, is SSCF’s first black-tie event to date, designed to benefit the

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5 organization’s mission and support land conservation. The Gala will occur just one week prior to the annual Mrs. George C. Everhart Memorial Race at the Loudoun Point-to-Point on Sunday, April 15 at Oatlands in Leesburg. This will be the second race of the Oehme, van Sweden Perpetual Trophy Series, including jumping and flat races.

For Gala information and tickets, visit: https://www.sidesaddlechase. com/gala. ML

Photos: 1. L-R Sarah Hansard, Devon Zebrovious, George Kuk, Erika and Woody Offutt. 2. Alexandra Arabak - winner of the Banbury Cross Polo Club Platinum Membership. 3. Bernadette Boland and Patrick Burns. 4. Sarah, John and Sydney Pemberton. 5. Maggie Johnston. 6. L-R Alexandra Arabak, Julia Dolan, Sarah Hansard, Hannah Debeljak, Karen Lazarou and Victoria Robinson Worst.

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In Historic Middleburg, Virginia, A Renowned Commercial Property Lists For $5.9 Million Bundles Murdock and Laura Farrell of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty Present a Unique Commercial Opportunity in the Heart of Virginia Hunt Country

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ne of Middleburg, Virginia’s most prominent commercial properties is on the market for the first time in over 60 years.

Listed for $5.9 Million by Bundles Murdock and Laura Farrell of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, The Fun Shop Property — located at 115 West Washington Street — represents one of the largest and most notable commercial opportunities in Virginia's prestigious Hunt Country.

Featuring The Fun Shop’s primary retail storefront, the listing sits on nearly one acre of land and includes three additional single-family residences which are located on three separate lots. Serving as a primary anchor to Middleburg’s West End and Historic District, the listing is zoned for commercial but has residential and mixed-use development possibilities. The property neighbors local significant institutions such as The National Sporting Library and Museum and the Middleburg Community Center.

“As a resident of the Middleburg community, it’s rare to see an investment opportunity of this significance in such a prominent downtown location,” says Bundles Murdock of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty.

Founded in 1956 by Mr. and Mrs. Howard Allen, The Fun Shop has served as a pillar of Middleburg’s retail landscape for decades.

Mr. Allen, a notable photographer, kept his studio in one of the listing’s storefronts.

Specializing in equine photography and family portraiture, Mr. Allen was best known for his iconic photographs of Jacqueline and John Kennedy, which were taken at the Kennedy estate outside of Middleburg.

“We hope the future owners of this property will appreciate its rich history and the role The Fun Shop has played in the community,” says Betsy Allen, the proprietor of The Fun Shop and the current Mayor of Middleburg.

Established in 1787, Middleburg, Virginia is regarded as one of America’s most beloved small towns. Home to tree-lined streets, brick sidewalks, and a variety of restaurants and high-end shops, Middleburg is surrounded

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by some of the nation’s most cherished estates, horse farms, and rural landscapes and serves as a renowned destination for Washington, D.C. day-trippers and weekend visitors alike.

“Thanks to the conversation efforts of several generations of local landowners, Middleburg remains a notable exception to the widespread development of Northern Virginia,” says Murdock. “As stewards of this special community, we look forward to finding a buyer who shares our vision and our values.” ML

our 400 real estate professionals are ranked amongst the highest performing in the nation, and are regarded for their integrity, professional service, and community leadership.

Through our relationship with the venerable Sotheby’s auction house, TTR Sotheby’s International Realty produces extraordinary results for our clients by leveraging proprietary global marketing, cutting edge digital strategies, and unrivaled access to the most affluent and discerning global clientele. To learn more about TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, visit TTRSIR.com.

ABOUT TTR SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY TTR Sotheby’s International Realty is the exclusive Sotheby’s International Realty affiliate for the Washington Metropolitan Region.

With seven offices located strategically across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia,

ABOUT THE MIDDLEBURG GROUP The Middleburg Group of TTR Sotheby's International Realty is a selection of seasoned, conservation-minded country and equestrian real estate agents located in Middleburg, Virginia.

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13 East Washington St. • Middleburg, VA 20118 • (540) 687-5858

TULLY

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Join us!

CELEBRATE BOWA’S 30TH! As a thank you to the community that has supported us during the past 30 years, we invite you to join Tim Burch and BOWA for a wine and cheese happy hour. We look forward to celebrating with our clients, partners and friends!

Wednesday, April 25, 2018 5:00 PM-7:00 PM Greenhill Winery & Vineyards 23595 Winery Lane, Middleburg, VA RSVP to bowa.com/greenhill. Space is limited.

bowa.com

540-687-6771

Wine tas DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION

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ADDITIONS & RENOVATIONS

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PURCHASE CONSULTATIONS •

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Huntland's Historic Kennels Restored

Story and photos by Joanne Maisano

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After a century of being vacant, the kennels at Huntland were finally occupied by the Middleburg Hounds temporarily on March 9. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013, Huntland was once owned by Joseph Thomas back in the early 1900’s when the kennels were established.

Dr. Betsee Parker purchased Huntland several years ago and started the renovations.

Through her efforts and resources, Dr. Parker has brought the kennels back to their original 1920’s style. Not even the smallest detail was overlooked, and the result is impressive.

Dr. Parker shared the completion with the members of the MFHA on what turned out to be an exceedingly cold Friday evening.

Dr. Parker gave a tour of the kennels while Huntsman Richard Roberts did an exhibition with the Middleburg hounds.

After the tour of the kennels and hound

exercises, everyone retired to the beautifully decorated main house for a buffet dinner. MFHA director David Twiggs gave his thanks to Dr. Parker for all of her many contributions to the community, including the Allen House, now the new headquarters for the MFHA. The hounds stayed at the kennels and members of the Middleburg Hunt met at Huntland the following morning for their meet. The Middleburg hounds brought life back into those kennels that have been so thoughtfully restored. ML Photos: 1. Middleburg Huntsman Richard Roberts with Dr. Betsee Parker. 2. Jt. MFH Jeff Blue and Penny Denegre, and Huntsman Richard Roberts. 3. The meticulously restored kennels at Huntland. 4. Middleburg Hounds leaving Huntland Kennel to go out hunting.

BEST OF MIDDLEBURG'S

MAIN STREET EATS

By Kaitlin Hill | Photos by Callie Broaddus

Cuppa Giddy Up

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hether you call Middleburg home, it’s your favorite escape, or you are visiting for the first time, it’s easy to fall in love with the town’s charm. The tree-lined main street is home to unique shops, friendly faces and fantastic food. Though our town may be small, with a population hovering just under 700, it has a huge food scene that is a mix of longtime family favorites and not-to-be-missed newcomers.

Explore Washington Street or saunter down a side street on Middleburg’s main drag, and you can find anything you are craving. From cozy coffee nooks to authentic Thai food and everything in between, Middleburg has it all. The choices may seem overwhelming, but don’t worry. For our 35th Anniversary Issue, we’ve done some of the work for you, highlighting the best of downtown Middleburg’s food and beverage offerings and where you can get them.

HBM Middleburg Ad Flattened a 1-2-2018.pdf

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8 E Washington Street (p): 540 687 8122 Hours: Monday – Thursday: 7:00am to 5:30pm, Friday & Saturday: 7:00am to 6:00pm, Sunday – 7:00am to 5:00pm Start your morning with your favorite pick-me-up or one of Leslie’s many specialty drinks. Her decadent Raspberry Mocha Dream is not to be missed. Sweet, lush and expertly brewed with the perfect amount of froth on top. Pair it a poppy seed bagel (Leslie buys fresh from Ashburn Bagel Shop), and nestle into one of the shop’s squashy chairs for a tranquil morning of excellent coffee and the chance to

catch up on Middleburg happenings.

Leslie’s place has all the papers at your disposal and the constant coming and going of local regulars.

Eats | Page 48

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Eats | From page 47

Red Bar Sushi

Teddy’s Brooklyn Pizza

Julien’s Café

16 E Washington Street

9 E Federal Street

3 W Washington Street

(p): 540 326 8900

(p): 540 687 3123

(p): 540 687 8880

Hours: Monday – Thursday: 11:30am – 2:30pm (Lunch) & 4:30pm – 9:00pm (Dinner), Friday: 11:30am – 2:30pm (Lunch) & 4:30pm – 10:00pm (Dinner), Saturday: 12:00pm – 10:00pm, Sunday: 12:00pm – 8:30pm

Hours: Monday – Thursday: 11:00am – 9:00pm, Friday – Saturday: 11:00am – 10:00pm, Sunday: Closed

Hours: Friday – Tuesday: 11:00am to 9:00pm, Wednesday – Thursday: closed Stop in to Julien’s Café for a taste of France for lunch or dinner. Frainçoise, the shop’s proprietor, recommends the Chicken Delaney. The exquisitely cooked chicken breast is stuffed with sweet dates and creamy goat cheese. The dish is served with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables and blanketed in rich gravy. What’s more, this indulgent dish is gluten-free.

Red Bar Sushi may be new in town, but they are offering up big flavors as Middleburg’s only sushi joint. The Chef ’s Sashimi Omakase includes a bounty of fresh seafood, hand-picked by the chef each day. Pair it with a refreshing Soju-tini for a delightful meal in a fun atmosphere.

Check out Teddy’s for a taste of authentic New York pizza right in Middleburg. Their secret recipe has been in the family for decades and is all about the perfect crust. Grab a slice of classic cheese pizza and see for yourself. And if you’re up for dessert, you have two options: “one cannoli or two.”

Middleburg Common Grounds 114 W Washington Street

Red Fox Inn & Tavern

(p): 540 687 7065

2 East Washington Street

Side Saddle Café

(p): 540 687 6301 Hours: Monday – Friday: 8:00am – 10:00am (Breakfast) and 5:00pm – 9:00pm (Dinner), Saturday: 11:30am – 2:30pm (Champagne Brunch) and 5:00pm – 9:00pm (Dinner), Sunday: 11:30am – 2:30pm (Champagne Brunch) and 5:00pm – 8:00pm (Dinner) This historic Middleburg staple has welcomed guests since 1728. Nearly 300 years later, the Red Fox family still offers impeccable service in addition to new and exciting dining experiences. Treat yourself to the four-course Game and Seafood Tasting. This tour of Virginia’s finest seasonal and local ingredients ends with a Port Poached Pear.

Dressed with Earl Grey crème anglaise and hazelnuts, it is the perfect finish to a night of elegant dining.

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7 W Washington Street (p): 703 300 5765 Hours: Wednesday: 11:00am – 4:00pm, Thursday: 11:00am – 4:00pm and 4:30pm - 8:00pm (Happy Hour), Friday – Saturday: 9:00am – 8:00pm (Live Music 6:00pm – 8:00pm), Sunday: 10:00am – 4:00pm (Live Music from 1:00pm – 3:00pm), Monday and Tuesday: Closed The Side Saddle Café is a must for cozy breakfasts with wholesome ingredients. Try the FOA Famous Waffles, topped with fresh organic berries and a generous dusting of powdered sugar. The light and fluffy waffles are an old family recipe, adapted to be gluten-free. Be sure to get a side of bacon or sausage from their Fields of Athenry Farm.

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Hours: Monday – Friday: 6:00am – 6:00pm, Saturday – Sunday: 7:00am – 6:00pm In addition to expertly prepared coffee and tea, Middleburg Common Grounds offers a long lunch list. If you’re health minded, you can make any of their tempting sandwiches into a salad. Try the “Madison” on a bed of greens. It’s overflowing with imported Italian tuna, Tuscan white beans and Kalamata olives.

Red Horse Tavern 118 W Washington Street (p): 540 687 6443 Hours: Monday – Sunday: 11:00am – 10:00pm The Red Horse Tavern’s menu has someEats | Page 49

Eats | From page 48

(p): 540 326 8111 Hours: Monday – Sunday: 11:00am – 9:00pm At Best Thai Kitchen you’ll find bona fide Thai Food cooked as owner Jamie and her chef sister grew up eating it. Jamie buys most of the ingredients straight from Thailand, insisting on highest quality. The Pad Thai, made with rice noodles, sprouts, spring onions and shrimp, is tossed in a sweet and tangy tamarind-based sauce that is heavenly.

thing for everyone with an array of tasty appetizers, loaded salads and stacked burgers.

Though, if you ask the restaurant owner Sam, he’ll tell you to order the fish tacos. They are loaded with fresh cod, cheese and veggies and come with a side of house-made tortilla chips and salsa. Enjoy them outside on the spacious patio.

Thaiverse 101 S Madison Street (p): 540 883 3145

King Street Oyster Bar 1 E Washington Street (p): 540 883 3156 Hours: Monday – Thursday: 11:00am – 9:30pm, Friday – Saturday: 11:00am to 11:00pm, Sunday: 10:30am – 9:30pm

Middleburg Deli 2 N Liberty Street (p): 540 687 3456 Hours: Monday – Saturday: 10:00am – 6:00pm, Sunday: Closed

their most popular item, the Cow Puddle.

This crispy and chewy cookie is packed with butterscotch and pecans. Make sure to buy a few, because after one bite, you’ll be hooked!

Head to King Street Oyster Bar for the freshest oysters in town. At their raw bar, they offer both East and West Coast varieties by the half-dozen or dozen. If you’re looking to eat local, they have oysters from as close as Chincoteague Bay, Virginia. East Coast oysters travel from the water to your plate in 24 hours or less.

Hours: Monday – Thursday: 11:30am – 2:30pm (Lunch) & 5:00pm – 9:00pm (Dinner), Friday – Saturday: 11:30am - 9:30pm, Sunday: 11:30am – 9:00pm Try Thaiverse on Madison for a unique take on Thai food. Their Masaman Curry is an enticing blend of dried spices, coconut, sweet potato and roasted peanuts. It’s topped with lollipop lamb chops for a dish that is as beautiful as it is delicious.

Come hungry to Middleburg deli for one of their overloaded sandwiches. The manager, Maria, will customize a sandwich for you or whip up their famous Little Italy. This huge sub is layered with Mortadella, pepperoni, Genoa salami, provolone cheese and veggies.

Take a bite, and you’ll see why they call it the “Best in Loudoun County.”

Popcorn Monkey 101 W Federal Street Hours: Wednesday – Friday: 11:00am – 4:30pm, Saturday: 10:00am – 4:30pm, Sunday: 11:00am – 4:30pm, Monday – Tuesday: Closed The Upper Crust Bakery 4 N Pendleton Street (p): 540 687 5666 Hours: Monday – Saturday: 7:30am – 4:00pm, Sunday: Closed

Best Thai Kitchen 4 E Federal Street

Enter The Upper Crust Bakery at your own risk, as the sights and smells are impossible to resist. Pies, bars, buns and cakes are just the beginning. The small, family-owned bakery also does sandwiches, croissants and

Retro candy, unique sodas and imaginative popcorn flavors await you at Popcorn Monkey. From green apple to loaded potato, the shop’s popcorn offerings are seemingly endless. Be sure to try the Monkey Mix, a blend of cheddar and caramel, and the Dark Chocolate Sea Salt, their two bestsellers. You can get small, medium or large bags of your favorite flavor, or pack your popcorn in a decorative tin to give as a gift. ML

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71ST ANNUAL PIEDMONT REGIONAL ART SHOW & SALE AN EVENT DEEPLY ROOTED IN HISTORY AND LOVE

T

he Piedmont Regional Art Show & Sale remains a must-see event, featuring more than 300 works in a variety of media. Grace Episcopal Church, 6507 Main Street, The Plains, VA, has hosted the show for 71 consecutive years.

The show and sale continues to grow every year, and is a major fundraiser for the church. Over the past five years, the show has averaged 335 entries. This year’s event will see extended sale hours.

This year’s show and sale will kick off May 18 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. with the Opening Gala for artists and sponsors. Admission to the Gala opening is complimentary to exhibiting artists and sponsors. There is a $15 admission charge for additional guests.

The show continues May 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and May 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. There is no admission fee, though donations are gratefully accepted.

“This is a nice local show,” says Dana Thompson, last year’s Best in Show winner for “Hound Study,” an oil painting on board. The Midland, VA, resident will enter three paintings in this year’s show, which is steeped in tradition.

The first art show at Grace Episcopal in 1947 was inspired by the Reverend Harold Peters, an artist himself. It began as a project of the Episcopal Church Women. Today, the show and sale has grown to involve volunteer efforts of the entire parish and is a favorite spring event in the region.

Throughout its history the art show has featured the works of artists of all media, ages and levels of experience, including the work of established professionals.

Thompson has entered the Piedmont show the past 20 years. Her mother recently passed, and she will dedicate this year’s show to her. “My mom was a former member of Grace Church and always loved this show,” she says. Thompson strictly paints wildlife, a reflection on her own menagerie of three

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dogs, a cat, two chickens and two goats. “I’ve always loved animals so it was the natural thing for me to paint.”

Among this year’s jurists are David Williams and Cody Leeser. Williams has been a professional artist for 22 years. His paintings are immediately recognized for quiet composition and richly textured surfaces. His work has been exhibited nationally and is found in

judge. Born in Indiana and raised in Michigan, she always loved the country and the animals found in barnyards and on farms.

An intellectual property attorney by trade, she's been painting all her life for relaxation.

She loves watercolor, oils and acrylics. The Middleburg resident enjoys riding horses, hunting with the Piedmont Hunt, raising chickens and miniature horses.

hundreds of collections throughout the United States and abroad. He currently resides and teaches oil and acrylic painting classes in The Plains.

Leeser, who lives in Orlean, started painting in 2010 when she began private lessons.

Since then, her work is shown in most local shows and has garnered numerous awards, including Best in Show at the Piedmont Regional. Leeser has an international following with paintings in private collections throughout Europe.

Caroline Nash-Helmly also will be a show

Proceeds from the show benefit local ministries of Grace Church, and help ensure the continuation of the show. This year’s honorary co-chairs are Landon and Carol Butler. ML

APRIL 2018

For more details, visit www.gracetheplains. org, email artshow@gracetheplains.org, check out www.facebook.com/artshowatgrace, or call 540-253-5177, Ext. 104.

Photo of last year's Best in show winner, "Hound Study," provided courtesy of the artist, Dana Lee Thompson.

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A Wonderful, Joyous Ride

By Elaine Anne Watt

K

aren Jackson is a woman brimming over with warmth and gratitude. In many ways, hers is the quintessential story of a woman who found her place, both in love and life.

A native of Vero Beach, Florida, Karen discovered her passion for horses early and began showing them by age seven. She attended the University of Findlay in Ohio, the number one school for horses at that time, where she excelled in “reining,” and was equally versed in English and western riding styles. After her father bought a horse farm in Florida, she returned there to finish up her education at the University of Florida.

Her other interest was fashion. Having been voted “Best Dressed in High School,” Karen moved to Wellington after college to be assistant manager at Lord & Taylor while spending the weekends in Ocala showing horses. Her adventurous spirit next led her to Fort Worth, Texas, where the lure of barrel racing and working at Neiman Marcus provided her next challenge.

Even though she was happy, one of her friends became a flight attendant at American

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APRIL 2018

Airlines and wanted Karen to come aboard too, so that they’d be able to travel around the country. Karen applied and was sent to D.C. for what was to be a six-month assignment with American before transferring back to Texas. That was not to be.

Not long after Karen had moved to Annapolis to do her six-month stint, a lady she met while flying suggested that she should visit Middleburg, Virginia, the heart of hunt country. Intrigued by the sound of the charming small town, Karen drove over to visit in the spring of 1988, spotting some pretty little purses in a window as she parked her car.

Walking into the store called Fox & Hound Trading Corporation, not knowing that it was its first day open or that her life was about to set a new course, Karen was greeted by “such a nice, sweet man.” Tully, “a very young 63” in Karen’s words, swiftly closed his shop for the day and took the “older” 25-year-old across the street to the Red Fox Inn for a glass of wine and conversation.

“We just became best friends,” said Karen. “Tully was such a fun person, always in a good mood and so supportive. We loved horses. We both loved to work and be busy, Ride | Page 53

Ride | From page 52 we had everything in common…it was easy.”

Not long afterwards, Tully invited Karen to dinner cooked by his 9-year-old son. “And, that was that,” she said. Karen continued flying with American for 17 years, right up until 9-11. “The plane that hit the Pentagon was the same flight I flew 60-70 percent of the time.

Three days later, I would have been on that flight,” she said.

But, during those first heady days of their friendship and then partnership, Karen spent all of her available time in Middleburg and then took up residence with Tully “in a little apartment on top of Thomas & Talbot.”

Tully had first visited Middleburg back when he’d been living in New York running a major film company with seven offices worldwide and came here to do a film for the New York Racing Association. He’d always fox hunted, and for many years while living in Pennsylvania, had been a successful importer of horses from Europe for sale in the United States. When he “retired,” he came to Middleburg to enjoy the equestrian culture and lifestyle.

“He hated the store but needed something to do,” said Karen. “So he designed and manufactured leather luggage. I was helping out

in the store, which was located next to the Shaggy Ram, when not flying, and I decided I wanted to add clothing. I started putting clothes in his shop and just took over.”

So, Tully and Karen next rented a little store, annexing the small side of Tully Rector’s current location to open a men’s collection.

Ride | Page 54

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Advance Tickets are $40, Day of event $50 Checks payable to FLGC (Fauquier Loudoun Garden Club) Mail to: Daphne W. Cheatham, PO Box 324, Middleburg, VA 20118 Tickets may also be purchased online in advance at www.vagardenweek.org APRIL 2018

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Ride | From page 53 When the adjoining store, Thoroughbreds, decided to give up their lease, they rented the whole space, finally combining their stores into what it is today.

“We just stuck with it, investing everything in the business for the first 10 years,” said Karen. “We lived quietly and worked hard. I was still flying and working with horses, too, and we were happy.”

And, watching her, you have no doubt.

A soft glow lights up Karen’s face as she recounts her time with Tully.

“We just worked well and played well together, and his children were just great,” she said. “He was just a wonderful person and so interesting. Tully experienced The Dust Bowl and Depression and served in the battle of D-Day. He had an amazingly successful advertising business that he sold to Westinghouse. As part of the terms of the sale, he had a non-compete for seven to eight years, so he restored and collected cars, particularly Mercedes. He spent time living in Rome and Paris. He was a Renaissance man. He was active in so many things, and then our lives here were just so blessed with wonderful friends, customers and relationships.

“If there is one thing that I wish that we could have done that we never did, it would have been to go to Paris together.”

Karen had majored in animal science in college, and she met “Kats” Clark when she brought her horses up from Florida to board.

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“I didn’t work for her, but I boarded my horses and started helping her out around her barn and the breeding operation. She was a tough, lovely woman. Tully and I were crazy about her.”

Even though Kats suffered a terrible accident that left her paralyzed from the shoulders down, she continued to live her life fully, and eventually learned to walk again. Fifteen years later, she had a second accident walking out to get her picture taken with her favorite horse, “Admiration,” who had just won at Deep Run in Richmond. This fall broke her neck, and she was largely bedridden for the last eight to 10 years of her life.” But, “she was so resilient, she wanted to live, and never stopped traveling to see horse shows and threw wonderful parties. She died on her 85th birthday with a big party planned!

“I felt like I was the daughter she never had, but she said, ‘No, we are like sisters,’” said Karen with a laugh.

Other happy stories of long-time customers and daughters of friends and students from Foxcroft who have worked and trained with her over the years easily flowed as Karen reminisced about her life here.

“We had one couple who came in a couple times a year whose son was killed by a drunk driver on the beltway,” she said. “She passed away soon after from cancer, and the husband was just devastated. He came in to give me a book after Tully died, and the next time brought a girlfriend. They ended up get-

APRIL 2018

ting married at Goodstone and invited me to come, and I helped them find a house. I’ve gotten to go through lives together with so many people!

“I’ve seen a lot of change, but the town is still very much keeping its character,” she added. “We get great people, and last year we saw a lot of nice people from Salamander, which is good for the town.”

Karen has been fortunate to have two long-time assistants with her at Tully Rector, Darlene Weeks and Marilyn Bigelow. “I’m not very good at delegating,” she said. “I still do all the buying and book work because I like it that way. But, these ladies are amazing and have been with me for 20 years, and I couldn’t do this without them.”

Karen lost her beloved Tully in 2014, but her days are filled with the people and work she loves, her 10 horses and multiple Labradors that she adores.

“My mother (Marjorie Jackson) has told me that if she had to pick the perfect place for her daughter it would be right where I am,” Karen said. “I have a cute little store in a great town with customers that are friends. What more could I want?” ML Page 52, top: Karen with her new labrador puppy, Thorn. Photo by Joanne Maisano. Page 52, bottom: In their store once under one roof. Page 53: Karen with from left to right, Milly, Norman and Thorn, the other loves of her life. Photo by Joanne Maisano.

Page 54: Country living at its finest.

Something F About The Place

By Kerry Phelps Dale

ive humble, overcrowded, one- and tworoom “colored” schools peppered the Loudoun County countryside for decades during the Jim Crow era. Children ages 6 to 17 sometimes walked miles to get to schools that were overpopulated, understaffed and without textbooks, even though “Separate but Equal” had been decided through the Plessy v. Ferguson case in 1896. The buildings were heated by woodstoves,

Banneker Elementary has special written all over it

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Special | From page 55 had outhouses, and black teachers were paid much less than their white counterparts.

Separate, yes, but far from equal.

In 1944, Middleburg’s black physician and community leader, Dr. Maurice Edmead, backed by parents and teachers, lobbied the Loudoun County school board to relieve the overcrowding of the local schools. Middleburg’s two-room Grant school had reached an enrollment of 100 students, and St. Louis’s one-room Hamlin school surged to 72.

Over the course of several years, the school board debated about the best location for the new school - either Middleburg, a community rich in resources, good roads, stores, a bank and several churches, or St. Louis, a black enclave with poor roads, a single church, and no stores. The school board opted for the less popular location, purchasing 19 acres in St. Louis and commencing construction for Banneker School.

The doors of the new brick six-classroom school with a multi-purpose room, clinic and kitchen opened in September 1948, welcoming 185 students and faculty from Middleburg, St. Louis and Mountville’s Marble Quarry schools. Furnished with used desks, tables and textbooks, children convened in classrooms suited to their age and grade level and finally had a taste of what schools for white children were like. They had indoor plumbing, radiant heat and a lunchroom— luxuries unimagined before.

Mary and Eugene Howard of St. Louis were in the very first class of students at Banneker Elementary. They came from Middleburg’s Grant School, leaving the comfort and

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security of their small school, where they discovered the community of Banneker Elementary to be welcoming and committed to the education of all their students.

“I loved the place,” said Mary. “We had never been in a beautiful school like that. It was really exciting when we got in there. We had more room and a kitchen.”

Right from the start, Banneker distinguished itself as a caring and devoted community. Parents and community members furnished the multipurpose room when the school opened, and several years later it was the PTA that provided funds for a part-time school secretary. Community members lent support to the school regularly, including patrons Paul Mellon, Charlotte Noland and local citizen Johnnie T. Smith.

Banneker’s first principal, Augustus Lacey, was known for driving some of the students – who had to walk miles in the frequent snows – back to the farms where they lived in the evenings.

“Farms were so far back off the road. They had a long walk just to get to the road,” said Adele Robinson, also among the original class transferring from Middleburg where she was picked up by bus on Route 50 in front of her house. “Our principal, Lacey, would take them home in the evenings because it was so cold—back to where they came across the fields on the farms.”

Banneker Elementary was named after Benjamin Banneker, a black man born free.

He was a self-educated mathematician and astronomer who helped survey the District of Columbia and challenged the future president Thomas Jefferson on slavery and its con-

APRIL 2018

tradiction of the religious and political tenets on which our nation was founded.

A few years after opening, Banneker drew students from Aldie’s Bull Run school, which dictated adding on three classrooms, and then in 1960, when Willisville joined the growing school, five more classrooms were added.

It wasn’t until 1967 that Banneker became integrated. Though Brown v. Board of Education was decided in 1954, invalidating “Separate but Equal,” Virginia defied the Supreme Court decision and continued only to upgrade existing African American Schools, expanding a school a second and third time in lieu of integration.

Though it took over a decade, the integration of Banneker School was without fanfare when one lone white boy attended in 1967.

“They thought at first that there were going to be problems. But there was no problem for the white children and the black children to get together,” said Howard, whose two sons attended the school at the time of integration.

Along the way, Banneker Elementary, the only African American school in Loudoun County that has continued to be run as an elementary school, became fully integrated and is now a diverse community of 162: predominantly white, followed in numbers

by Hispanic and black students. Years later, and sporting a student body reflective of the greater community, Banneker remains the cornerstone of St. Louis, the small school’s caring community its greatest asset.

One parent in a school review stated that Banneker has, “All the benefits of a public school, while small enough and with a Special | Page 58

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Special | From page 56 caring staff that know each and every child.

They feel like family.”

Over and over in reviews of Banneker, parents refer to the school as a family. “ There’s a lot of love in t hat school,” said Mary Howard. “Everybody embraces everybody.”

Banneker has grown, integrated, and transitioned over the past 70 years, but one thing remains steadfast. The small school continues to foster relationships between teachers, students, parents, administration and community while registering improvements in their academic success each of the past three years.

Current principal Robert Carter, Banneker’s first African American principal in 30 years and only the second since its integration, touts the recent years’ gains in SOL (Standards of Learning) assessments.

“Students have made double-digit gains with the greatest gains for the economically disadvantaged, but all sub-groups—African American, Hispanic and Special Education—have improved,” he said. “We also have a higher ratio of students who pass SOL with advanced scores.

“We take a systematic approach to teaching positive behaviors and expectations,” added Carter. “The balance between academic expectations and social and emotional growth is the key to Banneker’s success.”

In other words, all students, no matter ethnicity, race, socio-economic background or ability are thriving at Banneker.

Thanks in most part to a dedicated and professional teaching staff.

A star among the many talented teachers, Sarah Brissing has taught kindergarten at Banneker since 2005, excepting a three-year stint in fifth grade ending three years ago. “It was great having the children I had in kindergarten again in fifth grade, seeing how they had met and exceeded expectations. That was really special,” she said.

The sense of community, palpable from merely walking through the school’s double doors, attracted Brissing to Banneker. “I have a heart for small schools,” she said. “At Banneker I could reach a diverse group. I could do a big thing in a small community and really know the students, know their stories and be helpful outside of school, too.

“I love that we are a community school,” she added.” When we have events, there is always a really large turnout, like the Fun Fair the other night. Everyone knows everyone’s name. There’s such joy.”

Brissing is moved and impressed by how the alumni keep coming back. “Some of the first children I taught are now in high school getting ready for college, and Banneker is still on their minds,” she said. “They come and volunteer at some of the events.”

Alumna Jordan Miller, a star basketball player at Loudoun Valley, offered to come

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back to Banneker this spring and help out with PE classes before he heads off to play college basketball at George Mason in the fall. The connection many students have with the school doesn’t seem to dissipate over the years.

One longtime volunteer, Janet Looney, comes to Banneker daily, though her grandchildren who attended the school are now in high school. She helps in the library, assists with bulletin boards, “anything the teachers might need, she’s there,” said Brissing.

As part of a community effort to support the students with their academic success, Banneker is partnered with Windy Hill Foundation in Study Buddies, an after school program engaging community student and adult volunteers with Banneker students, providing another bridge between school and community.

Five years ago, Banneker was designated the home school for Middleburg, when Middleburg Elementary became a charter school. The small St. Louis black school that

APRIL 2018

welcomed integration in 1967 has embraced the greater community of Middleburg just as warmly. There is little evidence of the community’s struggle for equal education; all that remains is the nurturing Banneker “family,” a beacon of what it means to be a true community school.

“There’s just something about the place,” enthused Brissing. ML Page 55: Banneker Elementary though expanded has remained much the same school over the years.

Page 56, left: "Kids want to be here," said Kindergarten teacher Sarah Brissing. Page 56, right: Principal Robert Carter, the first African American to lead the school in 30 years, connects with students on the playground. Page 58, top: Florence Hill and sister Adele Robinson, front, were first year Banneker students, and still live in a house on the property they grew up on. Paulene Haley, back, went to Banneker a few years later. "I'm younger than them," she said.

Page 58, bottom: Mary and Eugene Howard, Banneker buddies, high school sweethearts, married 62 years. Their family represents three generations of Banneker students.

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SPOOM VISITS RESTORED

HISTORIC LOCKE'S MILL Story and Photos by Joanne Maisano

M

embers of The Society for the Preservation of Old Mills (SPOOM) gathered at Sandy Lerner’s Ayreshire Farm in Upperville for a tour of the farm and some lunch before heading out to Locke’s Mill, which was purchased by Lerner in 2016. Locke’s Mill was built in 1876

by Thomas H. Locke and was repaired by former owners and current operators Jon and Carol Joyce.

Before heading over to the mill, Ms. Lerner told me, “Jon and Carol Joyce worked on it for 21 years to bring it back. It was derelict during the Civil War, which is interesting, because they could have needed it for food.”

Locke’s Mill has been certified organic and sells its rye, corn, wheat and barley to local restaurants and distilleries.

Ms. Lerner, who also owns Gentle Harvest in Marshall, uses the organic rye flour to bake the bread they sell there. While sitting together at her beautiful stable at Ayreshire, she said that her “bucket list is to grow wheat, harvest it, thrush it, grind it, bake it and eat it.

“Milling is fabulous. I equate it with a day I mowed hay using my horses, smelling the fresh grass being cut, and it was an awesome day. Another day was making apple cider at my mill in England and smelling the apples. Milling is just like that, you smell the flour,” she said.

She told me the average bag of flour in the grocery store is three years old; the average distance it’s travelled is 2,500 miles! “Ever wonder why the bread in Europe tastes so fabulous?” Ms. Lerner asks. “The problem here in the U.S. is we run the mill so hot it takes the oil out of the germ. The oil carries all the flavor.”

I watched as her carriage driver, Jean Paul, hooked up one of Sandy’s magnificent Shires to a beautiful carriage, and off they went to get some healthy exercise for the day. Like everything else in her orbit, her horses receive meticulous care.

After lunch, the members of SPOOM boarded a luxury bus and headed west over the Shenandoah River to the mill, located approximately 5 miles north along the river. Ms. Lerner thanked the Joyces along with Roger Steyaert and Harry Lewis, part of the grinding team, and presented them with wonderful gifts. The demonstration began shortly thereafter, and samples of the rye flour were given to the members.

How wonderful to see these old mills restored and in full use to deliver “superior grains, both healthwise and in taste,” said Ms. Lerner. ML Top: Carol and Jon Joyce, Sandy Lerner, Roger Steyaert, and Harry Lewis. Middle: The works at restored Locke's Mill. Bottom: Locke's Mill.

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MEET MIDDLEBURG

Katylou Gray, Equine Massage & Acupressure Therapist and Saddle Fitter Story and photo by Kerry Phelps Dale

S

he was only 13 when she started galloping flat and steeplechase horses. “It was a good thing my parents didn’t know anything about horses,” says Katylou Gray, a lifelong rider and clearly as spirited then as she is today.

Katylou has galloped racehorses, evented, showed, foxhunted, jousted and even vaulted.

“I taught riding at Foxcroft—the girls vaulted, so I thought I should learn,” she says. “But I’ve never played polo.”

When Katylou’s first and only horse she purchased had a bad back, she felt driven to fix it, naturally, so she went to Joyce Harmon, her mentor in all things holistic and discovered her passion. In 1995 Katylou became certified first in Equine Sports Massage Therapy, then a year later in Equine Acupressure and finally in Saddle Fitting.

Today Katylou uses her talents on equine athletes therapeutically and for maintenance and injury prevention.

“When I first became certified, massage was considered a luxury,” she says. True for humans, more so for horses. But soon owners saw the benefits of the corrections massage could make for the compensations a horse might make as an athlete, much like their human counterparts. “The idea is to unravel layers of compensation—to get to the cause and effect,” Katylou explains.

These days, Katylou has traded her crop for a tennis racquet. “I gave up riding seven years ago,” she says. “I didn’t have enough

time for riding and tennis and work.”

Understandable, considering she plays an average of 10 times a week, including competing on several different teams. “I want to get better,” she says. “And when I stopped riding I needed something to replace it—I needed to run and sweat.”

Katylou’s competitiveness meets its match in her sassiness. She’s fun and frank and almost always irreverent. A friend tells her she is unique. “Who else would I be?” she says.

Her whole life has been lived in the Piedmont area: Warrenton, The Plains, Marshall and now Upperville.

Some years ago, Katylou was lying down getting a facial at a spa in Warrenton. Katylou said that she was born in that building; it used to be the Warrenton Hospital before the Fauquier Hospital was built.

“This was the delivery room,” the woman said with a laugh. Katylou was receiving her relaxing spa treatment in the very same room where some years earlier she was brought into this world. No doubt that first experience wasn’t quite as tranquil. ML

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THE STATE ARBORETUM OF VIRGINIA

Story by Peter Leonard-Morgan

E

very year, Arbor Day in the United States celebrates one of nature's greatest achievements and one of the most crucial contributors to our environment: the tree.

This year, Arbor Day falls on Friday, April 27, although it will be honored around the country on Saturday, April 28, with community tree planting ceremonies to emphasize the importance of this wonderful miracle which we so often take for granted.

Trees are not just beautiful, living organisms, there to grace the landscape simply for our enjoyment; they are incredible natural filters of carbon dioxide, which their leaves convert into oxygen through the magic of photosynthesis, greatly contributing to the air we breathe. They are controllers of erosion, homes for a multitude of species and, significantly, major warriors in the fight against climate change. Trees helped to ensure the survival of mankind over the millennia by providing that basic necessity, firewood, without which homes could not have been heated nor food cooked.

Not far west of Middleburg sits the State

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Arboretum of Virginia, also known as the Orland E. White Arboretum, named after Dr. Orland Emile White, a botanist from New York. Dr. White was recruited in the early 1900s by Henry Hurd Rusby to join the Mulford Expedition, an endeavor to explore the Amazon Valley in 1921, although sadly, despite strenuous efforts, it never quite reached its final goal.

Following his return to the United States, Dr. White was approached in 1927 by the University of Virginia, which engaged him to establish and develop a botanical field laboratory for advanced students at Blandy Experimental Farm, near Boyce, Virginia. This 700-acre tract was originally part of a larger property, the Tuleyries, acquired in 1903 by the late Graham Blandy, a New York stockbroker and railroad tycoon. Mr. Blandy bequeathed what is now the Blandy Experimental Farm to the university but ensured that his widow retained the main house and 200 acres, which remain in the hands of his descendents to this day.

The main house at the Tuleyries is an early 1830s, late Federal style mansion with domed entrance hall. It was built by Colonel Joseph Arboretum | Page 63

Arboretum | From page 62 Tuley, Jr., who incorporated his last name as an amusing tribute to le Palais des Tuileries in Paris. Colonel Tuley’s family sold the property in 1866 to Colonel Upton Boyce, who had been instrumental in sourcing the funding required to complete the construction of the Shenandoah Valley Railroad when the financial panic of 1873 hit the country and for whom the town of Boyce was named, before eventually being passed to Graham Blandy.

The State Arboretum of Virginia, which occupies more than 170 acres of the Blandy Experimental Farm, was conceived in order to study the genetics and diversity of woody plants and trees, and it has evolved over the years into an important national arboretum.

Clearly, Dr. White’s South American foray must have inspired his and his student’s research into how plants, not native to Virginia, and not thought to be hardy enough for its climate, would cope in this vastly different environment. For example, he established a dedicated area within the facility in order to study the pawpaw and investigate whether that fruit could become viable for North American consumers.

By the time Dr. White retired almost 30 years later, he had amassed some 5,000 specimens at the State Arboretum of Virginia, and Arboretum | Page 64

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Arboretum | From page 63 approximately 1,000 survive to this day.

During the intervening years, the State Arboretum of Virginia has experienced its highs and lows. In the late 1960s, mainly as a result of a reduction in interest by the University of Virginia, it became neglected, falling into disrepair, becoming overgrown and a shadow of its former self. Things began to change in the early 70s with the arrival of its new director, Tom Ewert, who embarked upon a strategy of volunteerism, school programs and field trips, press features and horticultural exhibitions. Slowly but surely, the State Arboretum of Virginia experienced a renaissance.

In the early 1980s, under another new director, Dr. Ed O’Connor, the Friends of Blandy was established in order to provide support and to raise funds for the State Arboretum of Virginia through its newly created Foundation of the State Arboretum, or FOSA for short. Educational programs continued to be vital ingredients to the success, development and importance of the State Arboretum of Virginia, with a new amphitheater and learning center being constructed to address the needs of students from far and wide.

Research into the understanding of our environment has been, and remains, a key mission of Blandy Experimental Farm. The State Arboretum of Virginia is the visual evidence of decades of hard work by

dedicated arborists and students of our natural surroundings.

In 2009, public access became even easier with the construction of the Wilkins Loop, a gravel vehicular path allowing visitors to drive around the Arboretum, park at various points along its route, and get out and investigate endless tree species. It is a wonderful destination for lovers of the outdoors, walkers and dog owners.

Noteworthy exhibits to seek out include more than 160 types of boxwood, a ginkgo grove with some 300 trees, and a pathway displaying 36 cedar of Lebanon trees.

Of great interest to Virginians will be Dogwood Lane, pictured, which honors the state tree and flower of Virginia, the dogwood.

In addition to trees, the State Arboretum of Virginia is home to a multitude of different plant types, grasses and wetlands, as well as herbs cultivated in the herbaceous garden.

The herb types grown serve various purposes from flavor and fragrance to industrial and medicinal use. Visitors are able to get a true hands-on experience here, touching and feeling the various herbs and breathing in their individual scents.

As a private home, the Tuleyries is not available to visit, however a historic landmark building, The Quarters, is open to the public. The Quarters was originally built between 1825 and 1830 for the ignominious

purpose of slave accommodation. Following its bequest by Blandy to the University, The Quarters was converted into laboratories as well as student and faculty housing. In the intervening years, it has been carefully expanded upon for educational and public use to include a library, dining room, gift shop and administrative offices.

Nearby within the Blandy Experimental Farm are also several other period buildings, including what was originally an apple packing shed, now the Parkfield Learning Center, Blandy’s primary educational facility.

This Arbor Day, when the buds are out in force, consider taking a drive to the State Arboretum of Virginia and enjoy yet another hidden gem on our doorstep where you can get out and explore, investigate and learn about the many tree species so lovingly tended to right here in the Commonwealth of Virginia. ML

Page 62, top: The Quarters Reflections. Photo courtesy of Tim Farmer and Blandy Experimental Farm.

Page 62, bottom: Dogwood Lane. Photo courtesy of Tim Farmer and Blandy Experimental Farm. Page 63, top: State Arboretum of Virginia Boxwood Garden. Photo by Peter Leonard-Morgan. Page 63, bottom: State Arboretum of Virginia greenhouse. Photo

by Peter Leonard-Morgan.

PET OF THE MONTH Meet Fizzle, Age 8 ½ Neutered male | up-to-date on all shots Special Needs: Some eyesight issues My name is Fizzle, and I am an Italian Greyhound/Cairn Terrier mix. Like most Greyhounds, I love to nap (at least twice a day), and I sleep all through the night. I don't care for other dogs, but cats are my jam; I just love them! And hanging out with people of all kinds (kids included) makes me happy. I initially came from another shelter. MHF thought I would have a good chance of adoption in this geographic area, even though the previous shelter didn't have much background information about my history. It's too bad they don't speak dog! Are you ready to take me home? ML Article courtesy of Melanie Burch, Director of Development. For more information, visit www.middleburghumane.org or call 540-3643272. Middleburg Humane Foundation operates a private, 4.5 acre farm shelter located in Marshall, Virginia. It is their goal to provide a haven for abused neglected, and at risk animals, both large and small.

Photos by Joanne Maisano.

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THEN & THERE

Making a Joyful Noise Hounds, Horns and Humans Story and photos by Richard Hooper

H

unting music comes in three varieties: the hounds, the horn and the lyrics describing the chase.

The braying of a pack of hounds in full cry is known as music. For some it can be as an

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orchestra, balanced and tuned. As Gervase

have deep solemn Mouthes, and

Markham wrote in Country Contentments

are swift in spending, which must, as it were, bear the base in the consort;

in 1611:

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If you would have your kennel for sweetness of cry, then you must compound it of some large dogs that

then a double number of roaring and loud ringing Mouthes, which must Horns | Page 67

Horns | From page 66 bear the counter-tenor; then some plain sweet Mouthes which must bear the mean or middle part: and so with these three parts of musick you shall make your cry perfect.

Not content with mere perfection, Markham added that, “amongst these you may cast in a couple or two of small single beagles, which as small trebles may warble against them; the cry will be a great deal more sweet.”

To keep the hounds on the same tune, so to speak, calls from the horn are used (and originally, it was the horn from animals). Ideally, the horn directs the hounds and notifies the hunting party of the progress of the hunt.

The first mention of its use is from about 180 A.D. in “De Venatione” by Oppian.

Within “The Art of Hunting,” written by William Twiti in 1327, is a little essay in the form of questions and answers about the use of the horn: Sir, how do you blow when the Hart is unharboured and started and is out of your sight?

I blow two notes after dislodging the Hart, and if my hounds do not obey me as quickly as I wish, I blow four notes to warn the men that the Hart is started and as a signal to draw them to me. I then blow the recheat (a call to assemble hounds) three times.

And when the Hart is far from me, I shall blow in another manner, and that is this “Trout trout trororout, trout trout trororout, trorerererout,” the last note five times.

Sir, why do you blow in this manner?

I am justified in blowing in this manner because the Hart is unharboured, but I do not know where it has gone, neither do I know where my hounds or my men have gone. I then proceed to hunt with the hounds that have gone ahead, and blow the recheat after those which are coming up.

From an edition of “The Art of Hunting” edited by Bror Danielsson Stockholm, Sweden: 1977) While this description may be a tad bit confusing, it does convey the specificity of various calls on the horn. As Twiti further described it, the purpose of the horn is so that, “every man who is around you, who understands Hunting, may know by your blowing exactly where you are and how your chase goes.”

But what can one do for amusement when not hunting? Ah! Sing about it. In 1523, Sir Horns | Page 68

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Horns | From page 67 Thomas More’s daughter recorded that she and her family had been entertained by Lord Sands singing “The King’s Hunt’s Up,” which describes Henry VIII’s stag hunting exploits.

Hunting songs had worked their way into plays and operas during the 17th century, and by the 18th century, such tunes had become quite popular.

Among the array of hunting music, mostly forgotten, is one of the most popular, “The Dusky Night.” The words were written

by Henry Fielding (1707-1754) dramatist, lyricist and author of the novel “The History of Tom Jones.” Sung by the character of the huntsman named Guzzle, “The Dusky Night” first appeared in Fielding’s play, “Don Quixote In England,” in 1734. The first verse goes: The dusky Night rides down the Sky, And ushers in the Morn; The Hounds all join in glorious Cry, The Huntsman winds his Horn: And a Hunting we will go.

The refrain, “a hunting we will go” is used throughout, until the last verse, when the hunt is over, and it changes to “a drinking we will go.” No wonder it was so popular! (A superb rendition of this can be heard on YouTube at https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=GS4mMVZDY1w) or http://bit.ly/2GbY7xn.

When first performed, “The Dusky Night” was sung to the melody of a folk tune. When it was again on stage in a 1772 remake entitled “Squire Badger” (which received another remake in 1775 as “The Sot”), a new, original melody was composed by Thomas Arne, who had already achieved everlasting fame for setting the poem “Britannia” by James Thomson to music, creating the song “Rule, Britannia!” Arne, (perhaps inspired by the refrain in “The Dusky Night,” not the last one about drinking, but the other) also penned the well-known nursery rhyme that has for its refrain, “A-hunting we will go, / A-hunting we will go / Heigh-ho, the derry-o, / A-hunting we will go.”

All of this was put into sheet music for further enjoyment at home, in the parlor or the tavern. Sheet music was originally the melody and lyrics, if there were any, with a mention of the composer and other relevant bits of information. Illustrated covers and titles made them more sellable. From engravings and lithographs to photography, it was and is an art form all its own.

And this is good. For those of us who cannot sing or read music, there is, at least, a pretty picture to look at while having a glass of wine. ML Additional sources, not cited elsewhere: “The Songs of Foxhunting” by Alexander Mackay-Smith - American Foxhound Club: 1974.

Page 66: A lithographed scene illustrating the cover to hunting sheet music from 1845. Courtesy of the National Sporting Library and Museum.

Page 67, top: Hunt servants practicing calls from "Medieval Hunting Scenes" by Gabriel Bise, Miller Graphics 1978. Scene from a manuscript of "Le Livre de la Chasse" by Gaston Phebus in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. Page 67, middle: Fox hunters reveling in song and drink from "Illustrations to Popular Songs" by Henry Alken, London, 1825 edition.

Courtesy of the National Sporting Library and Museum. Page 67, bottom: Unkenneling the hounds from "The Noble Arte of Venerie or Hunting" by George Turbervile from a facsimile of the 1575 edition. Courtesy of the National Sporting Library and Museum. Page 68, top: "The Return from the Chace" an illustrated page of sheet music from the late 18th or early 19th century. From the collection of Richard Hooper. Page 68, bottom: The illustrated cover to "The Country Club Fox Trot" published in 1914.

This piece is melody only. There are no lyrics celebrating the hunt, but the caché of the chase was used for marketing. Courtesy of the National Sporting Library and Museum.

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DAFFODIL LOVE

By Ashley Bommer Singh

J

ust as my early daffodils started to bloom, we had another snowstorm. The only thing I could do was run out in snow boots and cut. My son’s birthday party featured parsley and ranunculus in clay pots and these early-blooming, two-tone yellow Carlton daffodils in vases.

The Carltons peak too soon for the Upperville Daffodil Show in early April. I love the show—so many participants, so passionate about the daffodil. I remember walking in with my first entrant a few years ago and someone calling out, “We have a Winston Churchill!” when they spotted mine. Only a Narcissus aficionado would be able to spot a daffodil from across the room and call out its cultivar. I’ve ordered Sir Winston Churchill bulbs every year since.

The Narcissus genus is named for the Greek god who was so lovely in every way that the prophet of Thebes warned he must never see his own beauty. According to Ovid, Narcissus rejected the love of the nymph Echo, who wasted away in despair until only her faint voice remained. He then went to drink from the fountain and fell in love with his own reflection. Unable to look away, Narcissus stayed rapt until he died, and in that very spot, up came the daffodil.

Daffodil shows bring passion. There are techniques to polish petals and encourage prolific blooms. Q-Tips are used to clean and smooth; spray bottles with special water and fans are all part of the competition. My neighbor once sent me a small, tall cooler, worried that my daffodils were blooming too soon.

Alas, I still rely on picking early that morning and hoping for the best.

My friend Cynthia Morris and her neighbor Linda Corley shared daffodil bulbs every year. Linda had the experience of a lifetime after retiring as a longtime teacher at Loudoun Country Day. She was asked to plant and tend 100 daffodil varietals in Berryville every year for the late Sarah Burton, onetime President of the Virginia Daffodil Society and American Daffodil Society judge.

Linda (and her husband Don) was under Mrs. Burton’s watchful eye and strict planting instructions: 12-inch holes, a pinch of mulch and sand, and special method of twisting the bulb one-quarter turn before covering. Linda documented each daffodil on a clipboard.

They would cleverly weave Virginia bluebells throughout to extend the bloom through May and ended long days of planting with a glass of sherry. Linda fondly recalled hand-picking leaves off the daffodil stems in Mrs. Burton’s nursery for daffodil shows like Upperville. When Linda reported seeing some

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cutthroat competition like stems being subtly bent, Mrs. Burton simply said, “Linda, what did you expect?”

Of course, you don’t have to enter shows or follow strict planting protocols to lavish in

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daffodils. For such beauties, they are the most unfussy bulb you can plant. They are deer and pest proof. They naturalize and spread.

They require a hole three times the size of the Love | Page 71

Love | From page 70 bulb and adore a little mulch. The bulbs are self-contained nutrient power houses, only requiring that they not be disturbed, including after they bloom. So if you cannot stand the yellowing leaves as your daffodils fade, tie them down or plant around them (Mrs. Burton’s method). Hold the weed whacker.

Early settlers in Virginia planted golden daffodils as mementos of spring back home.

They shared them neighbor to neighbor, and in the coastal climate, daffodils quickly spread from homes to the fields. If you drive down to Gloucester, Virginia, countless daffodils line roads, crags and crannies, and the shoreline. This town became the daffodil capital of America in the 1930s after production ramped up following a worm infestation of bulbs in Holland. Farmers in Virginia, including Charles Heath, were tapped to grow them in their sandy soil. Brent and Becky’s in Gloucester (where I get my daffodil bulbs) is still run by the Heath family.

While many bulbs fade with time, daffodils survive and thrive. The ones you plant today will probably outlast you and be around for generations to enjoy. According to the Royal Horticultural Society, there are some 26,000 daffodil cultivars, or hybrids, categoLove | Page 72

Rev. Michael Tang Thornton Hill Hounds, Watercolor on Paper, 13” x 20”

The Year of the Hound

Showcasing the Foxhunts of Virginia Featuring select artists of the American Academy of Equine Art Opens Saturday, May 26th, 2018 at four o’clock pm members and guest reception to follow The Museum of Hounds & Hunting, North America, inc.

Morven Park Mansion, Leesburg, Virginia

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I wander'd lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host of golden daffodils, Beside the lake, beneath the trees Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Love | From page 71 rized among 13 divisions including trumpet, large cup, poeticus, jonquilla, and miniature.

Horticulturalists create new daffodils every year. Historical varieties I come back to again and again include Barrett Browning (1945) with large orange cups and white petals; Thalia (1916) with all white petals and centers; and Lucifer (1897) with angular petals that look like stars. The first spring we moved here, I was excited to find Actaea (1919), or Poet’s daffodil, on our farm tucked near large boxwoods. They might have been here back when the farm was still the local schoolhouse.

My favorite new varietals include the Sir Winston Churchill with small clusters of three to five white flowers with saffron hearts; Pappy George with its flame orange centers and sun yellow petals and British Gamble with its pale salmon cups and white fluttering heads. For scent, I also love Bridal Crown with its creamy peony-like flowers and Sweet Pomponette with its lemon and vanilla ruffles. Looking at my list now, with its random color pairings, I have to laugh. Gardening is definitely learning what you love by trial and error, and not always planned.

Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the milky way, They stretch'd in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay In such a jocund company!

I gazed - and gazed - but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought.

For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills And dances with the daffodils.

William Wordsworth

I like daffodils in borders, near my apple trees and spread at random. In borders their leaves will soon be overtaken by other perennials, and as long as they have some sun, they will be fine. To get that random, wild look, throw bulbs down as you walk, and plant where they fall. Or you can get ambitious and plant daffodil rivers, featuring thousands of bulbs, planted in drifts of different colors.

This may evoke the crowd of daffodils British poet William Wordsworth saw in 1802 on a walk with his sister Dorothy in the Lake District of England. Those dancing blooms inspired his most famous poem, “I Wander'd Lonely As A Cloud.”

When my daffodils return like old friends, especially after a hard winter, I start to imagine lunches served in the garden. I may not get to planting thousands of daffodils like Linda and Mrs. Burton, but one can dream. ML Page 70, top: Daffodils along a stone path. Photo by Vikram Singh. Page 70, bottom: Sir Winston Churchill and Cheerfulness with blue muscari and tulips.

Photo by Vikram Singh. Page 71: Author's son, age 3, holding a Sir Winston Churchill at Upperville Daffodil Show in 2017. Photo by Vikram Singh.

LINDA DRAPER NEWTON (1935 – 2018)

L

inda Draper Newton of Marshall, Va., retired to the Piedmont with her husband in 1991 from Fairfax, and soon became an important player in local historic and land preservation and garden clubs. She passed away on March 24, 2018, peacefully at her home.

She was born March 10, 1935, at West Point, N.Y., the daughter of Ethel Woodruff Draper and Maj. Gen. Philip H. Draper, Jr. She is preceded in death by her husband, Col. Robert W. Newton, her parents, and a sister, Anne. She is survived by her children, Robert, Tracey, David and his wife, Jamie, and Maryanne and her husband, Nicholas; her six grandchildren, Rebecca, Zachary, Draper, Avery, Nell, and Trey; and two siblings, Stephen and Sherri.

Linda pursued many interests and developed countless friendships at multiple postings during her early years as an “Army brat” and later as an Army spouse. She recalled that Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, was a sleepy idyllic tropical paradise until the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, when Pearl Harbor was bombed. “Our dear mother protected our fears by taking us up to Koli Koli pass in case the Japanese landed, all the while pretending

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we were going on a picnic,” she later wrote.

She remembered a late-night ride in an Army truck past Pearl Harbor, seeing burning ships, then spending the first night in a Honolulu school house in case of sabotage.” The war years were spent in her mother’s home town of Columbus, Ga., and in London.

Linda studied interior design at Bennett Junior College and George Washington University and finance at George Mason University. After marrying an Army officer, she moved every year or two and eventually settled in Northern Virginia, where she raised their four children, rode horses, led girl and boy scouts, attended Little League,

APRIL 2018

volunteered and gardened. She put her skills to use in family businesses and charitable organizations. She helped found The Family Respite Center, now known as the Memory Insight Care Center, in Fairfax, and served as both president and treasurer.

She also served as president of the Fauquier Loudoun Garden Club, working to preserve natural places and structures, including the Goose Creek Bridge. She helped found and was president of the Atoka Preservation Society, which preserved the history and structures of the crossroads village of Atoka. She bred thoroughbreds, including Maryland Million winner Miss Lombardi.

Linda was also a member of the Middleburg Garden Club, Colonial Dames of America, the National Society of Colonial Dames and the Trinity Church Bell Choir. She created a beautiful space for family and friends at Roundaway Farm, which was opened for Virginia Historic Garden Week.

A funeral service will be held April 19 at 11 a.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, Upperville. In lieu of flowers, remembrances can be made to the Trinity Church Campus Renewal Fund or U.S. Military Academy Equestrian Facility. www.RoystonFuneralHome.net

M iddleburg Humane Foundation C M T T D N elebrates

ore

han

wo

ecades of

urturing animals

By Aimée O’Grady

S

ince the inception of Scruffy’s Ice Cream Parlor in 1987, founder Hilleary Bogley had a vision to create a local animal shelter. Scruffy’s Strays found its humble beginnings through donations and involvement from the community. Steve Harkabus, one of the original three board members, met Hilleary at the ice cream parlor while visiting Middleburg and struck up a friendship. That friendship helped establish the Middleburg Humane Foundation in 1994. For more than 24 years, Harkabus, Bogley and Rose Rogers have helped carry its mission to raise awareness and provide care for animals in need.

“We originally set out to help abused animals or those that were at-risk or neglected,” says Harkabus. “Over the years, we have stayed true to this mission.”

The foundation uses education to help owners properly care for their animals, which gives them the best results. “We couldn’t set out and be aggressive and tell owners they were neglecting their pets. If we had, they wouldn’t have given us access to the animals, and that’s what was most important, gaining access to the animals so we could care for them,” says Harkabus. Educating the public has always been a focus of what the foundation offers.

The organization grew gradually, eventually increasing to nine board members and a shelter bursting at the seams. With a generous donation by board member Lisa Ben-Dov and her husband Zohar, 23 acres of land on the western side of Marshall was given to the foundation for the construction of a new facility.

With the new shelter under construction, the foundation looks to the future. “The upgraded facility will help the foundation grow all of its existing programs and expand our operations,” says John Muss, MFH board of directors chair. “We will be able to create services in the future that were out of reach in

the past and help make Middleburg Humane Foundation a regional organization.”

Today, the Middleburg Humane Foundation serves as both a shelter and an educational facility. One of their most effective programs is the Community Cats Trap, Neuter and Return (TNR). This program helps to control the feral cat population. MHF also offers behavior training, equine rescue, grooming, and even wildlife emergency care.

The foundation is one of the only rescue facilities in the region that offers care to equines and other livestock. Once medical treatment is provided, all animals become available Celebrate | Page 74

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Celebrate | From page 73 for adoption, pending home inspections and approvals.

Muss acknowledges that Middleburg Humane Foundation could not accomplish what it does without the help of the foundation’s volunteers. “Several years ago, we took in over 80 King Charles Spaniels from an abusive situation; some of them were pregnant.

If it weren’t for the help of our volunteers, we would not have been able to provide them with the care they required,” he says.

McCauley Alexiou, the volunteer coordinator, manages a list of more than 250 volunteers, some as young as 5 years old. Each one attends an orientation program and is assigned any number of tasks at the facility.

This number does not reflect the approximately 20 individuals who foster rescue pets for the foundation. Alexiou has a volunteer retention rate of 84 percent, some of whom have been there for 20 years.

Muss feels that volunteers are the second most important part of the foundation, the first being donations. “We are a unique organization in that we will take any animal and provide it care,” he says. “We take in an average of 600 animals every year, from swans to peacocks, to horses and goats, and that comes at a price.”

The foundation does not receive any government funding; the operations are funded through the generosity of its supporters and fundraising events. While fundraising was fairly basic early on, it has become more involved and moved up on the list of priorities.

Melanie Burch, director of development, says, “If it means we operate in the red for a period, we will do that. What we won’t do is turn animals away that need medical attention.”

In 2014, this philosophy was put to the test when Pebbles, a 1-year-old, potbellied pig, was burned in a Warrenton house fire.

The foundation took Pebbles in for recovery, to the cost of $7,000. To help Pebbles’ needs, a fundraising effort was organized. Approximately one year later, Pebbles returned to the foundation for minor injuries related to yet another house fire, and the foundation did not hesitate to take him in again.

For large projects, such as the new facility, capital campaigns are launched. “When the new facility is complete, we will turn our attention to building an endowment fund. Our goal is a 2.5-million endowment that, with wise investments, will yield approximately $150,000 annually and help offset our operating costs. This will enable us to focus less of our attention on fundraising and more on executing the foundation’s mission,” says Muss.

The capital campaign for the new facility will not compromise funds for existing foundation programming. “Our goal is to have the facility finished without loans,” says Harkabus. “Once doors open, all donations we receive will go towards the

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foundation as usual.”

The capital campaign fundraising goal was set at $4,000,000, and 81 percent of this has been raised to date.

Tom Wiseman, President of Wiseman & Associates Wealth Management, explains that “most people think about writing a check at the end of the year when giving to their favorite non-profit. While these ‘immediate’ gifts are vital to the ongoing operations of the organization, there are other methods of gifting that can make a meaningful impact on the long-term future of your non-profit.” He suggests naming a favorite organization as a beneficiary of a will, a trust, or a life insurance policy. “This is a great way to leave a significant legacy gift to organizations that have earned your support,” he explains.

Other giving options include gifts of appreciated stock that provide funds for the non-profit while allowing the donor to avoid capital gains taxes. Charitable Remainder Trusts, Gift Annuities, and Charitable Lead Trusts are more complex options that can provide legacy gifts as well as lead to increased income and substantial tax benefits.

From a mere three-person board of directors to a thriving foundation with 10 people on the board and nearly 300 volunteers serving countless animals and people every year, the Middleburg Humane Foundation continues to demonstrate sustainable growth.

To support the organization into the next two decades, the foundation asks community members to consider establishing a gift of a trust to benefit the organization. Grantors can make donations today to the Middleburg Humane Foundation in addition to other supported organizations and reserve the right to make changes at any time. ML To learn about the foundation’s programs or more about designating Middleburg Humane Foundation a beneficiary under a will, visit their website at www.middleburghumane.org.

APRIL 2018

Page 73, top: MHF board members and staff at the construction site of the main adoption and humane education center. Photo courtesy of Dee Dee Hubbard. Page 73, bottom: Photographic rendering of the new MHF shelter under development. Photo courtesy of the MHF. Page 74, top: The current MHF shelter in Marshall, Virginia. Photo courtesy of MHF. Page 74, middle: One of the lovely hounds that have been lovingly tended by MHF. Photo by Joanne Maisano. Page 74, bottom: The variety of animals that pass through their doors in any given year strains their resources, but they stay true to their mission to provide services to any animal that crosses their threshold. Photo by Joanne Maisano.

Estate of Elizabeth Dunn Clark Offered at Auction

Harry Andrew Jackson, John E. Ferneley, Sr., Rudolf Ernst, Richard Ansdell, John Frederick Herring, Sr., John E. Ferneley, Jr., Lorenzo Ghiglieri and others will be auctioned.

Two of Mrs. Clark’s automobiles, a Riverside Red 1964 Corvette showing only 15,000 odometer miles and a 1926 Chrysler G70 Roadster are available.

85 lots of fine and vintage jewelry are available, including a stunning 3-carat diamond and platinum ring and an Art Deco styled bracelet.

Auction catalogues are available by request. Bidding will be available by phone, absentia, online and live in the Asheville auction gallery. For more information or to arrange a private preview, contact Aaron Edwards at aaron@brunkauctions.com or 828-254-6846. ML Top: John Emms, 1843-1912, Portrait of Four Retrievers and a Black Spaniel. Middle: Mrs. Clark's 1964 Chevrolet Corvette in Riverside Red. Bottom: Ralla, by Herbert Haseltine, 1877-1962.

SUMMER

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

AND RELATED JAMES BOND TRADEMARKS, TM DANJAQ. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

O

n the weekend of May 12, 2018, Brunk Auctions will offer at auction The Estate of Elizabeth Dunn Clark of Springfield Farm in Middleburg, Virginia. In 300 lots, fine selections of Sporting Art, Jewelry, Automobiles and Furniture from the collections of the renowned breeder of Labrador Retrievers, sportswoman and animal philanthropist will be available to successful bidders. Proceeds of her residual estate will go to the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and the Morris Animal Foundation.

Highlights of the auction include a portrait of Four Retrievers and a Black Spaniel by the accomplished British sporting artist, John Emms, estimated at $60,000 to $90,000.

Herbert Haseltine’s magisterial sculpture entitled “Ralla” after Harry Payne Whitney’s champion Polo Pony from 1909 is offered as well. Two other casts of this bronze are held by the Whitney Museum of Art in New York and by author Horace Laffaye respectively, and it is estimated at $60,000 to $90,000.

Works by other sporting artists including

JOHN PRINE

MARGO PRICE

JUN 1

NILE RODGERS & CHIC CHAKA KHAN JUN 5 BARRY MANILOW JUN 8 + 9 WOLF TRAP ORCHESTRA

MAY 25

JOHN FOGERTY | ZZ TOP: BLUES AND BAYOUS TOUR MAY 29 + 30

HARRY CONNICK JR.

A NEW ORLEANS TRICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

JUN 14

STEVEN TYLER AND THE LOVING MARY BAND THE SISTERHOOD BAND

JUN 21

ROGER DALTREY PERFORMS THE WHO’S TOMMY JUN 10 + 12 BOY GEORGE & CULTURE CLUB THE B-52s

CASINO ROYALE LICENSED BY MGM. CASINO ROYALE © 2006 DANJAQ, UNITED ARTISTS.

THE WASHINGTON BALLET GISELLE

THOMPSON TWINS’ TOM BAILEY

JUL 18

CASINO ROYALE IN CONCERT MOTOWN THE MUSICAL JUN 26–28

GLADYS KNIGHT & THE O’JAYS AUG 15

KIDZ BOP LIVE 2018 AUG 25

NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

ALANIS MORISSETTE

JUL 22

SEP 6

ALAN JACKSON AUG 16

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Piedmont Point to Point. Photo by Joanne Maisano.

4/7

Shakespeare in the ‘Burg Presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream (7:30 p.m.): Shakespeare in the 'Burg welcomes back our acting company, Shakespeare in the Square, for a special performance of “A Midsummer Night's Dream.” The performance is at The Hill School's Shelia Johnson Center for the Performing Arts. For more information, visit www.shakespeareintheburg.com.

4/7

Winemaker for a Day – Chardonnay! at 50 West Vineyards (1 p.m. – 3 p.m.): Love Chardonnay? During our spring session, you will learn what it takes to make the perfect Chardonnay. Love what you made? Winemaker Corry Craighill will hand bottle your Chardonnay. Take your custom wine home for $28/bottle. Tickets are $40. Details and tickets at www.sunsethillsvineyard.com/product/Winemaker-for-aDay---Chardonnay.

4/10

55th Annual Daffodil Show Presented by The Upperville Garden Club (2 p.m. – 5 p.m.): The Annual Daffodil Show is presented in conjunction with The American Daffodil Society. Located in Upperville’s Buchanan Hall, 8549 John S Mosby Hwy, Upperville.

4/12

Sunset Hills Wine Diner at Field & Main Restaurant (7 p.m. – 10 p.m.): Join Field & Main Restaurant and winemaker Cory Craighill for an evening of great wine and food. Reservations are required. Six wines and five courses are offered for $109 per person, excluding tax

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and service charge. Call 540-364-8166 to reserve your place at the table.

4/14

B o o k S i g n i n g : He n r y Browne, “Vanishing History, Ruins in Virginia” (2 p.m. – 4 p.m.): In this book, the architectural expertise and lifelong vision of Henry J. Browne comes together with Kevin MacNutt’s photography to honor the workmanship and ingenuity of those who came before us and encourage honest reflection about the spirit of progress. Located at the Winchester Book Gallery, 185 North Loudoun Street, Winchester. Call 540-667-3444 with questions.

4/14

Middleburg Spring Cleaning (8 a.m.): Spring is in the air, time to do a little cleaning! Dress comfortably and be ready to sweep up the streets.

All ages welcome! A special thanks to Salamander Resort and the Community Center for hosting and providing food. Rain date will be Sunday, April 15th, 8 a.m. Meet at the Middleburg Community Center.

4/14

With a Little Help From Our Friends! MCC Spring Fundraiser (7 p.m. – 10 p.m.): Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Beatles Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band album, as we raise funds for the Middleburg Community Center Swimming Pool. Enjoy live music by a Beatles Tribute Band, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and dancing.

Tickets are $60. More details and tickets at www.middleburgcommunitycenter.com.

4/15

Arts in the Afternoon with pianist John O’Conor at the Middleburg Concert Series, Middleburg United Methodist Church, 15 West Washington Street (4 p.m. – 7 p.m.): A rare opportunity to hear world-renowned pianist John O'Conor play a legendary Steinway in concert, followed by a cocktail reception at the nearby National Sporting Library & Museum. Concert attendees will be able to personally meet Mr. O’Conor at the reception. Admission is $100 per person.

To reserve your invitation, contact us at middleburgconcertseriesgala@gmail.com or by calling 540-326-4611.

4/15

The 52nd Annual Loudoun Hunt Point to Point Races (10:30 a.m.): Held at the historic Oatlands Plantation, the Loudoun Hunt Point to Point Races feature some of the most challenging timber and hurdle courses in Virginia. Exhibition race at 12 p.m., The Mrs. George C. Everhart Memorial Invitational Sidesaddle Race. Post time is 1:00 p.m. General admission, per car: $40 at the gate. For ticket information, contact Cathy Spicer 703-728-0545.

4/15

A Day of Art, Wine and Great Spring Cuisine at L’Auberge Provencale (12 p.m. – 4 p.m.): We have teamed up with Greenhill Winery in Middleburg, Virginia, and the renowned winemaker Sebastien Marquet to produce a day of art from Isabelle Truchon, fine food, and wine tastings. Chef Richard Wright’s spring tasting menu with perfect pairings

from Sommelier Christian Borel will be featured at this sought-after dinner. The day will commence with a taste of bubbly and a viewing of artwork, followed by a six-course wine pairing menu. Call 540-837-1375 for reservations.

4/15

Goat Yoga at the Goodstone Inn to Benefit the Visit Loudoun Foundation (12 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.): Enjoy an hour of mellow, goat yoga, appropriate for all levels, with small breed and baby goats visiting from the Little Goat Farm at the Lake. After practice, you may take a stroll through the gardens or plan a hike or bike ride on the miles of Goodstone trails. Must purchase tickets in advance, $40 per participant. Please BYO yoga mat. Questions? Contact bethawolfe@gmail.com.

4/15

Sipping for Sprout (12 p.m.

– 4 p.m.): Join us for the 6th Annual “Sipping for Sprout” Fundraiser to support Sprout Therapeutic Riding and Education Center. Located at Stone Tower Winery, the event is a family-oriented fun day that will consist of wine and beer tasting for the adults, local food, live music, activities for the children and a bountiful silent auction. Learn moreat www.sproutcenter.org/events/sippingfor-sprout/.

4/20

Concert on the Steps Kickoff at the Middleburg Community Center (5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.): Join us for an evening filled with free fun, live music, food and beverages, and good company!

Questions? Call 540-687-6373.

4/20

Hunt Country 4 Hands Dinner (5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.): Join Chef Tom Whitaker of the Ashby Inn & Restaurant and Chef Richard Wright, of L’Auberge Provencale, as they create a “4 Hands Dinner” feast, displaying the best of the Shenandoah Valley. The six-course dinner paired with local Virginia wines will be held at The Ashby Inn. $135 per person. Call 540592-3900 for reservations.

4/21

“A Landscape Under Threat” Conversation at Upperville’s Llangollen Farm (9 a.m. – 12 p.m.): We invite you to join us for a conversation about the future of our landscape and the use of conservation easements as a tool for permanent protection. Hear representatives from Loudoun, Fauquier and Clarke Counties discuss what needs protecting and what we need to do to protect the Virginia we love. RSVP at info@mosbyheritagearea.org.

This is a free event.

4/21-22

Budbreak Festival at Cana Vineyards and Winery (11 a.m. – 6 p.m.): Celebrate the beginning of the 2018 winemaking season with us! Our winemaker will release her rosé and give a special tasting of other rosés of the world. In addition, two vendors will be here: PaellaDeliciosa and photographer BBHartandSol who will be providing two

high-quality photographs of you enjoying Cana for $20, from 1pm-5 pm.

rium. Admission is free, but space is limited.

Call 540-687-4511 for more information.

4/21

4/28

Middleburg Spring Horse Race Fun (11 a.m. – 5 p.m.): Tailgate and picnic with fashionable Middleburg crowds all while watching the thrilling sport of horse racing. The Middleburg Spring Races at Glenwood Park is an exciting and fun event in our historic Virginia horse country. Get your tickets at www.middleburgspringraces.com/buy-tickets/.

4/22

Grace Church Concert Series in The Plains (5 p.m.): The concert features the Grammy-nominated concert organist Jonathan Ryan performing J.S. Bach, Vivaldi, Brahms, Schumann and Guilmant. A catered reception will follow the performance. Tickets are $25, Students $15, Youth under 18 are free if accompanied by an adult. For additional information and tickets, please visit www.gracetheplains.org or call 540-253-5177, ext. 107. Grace Episcopal Church, 6507 Main Street, The Plains.

4/22

Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy Charity Yoga Workshop at the Salamander Resort & Spa (10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.): Celebrate Earth Day with our outdoor yoga workshop, and 50% of the proceeds will be donated to Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy. Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy is a non-profit organization founded in 1995 that provides engaging opportunities for our Loudoun community to learn about and conserve the nature we value and want to preserve! $35 per person. For more information, call 540-326-4060.

4/22-23

Hunt C ountr y House & Garden Tour (4/22, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., 4/23, 10 a.m.

– 5 p.m.): The 2018 Hunt Country House & Garden Tour will showcase five magnificent properties: Ovoka, Kenilworth, Peace and Plenty, Foxlease and The Sporting Library & Museum. Advance tickets are $40, day of event $50. Checks payable to FLGC (Fauquier Loudoun Garden Club). Mail to: Daphne W. Cheatham, PO Box 324, Middleburg, VA, 20118. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.vagardenweek.org.

4/25

American Red Cross Blood Drive (1:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.): Foxcroft School invites area residents to participate in its upcoming Red Cross Blood Drive on campus. The drive is scheduled at the Athletic/Student Center. Donating blood takes less than an hour, so please add the date to your calendar. Sign up at www.redcrossblood.org using sponsor code “Foxcroft School” today!

4/27-28

Rodgers and Hammerstein Cinderella at Foxcroft School (7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.): Join us for the spring performing arts production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” presented by Foxcroft Fine Arts Department and the Main Stage class. Performances are located in FoxHound Audito-

The Front Royal Remount Depot: Human, Equine and Canine Stories at the National Sporting Library & Museum (5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.): Offered in partnership with Front Royal 4-H, this program explores the beginning, middle and end of the Remount's human, equine and canine stories. Price $5, free to NSLM and 4-H members. Please register to Anne Marie Barnes, the Clarice & Robert H. Smith Educator, ABarnes@NationalSporting.org, 540-687-6542 ext. 25.

4/28

Middleburg Humane Foundation Blue Jean Ball (7 p.m.): As Middleburg Humane Foundation’s 23rd annual gala, the Blue Jean Ball features a live auction, cocktail hour with oysters and hors-d’oeuvres, dinner, dessert, open bar and dancing. Wear your favorite “jeans and gems” and dress ‘em up as much as you’d like for an inspiring program and auction. Located at the Middleburg Community Center. Tickets available at www.middleburghumane.org.

4/29

Middleburg Hunt Point to Point Races (1 p.m.): The Middleburg Hunt invites you to the Point to Point Races on April 29 at beautiful Glenwood Park in Middleburg. Post time is 1 p.m.

Fees are $10 per car ($20 day of the race) and $5 per person. Please call 540-358-4366 for ticket and tailgate information, or visit our website at www.middleburghunt.com/pointtopoint.html.

4/29

Mad Hatter Tea Party (1:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.): Join us for an afternoon of delight and wonder for a Mad Hatter Tea Party. Enjoy afternoon tea while you meet the characters of Loudoun Ballet Performing Arts Company’s upcoming production of Alice in Wonderland, see excerpts of the ballet and experience the magic of the other side of the looking glass at the Middleburg Community Center. Purchase tickets at www.tututix.com/client/lbpac/.

4/29

Hunter Horse Show at Fox Chase Farm: For more details and for online entry, visit www.hunterhorseshows.com. Call 540-687-5255 with questions. Keep an eye on the show timetable on our website, and watch for more shows every month through October.

5/4

The Horse: Meet the Author with Wendy Williams at the National Sporting Library & Museum (6 p.m. - 8 p.m.): Presented in partnership with the Oak Spring Foundation, the event will include a reception, book signing, and talk highlighting scientific and compassionate insights into human-equine relationships across the globe. Champagne reception at 6 p.m., talk and book signing at 7 p.m. Please register to Anne Marie Barnes, the Clarice & Robert H. Smith Educator, ABarnes@NationalSporting. org, 540-687-6542 ext. 25.

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JANET HITCHEN’S

Unforgettable Moments Photos by Janet Hitchen | Courtesy of Joanne Maisano

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A frequent contributor, Janet Hitchen’s photos graced our pages and covers over the years. Here are some of her photos that so captured living the Middleburg Life. We miss you, Janet, and your wonderful presence in our community. ML

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Photos: 1. Flying horse with its rider at the Gold Cup. 2. A mare with her foal. 3. Rosie Uran.

4. The Middleburg Hounds splashing through a creek.

MOMENTS (continued from page 78)

2 1

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Photos: 1. Piedmont Fox hounds look on at Erskine Bedford's funeral. 2. A picture perfect image of Goose Creek. 3. Hilleary, Kim and Rose at the 2013 Middleburg Humane Foundation Gala. 4. An iconic image of Smitten Farm wall and tree. 5. Dot Smithwick. 6. Driving Drafts showing affection.

Moments | Page 80 APRIL 2018

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MOMENTS (continued from page 79)

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Photos: 1. Sheila Johnson at ease in front of the camera. 2. Through the water at the International Gold Cup. 3. OCH Huntsman Reg Spreadborough at the Blessing of the Hounds. 4. Morning exercise. 5. Joy at the Middleburg Spring Races 2007.

6. OCH Hounds at Old Kennels.

A day of fun at Camp Salamander.

Watching an evening movie on the Grand Lawn.

Playing a challenging game of 9-hole disc golf.

What will your story be?

Springtime is blooming at Salamander. With daily activities for all ages, there's definitely something exciting for everyone. It's all here in your own backyard.

Visit us at SalamanderResort.com or call 844.842.3198.

MIDDLEBURG, VIRGINIA

APRIL 2018

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middleburglife.com

ProPerties in Hunt Country YorKSHIrE HoUSE

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Paris ~ Circa 1770, Lovely Stone and Stucco Farmhouse sits at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, 20+ acres surrounded by Protected Lands, Spectacular protected views of Paris valley, Meticulous exterior renovations include Re-Pointed Stonework, Metal Roof, 2 Large Additions, Covered Porch, Basement, Buried Electric, Well and Septic, Fully Fenced, Mature Trees, Boxwoods, Ready for all your interior finishes. $1,550,000

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Formal Living Rm & Dining Rm, Library, Great Rm, Master BR Suite w/frplc, luxury Bath, His & Her Closets. Guest BR suite on 3rd level. Walkout LL has Family Rm, Media Rm, Music Rm, Weight Rm, Wine Cellar, 2nd Kitchen, Guest BR Suite & storage. 3-car garage w/1 BR Apt. above. $2,195,000

Cricket Bedford (540) 229-3201

Cricket Bedford (540) 229-3201

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Marshall~Fully renovated home nestled amongst large farms on 1 manicured acre in sought after area. Enjoy a traditional country home on the outside with a sophisticated, contemporary design within. 3-4 BRs, 2.5 BAs w/open Kitchen & Eat-In area, DR w/original stone fireplace, LR with built-ins, bay window and fireplace, separate Office or 1st Flr BR. Master Suite w/lux BA & His & Her Walk-ins. Large open flagstone terrace, porches and extensive landscaping. $1,135,000

Cricket Bedford (540) 229-3201

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Delaplane~ Located in the historic village, this 4 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath home has been meticulously renovated. Features original hardwood floors, 5 fireplaces, formal Living Room, Dining Room & Library. All new gourmet Kitchen, Baths & Master Bedroom Suite. Re-plastered walls, new lighting, new furnace/AC, sound system, extensive landscaping, fenced back yard, expansive rear terrace, covered $699,000 front porch & detached 2-car garage.

Cricket Bedford (540) 229-3201 laND

Broad run ~ Move in ready small farm just North of Warrenton. Beautiful all custom brick home, first floor master suite with soaking /spa tub, walk in closets, spacious open kitchen, breakfasts room, dining room, high ceilings,geothermal heat. Open and screened in porches, tranquil setting with lovely garden, stream, pond and springs. 3 fenced paddocks.

Small Stable with water & electric. 6.65 aC on no through street. Wildlife Heaven! $640,000

THISTlE HIll~ Spectacular land with rolling, verdant fields, lush woodlands and a spring fed pond, on 415+ gorgeous acres in unspoiled Hume. Offering four parcels of 100+ acres each, this property is ideally located off scenic Leeds Manor Road, amongst other beautiful estates, many in conservation easements.

Easy access to I- 66 and within an hour of the nation's capital. $5,000,000

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Upperville ~ Lovely restored 3 Bedroom home on over an acre of Cleared, open land. Very Private, Great Location, Master Bedroom on Main Level, Large Living Room, Spacious Kitchen with new Stainless-Steel Appliances, Newly Renovated Baths Large Recreational Room on Lower Level with Bedroom, Bath and Exercise Room/Office. Must see to appreciate. $420,000

Barrington Hall (540) 454-6601

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BErrYVIllE laND ~ 255 acres of beautiful open, rolling land in VA horse country with mature pastures, cropland and several lovely home sites. Listing includes an income producing, established equine vet clinic/surgical center with 6 stalls, 50 x 120 machine shed, paddocks, sand arena and an open turf gallop of nearly a mile in length & Gordonsdale event $1,900,000 course.

The Plains ~ Completely renovated 3/4 bedroom home with upgraded kitchen (granite counters), 3 all new bathrooms with custom tile, vanities and fixtures & 2 fireplaces. Finished lower level could be spacious office. Bright rooms with all new windows and large roKEBY roaD~ Upperville 1.84 acre parcel with 3 deck overlooking private back yard. No smoking, No Bedroom septic Certificate on hand. Mostly wooded with pets. Long term lease possible. Shown by appointfantastic views to the east! Great opportunity to own in a ment only. $1,950/mo plus utilities prime location! $299,999

rein duPont (540) 454-3355

Please see over 100 of our fine estates and exclusive country properties by visiting www.THOMAS-TALBOT.com Susie Ashcom Cricket Bedford Catherine Bernache Snowden Clarke John Coles Rein duPont Cary Embury Barrington Hall

THOMAS AND TALBOT REAL ESTATE a STaUNCH aDVoCaTE of laND EaSEMENTS laND aND ESTaTE agENTS SINCE 1967 Middleburg, Virginia 20118

(540) 687-6500

Phillip S. Thomas, Sr.

Celebrating his 56th year in Real Estate.

Julien Lacaze Anne V. Marstiller Brian McGowan Jim McGowan Mary Ann McGowan Rebecca Poston Emily Ristau

Offers subject to errors, omissions, change of price or withdrawal without notice. Information contained herein is deemed reliable, but is not so warranted nor is it otherwise guaranteed.