Middleburg Life| January 2018

POSTAL CUSTOMER

Volume 34 Issue 15 | January 2018 | middleburglife.com

Presort Std ECRWSS US Postage Permit #75 Fredericksburg, VA

MIDDLEBURG

LI F E Events of a Lifetime

& Celebrating the Artist Within J A N U A RY 2 0 1 8

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

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MIDDLEBURG

LI F E

JAN. 2018 middleburglife.com

PUBLISHER Greenhill Media LLC EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Elaine Anne Watt COPY EDITORS Chelsea Rose Moore, Rachel Musser ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Alexa Wolff ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVES Shonna Call, Jennifer Richards CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mollie Bailey, Heidi Baumstark, Callie Broaddus, Kerry Phelps Dale, Morgan Hensley, Kaitlin Hill, Dulcy Hooper, Richard Hooper, Carolyn Kincaid, Peter Milligan, Chelsea Rose Moore, Kate Parker, Beth Rasin Anne Sraders, Summer Stanley CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Callie Broaddus, Eryn Gable, Doug Gehlsen, Tony Gibson, Crowell Hadden, Joanne Maisano Karen Monroe, Julie Napear 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 114 W. Washington Street, Ste. 102 | Middleburg, VA 540.687.5950 | info@middleburglife.com SUBSCRIBE TO MIDDLEBURG LIFE www.middleburglife.com 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, Charlottesville, Delaplane, Dulles, Front Royal, Gainesville, Haymarket, Leesburg, Manassas, Marshall, Middleburg, Millwood, Paris, Purcellville, The Plains, Rectortown, Upperville, Warrenton, Washington, D.C., and Winchester.

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FIND US ON Instagram @middleburglife Twitter @middleburglife Facebook.com/middleburglife ON THE COVER A beautiful dessert display featuring cakes by Signature Sweets by Amanda, macarons by Pure Love Macaron, florals by Lisa Capraro and styling by Chelsea Rose Moore. Photo by Yetta Reid Photography.

ON THIS PAGE John Ryan greeting hounds at Huntland.

Photo by Joanne Maisano.

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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER 1 Jan 18

E

thereal sunsets. Begging hills.

Humbling vistas.

For those of us who call this small corner of the world our home, we experience incredible moments of beauty and majesty.

And since blessings are to be shared, so it is with Middleburg Life. This small newspaper – now achieving magazine status – is a venue to express and to glorify those blessings in life that we enjoy in this hamlet of Virginia.

We seek to share the stories of Middleburg and its surrounding community not only with each other, but to the wider audience around us. To draw people into this distinctive place, to partake in its simplicity and the richness of its traditions and to invite people from all over to either visit or to experience a touch of its lifestyle through our pages.

The grandeur in giving, the nobility in needing, and the fulfillment of our spirit – with hills and horses, farmers and trades, arts

and culture and the generosity of its people: this is what our community is all about. And this is what our magazine will do in every way to portray its greatness and the dedication we have to its ideals and its traditions.

There is no mystique about Middleburg. There’s simply glory, in life, love, and happiness.

David Greenhill

PET OF THE MONTH Meet Liam Neeson, Age 2 Young male, large Tabby (Gray/Blue/Silver) Hello, my name is Liam Neeson - and yes, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will make you take me home.

I am a happy and healthy two-year old cat, and the only reason I am here is that my previous owners couldn't take care of me. I can be shy at first, but I adapt quickly and my personality, which is fantastic, comes out in spades.

You may be eligible for adoption if you live within a 50-mile radius of our facility in Marshall, VA 20115. Please visit our website: www.middleburghumane.com for our adoption procedures and to fill out an adoption application.

Coat length: Short

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540-364-3272 or visit middleburghumane.org.

House-Trained: Yes

Special details: Good with children and other cats; prefers a home without dogs. ML

Health: Vaccinations up to date, spayed/neutered.

Article courtesy of Melanie Burch, Director of Development. For more information, call

ginia. It is their goal to provide a haven for abused,

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Middleburg Humane Foundation operates a private, 4.5 acre farm shelter located in Marshall, Virneglected, and at risk animals, both large and small.

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ON THE

COVER

By Chelsea Rose Moore Photos by Yetta Reid Photography

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reating this month’s beautiful cover was truly a collaborative effort. As our annual wedding issue, January’s cover sets the tone for the magazine, which brings to life the stories of the people, places and details focused on making wedding dreams come true. The colors in the cover are soft, carrying whispers of spring and promises of a new year.

This issue features the story of a couple celebrating their marriage with seven weddings around the world. Seven weddings, seven rings, seven anniversaries. You will find their story, and the fascinating stories of others, in the pages of this magazine.

The cover shoot was made possible by the collaboration of talented female small business owners. The cover was shot by Yetta Reid Photography, a Loudoun-based photographer. As a momma of two adorable boys (with a third baby on the way!), she specializes in children and family photography, but she can masterfully shoot anything— from upscale real estate to still life. Her work is pure magic.

The cakes were made by Amanda Wheeler of Signature Sweets by Amanda, a small boutique bakery in Warrenton. The decadent macarons are courtesy of Kim Moehnke of Pure Love Macaron in Ashburn.

The plates were handmade by local potter Talia Olmstead of The White Hearth, whose studio is located in Clarke County. Her pottery maintains an elegant yet rustic vibe. The gold-edged plates featured in the shoot are from her newest addition, the LaRue Collection.

The stunning florals were designed by Lisa Capraro, the event manager at Greenhill Winery & Vineyards. She has an impressive eye for curating floral arrangements! The styling was done by Middleburg Life’s own Chelsea Rose Moore.

Thank you to all the wonderful ladies who brought this shoot to life—and added a little more warmth and loveliness to our January in the process! ML

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THE MARRYING KIND

By Dulcy B. Hooper

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magine what exhilarating, over-the-top chaos it must be when one is the bride at four weddings in one year — and then, before the honeymoon is even over, looking ahead to planning three more.

Such is the case for Middleburg residents and co-founders of Forever Gourmet, Roberta Marcenaro Lyon and Atticus Lyon, whose fifth marriage will take place on January 7, 2018.

The couple became engaged in New Orleans in April of 2014. By happenstance, their trip to New Orleans coincided with the annual French Quarter Festival, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors. “It was crazy,” Roberta recalled. “At first, we didn’t know why it was so difficult to find a place to stay.”

Crazy, but magical. “When Atticus went down on his knees and asked me to marry him, I said yes — I will marry you. But I want to marry you seven times!” Roberta says that her life is “full of sevens.” While still in New Orleans, the couple picked the seven places in which they would exchange their wedding vows.

Atticus was game. “The beauty of having multiple weddings,” he said, “is that not only do you get to share your love with good friends in different places the world over, but you also create multiple anniversaries that give rise to yet more occasions to celebrate.”

The first wedding took place in Las Vegas just weeks after the New Orleans engagement.

“We couldn’t wait,” said Roberta, “we were so much in love.”

Las Vegas was the couple’s simplest wedding. Four months later, on September 7, 2014, came the first of the “big” weddings: Italy. The Lyons needed to be in Italy for three months to hammer out all the details.

“On top of everything else, there was so much paperwork,” said Roberta. It was apparently de rigueur to produce a number of records in preparation for a wedding — including the all-important baptism, communion and confirmation documents. “So I asked Atticus for his confirmation papers,” Roberta recalled, “and he said, ‘Oh, but there are no confirmation papers. I was never confirmed!’”

With the wedding a week away and 150 guests traveling from all over the world to witness the nuptials, more than a bit of panic ensued. “Our guests were all coming to the village where I had grown up, and to the Kind | Page 9

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Kind | From page 8 church I had gone to as a child,” said Roberta.

In addition, members of a jazz trio the couple had met in New Orleans were flying to Italy to be part of the entertainment.

The bride’s mother lost no time, and averted what could have been a major disaster. “My mother was the bishop’s personal chef,” said Roberta. “When I saw the bishop driving up in his limousine, I was so happy.”

Atticus was confirmed, and a confirmation party followed.

Most brides would have been in major recovery after that wedding, if not the one preceding it. But wedding number three was scheduled to take place just two and one-half months later — in Houston, where Atticus’s family resides.

“For that wedding, I arrived on a blue truck and our friends were wrapped in Mexican ponchos holding candles,” said Roberta. The wedding repast was “Tex/Mex” but for the wedding cake. “We brought a pastry chef from Italy to prepare a traditional Italian wedding cake in front of the guests. They are still asking where they can buy the cake!”

Ten days later, on November 25, 2014, it was wedding number four — in Botega

Bay, California. “This one was pure Mother Nature,” said Roberta. “The ocean was the background, and there were seagulls flying around everywhere.”

The couple then took an understandable hiatus from their wedding plans in order to welcome daughter, Amoret, to the family.

The January wedding in Jaipur will be a traditional Indian wedding — and the first with now-two-year-old Amoret in attendance.

“We have two weddings to go,” said Roberta. “The next will be in Japan — my choice.

It will probably be in 2019. And then there is our last — Mexico. Atticus loves Mexico.”

The couple say that Mexico will be the biggest of all the weddings.

“I figured if I could repeat the best decision I ever made in life,” said Atticus, “then it would serve to make life just that much sweeter.”

“And did I mention,” Roberta said, “there will be seven wedding rings?” ML

Page 8, top: Wedding Four Botega Bay. Page 8, middle: Wedding Three Houston. Page 8, bottom: Wedding One Las Vegas. Page 9: Wedding Two Italy.

C E L E B R AT E YO U R

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Story and photos by Anna Purdy

M KIERAN & MADISON NORRIS PARTNERS IN BUSINESS & LIFE

adison and Kieran Norris grew up on different sides of the Atlantic, but through their love of horses, they found each other, fell head over heels in love and married. They’ve recently created a business together in Middleburg based on their joint passion, Thoroughbreds.

A Kentucky native, Madison grew up going to horse sales like Keeneland with her late father, who was a bloodstock agent. Through these experiences, Madison began to cultivate her eye for horses and now is very skilled at finding promising racehorses. She rode for pleasure growing up, and her love for horses took her to the University of Louisville's Equine Business Program. Throughout her college tenure she worked with a veterinarian at Churchill Downs, which led her to a job as an assistant trainer to Jimmy Baker.

Kieran grew up on his family's cattle farm in Waterford, Ireland, a beautiful city known for its glass manufacturing. Though primarily involved with greyhound racing and fox hunting, Kieran's family dabbled in horse racing. When Kieran got his first pony, a love for horses was planted. He pursued this passion by hunting with the Conna Harriers and West Waterford Foxhounds in Ireland, and he currently hunts with the Piedmont Fox Hounds. Kieran often rode with his neighbor growing up, another stateside jockey, Mark Beecher.

Kieran came to America about 10 years ago to work for trainer Eddie Kenneally, also from Waterford. With Kenneally, Kieran finally got a taste of racing. After travelling to Saratoga, New York, that summer, Kieran vowed he would return. He made good on his vow a couple of years later, Partners | Page 12

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Partners | From page 10 and shortly after his return, he met Madison.

Around the time Kieran came back to America, Madison was working in Saratoga as an assistant trainer. As luck would have it, Madison found herself with more than a dozen horses and no exercise rider. Kieran, newly arrived from Ireland, needed a job, and a mutual friend connected Madison with her new exercise rider, Kieran.

Kieran was instantly smitten with her, and he tried hard to impress her. Madison wasn't interested...initially.

“He was like an annoying 13-year-old boy the first night we went out with a group of people,” she recalls. “He pulled my shoes off and threw them into the street from the patio of a bar and thought that was hilarious.”

“I had to change things up a little,” he says with a smile.

They both agree that persistence won her over. Soon, the two were inseparable.

After the season at Saratoga, Madison went to Maryland to work for the late National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame trainer Tom Voss, and Kieran soon landed a job with Voss as well. Later, Kieran was hired by Virginia trainer Richard Valentine, and the couple moved to Middleburg.

When Kieran decided to propose to Madison, he didn't have to travel far to find the perfect ring. He sought out local jeweler Tom Hays of Thos. Hays & Son Jewelers, a fixture in the Middleburg community since 1972.

Kieran wasn’t able to afford the beautiful ring he’d picked out at first so he worked with Tom to make payments.

“I’d been paying for the ring on installments, and every time I went in he would give me snippets of fatherly advice, a good way to [propose],” recalls Kieran.

Eventually Kieran devised a plan: He would propose to Madison on Ireland’s Cliffs of Moher, a stunning landmark that overlooks the Atlantic. Unfortunately, weather was not cooperative, and he ended up proposing on

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his family's farm.

“I brought her down to a special part of the farm and proposed to her. I couldn’t get her out of bed first, then I made up an excuse, then I got her downstairs, and she wanted to have breakfast,” he says with a laugh.

“I didn’t know what was going on!” says Madison. “He told me I needed to come outside. We’re on vacation, and he tells me I need to come outside to help him move wire for the cattle, and I was like, ‘No, I’m not doing that!’

Then he got mad, because I was like, ‘Fine, I’ll help you, but I’m having breakfast first.’

I was being a complete brat. I wouldn’t get out of bed, and finally he dragged me down to the farm.”

“I almost had to carry her down,” he says.

A few minutes later, Kieran was on one knee, asking Madison for her hand in marriage.

“Ten or eleven cattle were in the audience, and a few dogs,” says Kieran, who had arranged for two friends to be waiting nearby with some celebratory champagne.

Madison and Kieran were married on September 9, 2017, at Chestnut Hill in Orange, Virginia. Family and friends, many of whom are fixtures in the steeplechase and fox hunting community, surrounded them at the ceremony. Mark Beecher, Kieran's childhood neighbor and lifelong friend, was a groomsman.

As a way of paying homage to the horses that have been entwined in their lives, the tables at their wedding were named after horses like New Saloon, who Madison trained and Kieran rode to victory in an allowance race at the 2016 International Gold Cup, and Foyle, a long shot entry on whom Kieran won the 2013 International Gold Cup and 2013 Pennsylvania Hunt Cup. Madison's grandfather also made a call to the post at the reception in a gorgeous emerald green Bugler's Jacket that was made by the custom equestrian apparel company her Partners | Page 13

Partners | From page 12 family owned, The Meyers Store.

Fabienne Laveau of Wedding Muse, a skilled wedding planner and florist, helped organize all the intimate details of the wedding so the day was beautiful and had a relaxed atmosphere. Hair and make-up were done by Salon Emage, the cake was made

by Bijou’s Sweet Treats, and photography provided by Anna Purdy as well as Tony Gibson. As a surprise to Kieran, Madison arranged to have two dancers from the District Irish Dance Company perform during the reception.

“I feel like our wedding had a lot of personality,” says Madison. “We tried to make it really personalized.”

Kieran most appreciated “the way everyone came together to make it such a good night. Everyone just had fun.”

Madison and Kieran now work together in Middleburg, starting young horses, training horses to race, and finding racing prospects of all ages.

“Kieran does a great job with the young horses, teaching them the ropes,” says Madison. “That’s his specialty, and I do more with the older horses, finding out what makes them tick, treating each one as an individual, figuring out little things you can HBM Middleburg Ad Flattened a 1-2-2018.pdf

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1/2/18

change to keep them happy and putting them into whatever job is going to make them successful.”

Kieran, who was the National Steeplechase Association’s Rider of the Year in 2016, knows his racing days will eventually come to an end, but when he retires, he and Madison still have their own thriving business.

“I don’t mind the chores around the farm, the heavy lifting,” he says, “but Madison has a better eye for horses and all-around better knowledge of horses. I can ride them, so I’d like to think it works perfectly because where I fall down, Madison picks it back up.”

In business and in marriage, they have become perfect partners. ML

Page 10: Madison and Kieran share a kiss while Delawana poses. Page 12, top left: Madison & Kieran walk down the aisle after saying “I do” at Chestnut Hill. Page 12, top right: Madison & Kieran have their first dance to “Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton. Page 12, bottom left: Paddy Norris, Madison Meyers, Kieran Norris, and Marain Norris. Paddy & Marain live in Tallow, Co Waterford, Ireland. Page 13: An elegant setting by Fabienne Laveau owner of Wedding Muse with a table card playing homage to Bodie Island, a Thoroughbred that Kieran won an allowance race on in Saratoga and also in Camden.

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A SENSE OF PLACE Check out a new book offering a pictorial view of Middleburg and the surrounding environs.

By Beth Rasin

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eth Collier and her husband Burt have been coming to Middleburg for almost 30 years. They honeymooned here; they enjoy the Upperville Horse Show, the Hunt Country Stable Tour and the Christmas Parade. And as they’ve explored the area over the years, Beth, an experienced equine photographer, has captured images she’s now compiled into a book, titled simply, “Middleburg, Virginia.”

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The book and its companion calendar are available for sale only at Second Chapter Books on Middleburg’s West Washington Street.

“It’s a wonderful artistic outlet for me and a thank you for many years of happy travels,” says Beth.

Beth was a late convert to digital photography from print, not taking it up until 2011—but when she did, she quickly became a fan of the Shutterfly photo books. She made one of the historic Welbourne Bed & Breakfast, which has become Beth and Burt’s goto spot for weekend trips to the area, and she gifted it to the farm’s owner, Nat Morrison.

“When the ladies in the bookstore [Second Chapter Books] saw the Welbourne book, they asked me if they could carry it,” says Beth, of Lusby, Maryland. “It’s not on

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Amazon or online anywhere, but a year ago they started selling it. I said I’d also do a Middleburg book for them, of all the scenic things in town.”

She chose to focus the book as a pictorial essay, with minimal description. “I wanted it to be timeless, not a lot of history or description,” she says, adding that plenty of other books fill that niche.

“Middleburg is just a real small town, and it’s unique,” says Beth. “There’s no Starbucks or McDonald’s. It’s all stores that are unique places, where you can find something that you can’t get on the internet. I think it’s a wonderful experience for someone to walk into a bookstore and find something that doesn’t exist in some warehouse.”

It took her more than a year to evaluate Sense | Page 15

Sense | From page 14 and re-evaluate her photos and arrange them in a way that worked together just as she wanted on each page.

And her favorite photo in the book?

“I got really lucky with a sunset picture at Welbourne,” says Beth, who has a degree in art history and French literature from the University of Maryland. “It’s also a horse retirement farm, and at sunrise or sunset, I try to get the gray or paint horse.

But this chestnut was following me. He was on a hill, and I realized he had the perfect silhouette, and the sky was dramatic.

Sometimes you get lucky!”

She hopes the book can be a souvenir for people visiting town as well as a keepsake for locals. “Hopefully it’s interesting enough whether you live here or have been here for a while,” she says.

She’s next considering a book of blackand-white photography, inspired in part by classes she’s taken with E. David Luria.

When she’s not enjoying Middleburg or working in her day job as archives manager for St. Mary’s County, Maryland, government, Beth, in her early 50s, enjoys globe-trotting to shoot all kinds of equestrian competitions, from the Badminton

and Burghley Horse Trials in England to last year’s European Eventing Championships in Poland, and her photography regularly appears in The Equiery. She and Burt especially came to love Great Britain, and Beth returns there each year.

“I started doing books for the trips we’d done,” she said of her early forays into Shutterfly books.

She’s also competed in lower level dressage and eventing, and she and Burt have been active volunteers in the sport, even earning the Maryland Combined Training Association’s Volunteers of the Year award in 1998.

With all the time they spend in Middleburg, Burt jokes that they’ve been asked why they don’t move here. “Then where would we go on vacation?” he says with a laugh. ML

Page 14: Beth Collier’s favorite photo in her Middleburg pictorial essay was taken December 30, 2016, at sunset with a chestnut horse from Welbourne (photo by Beth Collier). Page 15: Beth Collier shows off her souvenir book depicting Middleburg and the surrounding area in photographs (photo by Beth Rasin).

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Winter Hunt Gatherings FUN & FESTIVE Photos by Joanne Maisano

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5 Beginning on Saturday, November 19th and then again on Saturday, December 16th, Dr. Betsee Parker hosted first the Piedmont Fox Hounds and then the Middleburg Hunt at her historic estate, Huntland. In keeping with age-old tradition, the Hunts gathered in front of the kennels to raise their Stirrup Cups prior to each Hunt.

On December 9th, the first of the year’s snowy days, the Blue Ridge Hunt met at Ted and Sandra Guarriello’s Fox Springwoods Farm. After a brief but exhilarating 1 ½ hours out in the cold, the Hunt returned to be treated to a sumptuous Hunt Breakfast, allowing plenty of time to linger over good food with great friends.

Then on December 23rd, the Blue Ridge Hunt held their Annual Junior Day. We hope you enjoy these pictures captured by Joanne Maisano! ML

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Photos: 1. Jt MFH of Blue Ridge hunt Anne McIntosh and Jeff LeHew welcoming in winter.

2. Colleen Hahn Keith Fulghum Kate Robbins Pascal Martin, Michelle Robbins. 3. Fabulous dessert table for the Hunt Breakfast at Fox Springwoods Farm. 4. Jt MFH Anne McIntosh leading the juniors, Hayley Rees, Salem Twiggs and CeCe Twiggs. 5. Blue Ridge Hounds loving the first snow.

WINTER HUNT GATHERINGS (Continued from page 16)

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Photos: 6. Richard Roberts MH Huntsman with Dr. Betsee Parker in front of kennels. 7. Joint -MFH Tim Harmon Middleburg Hunt. 8. Hosts Sandra and Ted Guarriello.

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THEN & THERE

SCENIC VIEWS & SPORTING LIFE Story and Photos by Richard Hooper

B

efore there were motion pictures, humans were occasionally inspired to display events in a visually sequential narrative. For example, Trajan’s Column, completed in the year 113 A.D., depicts the Roman emperor’s achievements during the Dacian Wars. Carved into marble, the events span some five years in 155 scenes, with Trajan shown in 58 of them. The timeline begins at the base and spirals around the hundred-plus foot column 23 times. If the frieze were “unrolled” from the column, it would extend to a panorama of 620 feet.

The Bayeux Tapestry (which has recently become known as the Bayeux Embroidery, as that is what it is) shows events leading up

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to and including the Battle of Hastings in 1066. It is approximately 20 inches tall and 224 feet long.

Strictly speaking, a panorama is any wide view relative to height. But a special category exists that, like the examples above, includes the element of a narrative, told through a sequence of scenes and encompassing a period of time. Monumental examples have continued to be built throughout history, including the towering column located in Place Vendôme in Paris. Completed in 1810, it was constructed to honor Napoleon’s victory at Austerlitz.

Around the same time as the column honoring Napoleon was being erected, a delightful, smaller and certainly more personal form of narrative panoramas was beginning to rise

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in popularity, to plateau and last throughout the reign of Queen Victoria. These panoramas were produced on paper with engraved or lithographed scenes that were frequently hand colored. They were usually a few inches in height and printed on long slips of paper that were pasted together to form continuous lengths ranging from a few feet to 15 feet or so. One depicting Queen Victoria’s coronation procession, however, extends to 60 feet.

As well as being condensed in size, they were compressed in time and could depict a span of mere hours.

Paper panoramas were either accordion-folded into covers resembling a book or rolled onto a spindle contained in a wooden cylinder. Best of all, when extended for Scenic | Page 20

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Scenic | From page 18 viewing, there are some that reveal marvelous sporting and equestrian scenes.

It was the age of transportation by horse, and we today do not tend to associate traffic jams, broken down vehicles blocking progress and interference from bad riders and drivers (of carriages and gigs) as part of that age. We would like to believe that it was far simpler and less complicated than our own situation. Yet it is all amply depicted in scenes of spectators going to and from such events as the races or a boxing match. So if “getting there” was not exactly “half the fun,” it was, at the very least, half the experience.

Henry Alken aptly represented the frustrations of travel in his 1819 “Going to Epsom Races.” It also shows the horses before the race and the race itself. From the same year, Isaac Robert Cruikshank’s “Going to a Fight” shows the boxing match as well as the incidents along the road to getting there. As shown in John Leech’s undated panorama, “Coming Home from the Races,” traveling home was probably worse than getting there: too much to drink and eat and everyone leaving at the same time.

Among the most delightful of the sporting panoramas is, of course, fox hunting. One

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of these, by Henry Alken, is among the first flight. It was published in 1828, with a lengthy title that was typical during the 19th century: “H. Alken’s Panorama of a Fox Hunt - Shewing a large Scope of the Leicestershire, Rutlandshire and Lincolnshire Counties: with all Sorts of Riders; Good, Bad & Indifferent.” It must have been a very long run! The opening scene shows the hunt gathering at the farmyard fixture, and the next is a logjam of the

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field at the farmyard fence as they attempt to get on with it. It is about 11 feet long and is all action. There was no “getting there” with hacking to the meet.

It is a delightful art form, truly cinematic in its intent.

Even though panoramas were intended to be seen a foot or two at a time, I once tried to extend the full 60 feet of the panorama Scenic | Page 21

Scenic | From page 20 of Queen Victoria’s coronation procession in order to see it all at once in its entirety. It got a bit contorted, and confirmed my belief that, contrary to popular opinion, life in the past was more complicated than life today. I mean, all we need to do now is turn on the television. ML

Page 18, top: Getting there. From Going to Epsom Races by Henry Alken (courtesy of a private collector).

Page 18, bottom: Hunting scene from Panorama of a Fox Hunt (courtesy of a private collector). Page 20, top: Coming Home from the Races by John Leech (courtesy of a private collector). Page 20, middle: Horses before the race. From Going to Epsom Races by Henry Alken (courtesy of a private collector). Page 20, bottom: Three spool panoramas. Going to a Fight (13 feet in length) by Isaac Robert Cruikshank, Panorama of a Fox Hunt (11 feet) by Henry Alken and Going to Epsom Races (15 feet) by Henry Alken (courtesy of a private collector). Page 21: Getting out of the farmyard. From Panorama of a Fox Hunt by Henry Alken (courtesy of a private collector).

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GOODSTONE INN SPECIALIZES IN SMALL WEDDINGS THAT ARE BIG ON PERSONAL DETAILS Story by Kaitlin Hill

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ith views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and ivy-covered historic ruins, Middleburg’s Goodstone Inn and Restaurant is an idyllic venue for weddings of any size. Lovebirds with larger parties can put some distance between in-laws on the 265-acre estate and have their pick of romantic ceremony and reception spaces. The Carriage House, Pool, Woodsy Garden and Farm Field make exquisite backdrops for memorable knot-tying. Couples with shorter guest lists might choose the charming Manor House, where nearly any room can be transformed into an elegant ceremony or reception spot.

In April, 2017, Mike Delorme and Jenny Sparks chose the Manor House for their nuptials. The Silver Spring, Maryland, couple, who initially intended to elope, enjoyed an intimate ceremony in the Manor House, surrounded by 23 of their closest friends and family. The choice to forego elopement and marry at the inn was an easy one for Jenny, after viewing the property on her sister’s recommendation.

The bride’s sister, Amy, remembers, “I absolutely had a feeling from the very beginning that Goodstone was it. It was them in so many ways.”

Goodstone | Page 23

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Goodstone | From page 22 They exchanged vows in the home’s sunroom, filled with natural light and personal touches provided by the Goodstone events team and the couple’s guests.

“Everyone got involved, and everyone wanted to make it special,” Jenny says. Nieces and nephews read “The Monkey’s Heart,” and even the couple’s beloved dog, Ollie, made an appearance.

Though modest in size, their wedding was the image of grandeur, expertly planned

by Goodstone’s Director of Events, Chelsea Grim. “She is such a warm, wonderful person who is willing to do whatever,” Amy says of Chelsea.

Chelsea worked closely with the bride and her family to ensure everything was even better than Jenny and Mike could imagine. Jenny says with a laugh, “I put my complete faith and trust in her, and she did not fail me.”

Chelsea’s close connections to the vendors were invaluable as she worked to design a wedding catered to the couple’s exact specifications. “It is clear that she works very well with all the vendors,” Jenny explains. Under Chelsea’s guidance, the florist painted Jenny’s headpiece at the last minute to get the color just right, and the musical trio played a new

original song as she walked down the aisle.

Chelsea’s willingness to go above and beyond was manifest in the details of the wedding, but perhaps it was most obvious in the surprises she designed for the bride. Jenny, a longtime horseback rider was shocked and delighted when a Palomino showed up for her wedding photos. “It was amazing. It was a beautiful, beautiful horse,” the bride recalls.

Another surprise for the newly married couple sat on their cake. A miniature sugar replica of Ollie the Maltese dug its way out of the blush pink Gluten-Free Strawberry and Champagne cake from Stacked, the bakery Chelsea recommended. The wedding cake was gluten-free to accommodate the bride’s dietary restrictions, though none of the guests seemed to notice.

In fact, most of the menu was gluten-free.

Chelsea worked with the Goodstone kitchens to create a custom menu. At the cocktail hour, guests indulged in gluten-free Bruschetta, an artisanal cheese plate with gluten-free crackers and Jenny’s favorite fois gras mousse with fresh strawberries.

Jenny and Mike’s wedding is evidence that small doesn’t necessarily mean minimal. Goodstone offers a variety of wedding Goodstone | Page 24

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Goodstone | From page 23 packages to make elopements extravagant and small gatherings sublime. As part of the Manor House wedding package, Jenny, Mike and their families lodged at the venue, making it feel like their own home. Jenny described her wedding weekend as, “a big slumber party, and that’s what made it so great. I always loved slumber parties as a kid, so I would expect to do nothing less as an adult.”

During their stay they had access to the pool, spa, hiking trails and the Manor House’s gourmet kitchen, where they were served private breakfast each morning. As their wedding fell on Easter weekend, the Goodstone staff even coordinated an Easter Egg Hunt for Jenny’s nieces and nephews.

“We really do focus on every small detail in not only making your wedding day magical, but your entire weekend,” Chelsea said.

The couple’s praise for Goodstone and Chelsea Grim was echoed in the words of C.S Lewis,

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read by the groom’s brother just before Mike and Jenny became man and wife: “It is on this love that the engine of marriage is run.”

Certainly, the reading was given as words of wisdom to the newlyweds. But read differently, it describes the subtle excellence and attention to detail Goodstone is known for. Or as Jenny puts it, “It was perfect, and the second it was over I asked, ‘Can we do it again?’ ” ML Page 22, top: The bride, a long-time rider, was surprised when a beautiful Palomino appeared for part of the wedding photo shoot. Page 22, bottom: Mike Delorme and Jenny Sparks chose The Manor House, one of the options on Goodstone's expansive property, for their idyllic wedding. Page 23: Mike and Jenny with their dog, Ollie, cuddling on the dance floor. Page 24, top left: Details and flawless execution make every occasion grand at Goodstone. Page 24, top right: The natural light of the sunroom provided the perfect backdrop for their intimate wedding. Page 24, bottom left: Jenny looked completely at home with her closest family and friends joining her at Goodstone.

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ARGENTINIAN ARTIST

CAROLA TADDEO CELEBRATED AT SALAMANDER

By Elaine Anne Watt

W

hen C arol a Tadde o walked into the room in early December of 2017 to share some of her portfolio of equestrian art, her eyes searched eagerly to take in every detail of her surroundings. This was her first time coming to Middleburg and the first long trip she has taken with her husband, Fernando Landro, an International Master Rider, in their seven years together. First they had to organize their lives.

But, the story goes further back. Fernando was an exchange student in 1986 attending American University when he selected an ROTC officer, who happened to be George Johnson, to talk to about what it

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was like studying and serving simultaneously in the United States, which was not then nor is now part of the tradition abroad or in his native Argentina. They soon became fast friends, sharing an interest in international affairs, the global community and cultural exchange. In fact, they became like brothers. So close, that Fernando said George’s “father was as important in my life as my own father. He taught me to be a gentleman and responsibility.”

George travelled to Argentina to spend time with Fernando. The very first woman that George met upon his arrival, Lia, became his wife and they share a nurtured family and business in nearby Leesburg to this day. Last year, Fernando sent his 16-year-old son to stay the winter with the Johnsons, so the ties run very deep.

As does their shared appreciation for Carola’s paintings and colored pencil drawings and their desire to help her work become better known in our community. Dainty and elegant in her native gaucho dress,

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with eager smiles but “not the best English,” both George and Fernando were eager to help her communicate her thoughts. They needn’t have worried.

She spoke of her happiness in coming on the trip, of how beautiful the landscape is surrounding us, of how the warmth and hospitality of everyone she’s met made her feel. She described her visit to see Laura Sprieser Sporthorse for dressage as a “ballet in motion.” And then, she shared her work.

Amazing. Captivating. So real.

“Almost too real, some people say,” laughed Fernando. “They think it too perfect, like a photograph.” Fortunately, that is not the response received about a year ago when Carola’s work was first seen at Salamander.

They loved it!

For the last year, some of her pieces have been on display at the Equestrian Center. On this trip, bringing new works and coming in person so that all four friends could “reinaugurate the exhibition” together has been inTaddeo | Page 27

Taddeo | From page 26 credibly special. Salamander held an intimate reception to celebrate the moment.

Her penciled drawings truly are exceptional. You can see the muscles and veins in the horses. Her love of anatomy and her many years training with other great talents have developed a remarkable sensitivity to the physical structure of her subjects while her innate love of the animals she has known all her life creates the depth to her works that captures their energy, motion and intent.

“I want to capture that moment, that one instant that will dictate the final imagery,” says Carola. “Yes, that is what I am after.” ML You can see Carola’s work on display at Salamander Resort & Spa’s Equestrian Center. Visit www.salamanderresort.com for more information.

Page 26, left: "Epoca Feliz." The Best Years of My Life. "This painting represents the best years of my life on the ranch where I grew up." Page 26, right: "A La Vaquera" Typical Spanish Horse Riding Style.

"I loved how the effort and strain of the horse fused itself with the darkness of the background." Page 27, top: Lia Johnson, Carola Taddeo, Fernando Landro and George Johnson (photo by Elaine Anne Watt). Page 27, bottom: "Holt." "This well known Argentine thoroughbred stallion, with his perfect proportions, is a class in anatomy, which I absolutely enjoyed painting." All quotes in the captions from Carola Taddeo.

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MIDDLEBURG’S MAGICAL CHRISTMAS MOMENTS Story and photos by Elaine Anne Watt

You can read all about Christmas in Middleburg in Garden & Gun, who named us the most charming southern Christmas town, and in newspapers and magazines all around the area. But until you experience it in person, it sounds almost too idealized, too perfect, maybe a bit overblown or subject to hype.

Not so. The genuine delight on people’s faces as they scurried to deck the stores and streets of our town, the throngs that gathered at The Pink Box to bless the season, light the town tree and sing thankful carols together, and the pride and joy on the faces of the participants in the parade

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and those in attendance can hardly be captured in words or pictures.

Instead of malls and hunting for parking places, this shopper completed a happy three hours in area stores finding just the right gifts for everyone on her list. No one was rude or impatient. Everyone was helpful and considerate. It’s as if the very spirit and essence of Middleburg was contagious, affecting locals and visitors alike. We brought out our best…but we do that all year long.

We hope these magical Middleburg moments will bring you joy, and Happy New Year to you and yours! ML

Take your first steps of forever here at Goodstone

WWW.GOODSTONE.COM MIDDLEBURG, VA ~ 540-687-3333 J A N U A RY 2 0 1 8

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MIDDLEBURG MAGICAL CHRISTMAS MOMENTS (Continued from page 28)

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MIDDLEBURG MAGICAL CHRISTMAS MOMENTS

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John Coles s s “ specializing in Large Land Holdings”

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One of a kind stone mansion on 175 acres in Upperville, 6 Bedrooms, 6 ½ Baths, 3 Fireplaces, Ball Room, Solarium, Exposed Stone and Beams Throughout, Indoor Pool, Professional Kitchen, Tennis Court, 2 Tenant Houses, 8 Stall Barn, Fenced Paddocks, Piedmont Hunt Territory $4,900,000

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Stone posts and walls mark the entrance to the 133 acre estate of Landmark. As the driveway gently rises, and 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 4 bedroom, 4 bath residence is further heightened by the massive boxwoods and the stately trees. $2,790,000

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John Coles wishes to thank all the Sellers, Purchasers and Agents that have made these 2017 sales possible.

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On over 46.5 acres in the heart of Orange County Hounds territory, this lovely home has 5 Bedrooms, 3 levels, 3 Fireplaces, hardwood floors throughout, exposed log and stone interior and large kitchen, walkout lower level, 2 ponds, barn, cabin, paddocks and more. $2,149,000

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Middleburg ~ Family Compound Charming 4 Bedroom, 3.5 Bath Stone & Stucco residence on 12+ acres, completely remodeled with the finest craftmanship and in pristine condition in a storybook setting. Family compound includes 3 Bedroom , 2 Bath Guest House, Studio Apartment in Carriage House, Green House, Spa, Run-In shed and lush paddocks. $1,495,000

25+Acre Horse Property in 2 Parcels. Lovely & light filled 2 level home, perfect for 1 level living.Renovated 8 years ago. Kitchen opens to the family room & breakfast room.

Main level master bedroom suite w/sitting room & stunning new bath. Stone terraces lead to the beautiful gardens & heated pool. 9 stall barn, riding ring, 6 paddocks, 2 br. tenant house. Tremendous ride out potential! $1,450,000

Executive, 10 acre mountaintop retreat, perfectly sited with a southern exposure to enjoy the panoramic views from sunrise over the Bull Run Mountains to sunset over the Blue Ridge Mountains. Exquisite finishes and 10’ ceiling height. Two spacious master suites with two additional en suite bedrooms. Pool, paddocks and perennial gardens. $1,225,000

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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 $975,000 to Washington, D.C.

Stunning and private 65.03 acres just south of Purcellville. Gorgeous pasture and wildlife habitat.

Ideal setting for a countryside estate, equestrian farm or working farm. Quiet and peaceful with rock walls, running stream, electric, well, 5 Bedroom septic permit, Open Space Conservation Easement. $635,000

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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( 5 4 0 ) 27 0 - 0 0 9 4 Potts miLL LAND

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with mature hardwood forest, Orange County Hunt Territory, great ride out, very private, within 5 miles of the village of Middleburg. 3600 views. $3,222,000

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Wonderful large farm house with exposed logs and beams in a private secluded setting in the heart of Orange County Hunt territory. Porches, patios and a pool to relax in and enjoy the serene outdoors. Many outbuildings include guest houses, barn, arena, pond and equipment shed. $2,850,000

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Steeped in history, the 98 acre estate of Ashleigh features an elegant Greek Revival manor house, c.1840, 2 bedroom pool/guest house adjacent to heated pool. 2 bedroom tenant home, 10 stall barn with 1 bedroom apt. and manager's office, additional 4 stall & 3 stall barn. Paddocks, pond, & magnificent gardens. 42 acres of this property are in managed Forestry Land Use. Excellent access to I-66. $2,500,000

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Looking forward to a new and exciting year of fulfilling your Real Estate needs.

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18+ acres of mostly open and rolling land with the home sited perfectly with vast views from both front and back overlooking the pond, gardens and front fields. Cathedral ceilings, Master on the main floor, huge library/living room, private guest rooms, apartment on lower level w/own kitchen/entrance, sprawling deck w/awning. Perfect location ~ OCH territory ~ VOF conservation easement. $1,745,000

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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

That hard to find smaller property with privacy & tranquility located in a highly sought after area. The charming 3BR, 2 ½ BA home has a spacious main floor master suite with spa bath, deluxe kitchen, 5 fireplaces, beautiful gardens & Koi pond, 2 paddocks & a run in shed.

High Speed Internet. OCH Hunt. $1,095,000

The stately mansion is sited on 8½ acres within the town limits of The Plains, VA. The size of the home and its room sizes lends itself beautifully for hosting large events. The foyer measures 48’ x 11’. The zoning allows for potential division rights or potential tax credits. Convenient to Exit 31 of I-66. $1,050,000

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FreD wArreN LANe LAND 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. $2,534,500 3600 views.

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103 acres Mostly open land on a quiet road near The Plains overlooking Great Meadow with fantastic views to the west. Some fencing, multiple house sites.

OCH Territory. $455,000

Serene, all wooded property with varied terrain, flowing stream and abundant wildlife. Ideal for hunting, recreation or build full time or weekend getaway.Includes 2 adjoining parcels for a total 51.68 acres. Expansive level area on top of the ridge.

Expired 4 bedroom perc on the 8.43 acres. Close to Marc train, Waterford and Lovettsville. $399,900

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THE MANY ARTISTIC EXPRESSIONS OF

DANIEL J. MOORE Whether in theater, design or hospitality, he’s never lacked inspiration.

By Beth Rasin Photos by Tara Jelenic Photography

I

t all started inside a living room fort in California’s Central Valley. Drawing back the curtains, you’d enter a miniature “Ben Hur” movie set made from bedsheets, construction paper and cardboard.

Even as a child, Dan Moore, now of Daniel J. Moore Design and Domestic Aspirations in Marshall, Virginia, was exploring the many outlets for his natural creativity.

By high school, he’d discovered technical theater—building sets, taking acting classes, dance, choir—and he ended up on stage. He was accepted to the prestigious Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, and he went on to act and perform professionally for 10 years.

He performed in everything from “Sweeney Todd” to “The King And I,” “Crazy For You,” “Mame,” “Cabaret” and many more.

But it’s now been 15 years since he set foot on stage.

“The gypsy performer lifestyle, acting in regional theater from Montana to Pennsylvania to California, is not very lucrative,” says Moore, who supplemented that career by working in scene shops or costume shops.

“It’s very fulfilling as self-expression, but financial security is not guaranteed.”

Moore would soon refocus his talents into a new artistic endeavor—but first he had a stopover in the world of finance. He’d moved to New York for personal reasons, and after working as a temp in a finance office, he was offered a permanent position, ending up as the assistant to the chief compliance officer.

“I had a window, a desk that faced Central Park,” he says. “I would take photos from my desk, and people couldn’t believe it. I was on the 36th floor of a high rise in midtown Manhattan with this view. It afforded me financial security I didn't have as an actor, but I missed the creative outlet. It was hard for me to sit at a desk all day. Since high school I’d have sometimes seven dance classes a week, along with acting, so I was on my feet moving all day, and now here I was sitting at a desk.”

In addition to his fabulous office, Moore and his partner Shawn Cox inhabited enviable apartments, with Moore using the space Artistic | Page 36

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Kevin H. Adams Anthony Barham Brittany Beiersdorf Ross Misia Broadhead Lauren Bruce Armand Cabrera Catherine Giglio Seth Hill Tara Jelenic Cody Leeser Julie Miles Marci Nadler Tom Neel Lee Newman Lilla Ohrstrom Patte Ormsby Jill E. Poyerd Katherine Riedel Bill Rock Dana Lee Thompson Diane R. Weiner Cathy Zimmerman

Please join us for the 7 th annual

Middleburg Community Center Friday ◆ February 23, 2018 ◆ 6 –8 pm

Dana Lee Thomspson A Place to Rest Your Head

ar tof the piedmont. o rg

See website to purchase tickets and for latest auction info a benefit for Middleburg Montessori School

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Artistic | From page 34 as an outlet for his stifled creativity.

“So friends starting asking me to go shopping with them for paint or materials,” he says. “It took me back to my grandmother’s living room or painting sets. I was like, ‘Why don’t I really do this?’ I sat up until 3 a.m. one night making a résumé, and I started interviewing with interior designers.”

Within two weeks he had two offers, including with the renowned Lars Bolander.

“He worked with Martha Stewart, had lots of celebrity clients,” recalls Moore. “I had no idea at the time; I just knew I liked the aesthetic of the shop. To have my first professional experience be with someone of his

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[stature] is unbelievable.”

Moore’s natural design tendencies complimented Bolander’s to a large degree. “This place looks much more like Lars,” he says as he sits in Domestic Aspirations, calling it “new traditional style.” “It’s not about matching borders. It takes a keen, discerning eye and experience. We’re professional shoppers.

It took me years to learn that people hate shopping, and I love it. Part of what keeps me going is the notion in the back of my head that I’m being paid to shop.

“There are some things here people would walk in and never have seen before,” he adds.

“Not everyone’s seen a juju hat. They’ll say, ‘That’s so cool.’ ” But Moore eventually moved on from

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Bolander to Clodagh Design, a 1997 Hall of Fame inductee whose firm recruited him.

There he worked in a style he deems “contemporary organic modern, six-inch slabs of concrete, spare, neutral, incredible light and shadows and shape but simplicity, kind of anti-design,” he says. “She won awards and the respect of so many industry leaders. If you respond to modern design, her aesthetic is unbelievable; she is a visionary.”

COMING TO THE COMMONWEALTH After gaining experience alongside some of the best designers in the world, Moore was slowly making his exodus from Manhattan.

“We came down here [to Virginia] and Artistic | Page 37

A Drawing Room Draw Daniel J. Moore is bringing Deb Bowman to The Drawing Room in Marshall, Virginia, on January 27 for a one-night jazz cabaret concert.

“She’s like my sister, a successful vocalist in Atlanta, a singer, dancer and actress,” he says.

Tickets are $65, and the evening will feature a three-piece ensemble from George Mason University in the two-hour show, as well as heavy hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and dessert for a maximum of 75 attendees. Find out more at thedrawingroomat8393.com.

Artistic | From page 36 said we are finding a place in the country, because we don’t vacation regularly; we’re kind of workaholics,” says Moore.

When Moore and Cox saw the old rectory, circa 1850s, in Hume, they knew it was right for their home. “Now we spend all our time sitting on the couch with two dogs in a house where no one can find us,” says Moore.

He celebrated the 10th anniversary of his design business in the spring of 2017 and his sixth year in Virginia, though he continues to design all over the country, including flying to a Midwestern city to decorate a home for Christmas each year.

“I work in context—the geographic location, the inherent arch of the home, the

client’s personal taste and my professional experience,” he says. “The best compliment I’ve been given is, ‘I’m so impressed with how little my house looks like yours.’ You can see my hand in it, but the context is different with different locations.”

Although he hails from a middle class family, Moore says they always appreciated the value of finer things. “I was very close to my mother’s mother, and one of the things she instilled in me more than anything was to acquire the highest quality you can and take care of it, as opposed to being just concerned with the bottom line,” he says. “Her interest was in value. That plays a role in my design work now. It doesn’t matter if it’s 50 cents; if it’s cheap plastic, it’s not worth it. I

want my clients’ dollars to go to merchandise, not markup or my time. I want them to get the most they can, and that really comes from her—finding something really well made, even if it’s second hand, and maintaining it. I really appreciated that. It’s how we design a house.”

MARSHALL MAIN STREET When Moore purchased a two-story building on Marshall’s Main Street, he let the historic structure speak to its new purposes.

He and co-owner Dianna Campagna transformed the upstairs to an inn, which they call The Rooms Up There. It hosts visitors to local vineyards and people coming to experience

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Artistic | Page 38

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Artistic | From page 37 Marshall’s latest culinary options.

The attached greenhouse and back room have been converted into an event venue called The Drawing Room. Both enterprises showcase Moore’s elegant style and create a warm, inviting space where you want to stay and relax. The rooms, for example, offer a common sitting area stocked with comfortable couches, drinks and snacks.

The original structure of the building, erected in 1805, remains, although it’s not fully intact because a second story was added. The attached two-story log structure used for the storefront of Domestic Aspirations was built in the 1920s; most additions were made with commercial purposes in mind, but it was used as a residence at some point before the 1970s.

Moore sees Domestic Aspirations, which showcases furniture and design accessories, as having the same relaxing, enticing qualities as the inn and event venue.

The shop is secondary to the design business,” he says as he sits on a couch in his store in a long wool sweater, red-checkered shirt and jeans. “It’s like a reward, a nice respite when you’re antiquing or walking around town to see something new and fresh in a

really comfortable environment. It lends a sense of importance to the design business, additional credibility and grounding. It also allows us to offer better discounts to people who have hired us, since we can buy at a better rate for the shop.”

Moore’s played his role in the Marshall business community’s renaissance over the last couple of years. He joined the Chamber of Commerce, Marshall Business & Residents Association and is president of Blue Ridge Flower Club, which is more than 80 years old.

“It had been 30 women for all of its 80 years,” says Moore, “and you’re invited by invitation and vote. I was the first ‘active’ male member, and I’m so proud and inspired by them. They’re in Marshall, Hume, Markham, Orlean, this very rural area, ostensibly conservative, but they felt like they should have a male member and one who is president.

They are my mafia. They’re a great source of strength for me out here. When they get wind of anything going awry, they are like, ‘Mmm hmm.’ They are not to be fussed with.”

He also appreciates the symbiotic partnerships of the Marshall businesses. “All the businesses on Main Street are benefitting each other,” he says. “We use Twisted Stems, so people can add flowers when they book their room online. We give guests breakfast at Red

Truck. When Field & Main has their wine dinners, they have all the rooms blocked. I love being part of the community.”

Moore and Campagna have donated rooms to fundraisers for the Grace Episcopal Church in The Plains, Mountainside Montessori in Marshall and Arts By George, a scholarship fundraiser for George Mason College of Visual & Performing Arts.

Even Moore’s pastimes have an artistic bent: going to the theater, whether community theater, the Lincoln Center or The National Theatre. But his true love is also his profession: antiquing, shopping and browsing.

“It’s my business but also my interest and hobby to start with,” he says. “It’s something that comes naturally. In a way I’m being paid to do my hobby.” ML Page 34: Dan Moore relaxes at Domestic Aspirations, the storefront of his interior design business.

Page 36, top: Domestic Aspirations showcases furniture, art and design accessories carefully selected by Dan Moore. Page 36, bottom: The Drawing Room event venue can host anything from weddings to company events to entertainment. Page 37, top: The Rooms Up There, The Drawing Room and Domestic Aspirations reside in the renovated 8393 West Main in Marshall. Page 37, bottom: Domestic Aspirations on Marshall’s Main Street.

LOCAL ARTIST J DOUGLAS UNVEILS “DESTINY ” Story and photo by Elaine Anne Watt

H

aving started a renaissance of sorts in his life, J Douglas arrived at Salamander Resort & Spa about 3 ½ years ago to work as a server at the Gold Cup Wine Bar. He soon found that he not only liked what he was doing, he actually loved it!

Today, he is a senior server and trainer there while pursuing his other passion of painting human portraits and equestrian art. With his wife Cindy Battino by his side, they have found a place where they can thrive personally and professionally.

Naturally, his work came to the attention of Sheila Johnson and others. Besides being a genuinely warm and caring person, he carries that ability to connect into his art. For some time, as many as 11 to 16 pieces of his paintings have been on display at Salamander’s Equestrian Center as part of a permanent rotating collection.

But, the evening of December 26th was particularly special as a small reception was held in his honor to celebrate the placement of his first commissioned piece for Salaman-

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der entitled “Destiny.” Located just around the corner from the Gold Cup Wine Bar in the hall leading to some of its event spaces, the painting captures the intensity of competition on both the face of the horse and rider.

General Manager Reggie Cooper thanked J for creating such a wonderful piece and for

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the many ways he contributes to the Salamander community. J in turn thanked Sheila and Reggie for the opportunities they have provided, saying that because of them, “I have several pieces in the Palace of Qatar and am beginning to be known. This is the first piece where I have signed it simply as ‘J.’ ” ML

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WEDDING BELLS IN PARIS ...VIRGINIA

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By Heidi Baumstark

D

estination weddings. They’re all the rage today. How about a wedding in Paris? Paris, Virginia, that is.

Tucked away in northern Fauquier County is the village of Paris, home to the renowned Ashby Inn & Restaurant built in 1829 and a chosen venue for weddings veiled in historical charm.

This tiny village dates to 1810 when the Virginia General Assembly issued a charter for a town at the intersection of Ashby Gap Road (which became Route 50) and the Dumfries-Winchester Road (which became Route 17). But the town was actually platted two decades earlier when in 1786, Peter Glascock acquired the deed from Thomas Lord Fairfax for what would become the town. The Paris Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is in the northern portion of the larger Crooked Run Valley Rural Historic District consisting of more than 18,000 acres.

What’s it like to plan a dream wedding in Paris? Elizabeth Olson, Ashby’s innkeeper and event coordinator, said, “The key is to understand the vision of the couple. Turning a couple’s dream into reality is the most rewarding part of my job.”

Paris was officially named in 1819 to memorialize French aristocrat and military officer Marquis de Lafayette who toured the area after the War of 1812. Half of the town’s structures date between 1810 and 1850; one of those structures is The Ashby Inn & Restaurant. Regarded as one of northern Virginia’s premier dining destinations, The Ashby offers gourmet meals inspired by its own vegetable garden and locally sourced farm products and beverages. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served daily along with seasonal teas.

Carlos Moreno has been the inn’s operations manager since July 2017. His previous post was at The Fearrington House Inn outside of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where he worked for 10 years with Tom Whitaker, Ashby’s chef since January 2017. Whitaker is originally from Hexham, England, in Northumberland County, home to a patchwork of castles, medieval ruins, and an abbey from the sixth century.

Whitaker said of The Ashby, “It’s a great little place—it really is. It reminds me so much of England.”

Moreno added, “Connecting with people, that’s what brings it all together. We have people coming for over 20 years. One couple got married here years ago, and then their daughter chose The Ashby for her ceremony.”

The venue can accommodate up to 120 wedding guests outside on the lawn and terrace with meals served buffet-style, or up to 60 guests with plated meals.

Whitaker says, “Pushing the envelope— that’s what we’re trying to do—taking dishes

to another level using our own produce from our vegetable garden and food from local farms.” When it comes to preparing for weddings, he said, “It takes a village [our team] to make it all work. When it’s go time, it’s a great

feeling when it all comes together.”

The Ashby invites guests to chill in Adirondack chairs on the lawn lined with colorful flowerbeds and pastoral mountain

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Bells | From page 41 views. On the main level of the inn, the library and upper dining room warm guests with wood-burning fireplaces and art pieces of horses and hounds reminding them they are in the middle of hunt country. Visitors can end the day with a soothing nightcap in The Ashby’s Tap Room downstairs with its exposed wooden beams and cozy fireplace.

For accommodations, the inn offers 10 rooms that vary in size and décor, each decorated with 19th-century pieces, including four-poster beds and views of Paris Mountain, Ashby Gap, and Sky Meadows State Park. The inn offers six rooms, including the Fan Room, which is usually reserved for the bride and groom and includes a balcony. A step away is The School House, which includes four luxury suites each with balconies and wood-burning fireplaces. A local treat in each room includes a handcrafted port prepared exclusively for the inn by Vint Hill Craft Winery in Warrenton. Part of The Ashby’s three-acre landscaped grounds includes the nearby chapel, Trinity United Methodist Church (built in 1893), available for weddings and special events.

Olson added, “Every wedding is different. It’s an incredible experience working with couples from start to finish. My job is to ensure the wedding day goes as smoothly as possible.”

Zack and Lauren Roscoe were married here on August 20, 2016. They chose Paris because they wanted an intimate setting.

Zack said, “Our ceremony was in the chapel, and our reception was on the terrace at Ashby Inn. Toward the end of the evening, the staff created a bonfire on the lawn, and we made s’mores. The evening as a whole was amazing.

And we joke with people that we got married in Paris!”

Paris, Virginia—a historical gem for weddings without having to travel the globe.

About one hour west of D.C., The Ashby is a premier choice to “tie the knot” or mark any special anniversary or celebration. ML To learn more about The Ashby Inn & Restaurant located at 692 Federal Street in Paris, visit www.ashbyinn.com or call 540-592-3900.

Page 40: Marcus and Janet Truelove kissing in front of The Ashby Inn on their wedding day, May 10, 2016 (photo by Suzette Niess Photography). Page 41, top: Lauren and Zack Roscoe celebrated their wedding at The Ashby Inn in August 2016 (photo courtesy of Amy and Hyatt Studio). Page 40: Michael Vargosko and Krzysztof Kolakowski share their joy (photo by Jon Fleming Photography). Page 42, top: Ashby Inn in the winter (photo by Heidi Baumstark). Page 42, bottom: Trinity United Methodist Church, built in 1893, is available for weddings and special events.

The chapel is steps from The Ashby Inn & Restaurant (photo by Heidi Baumstark).

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Attributed to the Orestes Painter, Greek (Attic), Red-Figure Column Krater, ca. 440 BCE Photo: Claudia Pfeiffer

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Salamander Celebrity Chef Adds a Personal Touch to Custom Wedding Cakes

Story by Kaitlin Hill Photos by Callie Broaddus

J

ason Reaves, pastry chef at The Salamander Resort and Spa, is no stranger to the limelight,

having won numerous cake challenges on Food Network. But as you walk into Salamander’s ballroom, elegantly adorned for an evening wedding reception, it’s his towering, five-tier, expertly iced and entirely edible wedding cake that takes center stage. The impossibly life-like sugar flowers and intricate piping are the mark of a cake maker who has had a lot of practice.

Since entering the culinary industry at the age of 15, Chef Jason’s talent has taken him coast to coast. He completed his training in Hyde Park, New York, at The Culinary Institute of America and worked in a number of notable establishments from Virginia to San Francisco. He settled in Hawaii working as the pastry chef for Norwegian Cruise Lines. However, this Purcellville native returned home at the request of a mother who missed him.

“When my mom started seeing everything going on with the resort being built she would send me the newspaper clippings in the mail to Hawaii,” he remembers. Jason flew east to join the Salamander team in 2005, just as it was opening.

Starting with sweets at the Salamander Market, Chef Jason’s business quickly outgrew the space. He was able to move the operation to the resort and spa where he now oversees their pastries as well, in a state-of-the-art kitchen with his dedicated nine-person team.

Additionally, his reputation for tasty pastries and world-class cakes spread like buttercream through Middleburg and beyond.

During his 12-year tenure, he has delivered cakes up the East Coast and as far west as Reno, Nevada.

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The hype surrounding Chef Jason’s cakes his cakes both on and off screen. He explains

it’s made from scratch.” His cakes are meticulously prepared with the highest quality ingredients and, when possible, local

that part of the appeal is, “You can tell that

Chef | Page 45

is not unfounded. He has received awards for

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Chef | From page 44 produce. Chef Jason uses berries from Wegmeyer Farms in Hamilton and Allder School Berries in Purcellville.

Equally alluring is the seemingly limitless list of flavors. Chef Jason offers more than 10 varieties of chocolate cake alone, including Boston Cream Pie and Nutella Cup. “Everyone always goes for chocolate,” he says with a laugh.

On the menu you’ll also find Pumpkin Spice, Lemon and Tres Leches. “The cakes that I make are very different from the cakes you would get at a standard bakery,” he explains.

During his 12 years as Salamander’s cake master he’s changed the menu, experimented with new recipes, incorporated customer feedback and, as he puts it, “made cakes that I would want to eat.”

Chef Jason guarantees that you’ll want to eat them, too. He works closely with each tobe-married couple from inquiry to delivery.

“I handle everything from when the inquiry comes in,” he says. “It gets sent to me, and I respond directly back to the couple.”

Before the tasting, Jason takes time to learn about the couple and their wedding, ensuring

Audra Wrisley Photography

Chef | Page 46

Peter Windsor Arundel and Anne Marie Sittmann

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were married at the Church of The Holy Trinity in Oxford, Maryland on October 6, 2017. In attendance were the groom’s mother, Peggy Arundel and the bride’s father Edward F. Sclichter, and stepmother Patricia Pielmeier. Mr. Arundel is the owner and publisher of the Loudoun Times Mirror and Ms. Sittmann is with the Department of Homeland Security in Washington, D.C. The couple will reside in Middleburg, Virginia.

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Chef | From page 45 a personal touch from the beginning.

From there, he arranges a consultation and expansive tasting including six to eight flavors. “We are always making cakes for orders, for weddings, for other tastings, and we give samples from all the other cakes we are baking,” he says. “They pick three, but they end up tasting between six to eight cakes.”

Though guests are asked to select from a menu, the cakes are completely customizable.

From filling to frosting and everything in between, guests have absolute control, even down to minor flavor tweaking.

His attention to detail, though ever present, is perhaps most obviously expressed in the cake’s decoration. He can do everything from elegant to extreme. After carefully rolling out pure white fondant and delicately draping it over an adorably small top layer of his latest wedding cake, he takes a moment to show me some pictures of his more exotic works of art. Godzilla, smashing a scaled down but no less detailed Ferrari, was a unique and vivid groom’s cake he made a

The cakes that I make are very different from the cakes you would get at a standard bakery.

— Jason Reaves few months previously. His specialty cakes— zombies, stadiums, mule deer busts and more—look almost too realistic to eat, but they make popular reception cakes.

Although each cake is constructed to reflect the guest’s vision, Chef Jason explains that there is a prevailing approach to his design: “I like things to look very organic.

I don’t like it to look like I purposely put it there. With sugar flowers, I think it’s more interesting when they look like they are supposed to be there, and it’s very natural.”

Chef Jason’s boundless imagination and

refined skill result in gorgeous wedding cakes that are reason enough to get married. But if marriage isn’t on your immediate agenda, you can still order one of his creations for whatever you are celebrating—or for no reason at all. ML

Page 44: Chef Jason Reaves prepares to assemble a four-tiered pumpkin and nutella-flavored wedding cake, topped with delicate white chocolate flowers.

Page 45: The finished cake, complete with delicate piping and an edible bouquet.

MEET MIDDLEBURG

Helen Wiley, our community’s good neighbor Story and photo by Kerry Phelps Dale

H

elen Wiley laughs robustly and often because she sees the humor in most everything, and “it beats the alternative.”

Every year Helen and neighbors put on a yard sale featuring Mabel the Mannequin who stands in the corner of Helen’s living room next to the full-sized cutout of John Wayne she purchased as a Christmas present for her former husband. They make a striking couple, and John just might be asked to return for next year’s yard sale, “and occasional visitations with Mabel,” says Helen.

“She’s the star attraction,” says Helen of Mabel, who sometimes changes outfits and wigs during the yard sale just to appease her many fans. People come from Middleburg and beyond for the word of mouth and Facebook-advertised affair. All proceeds from Helen’s driveway go to Upperville’s Mount Pisgah building fund, one of her favorite community charities.

Helen’s sense of community is equal to her sense of humor. She’s been on the Warrenton Horse Show board for as long as she can remember and is serving her second term as president. Also on the board of Windy Hill

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Foundation, Helen takes pride that Windy Hill mostly serves the Middleburg, The Plains and Marshall communities.

“Windy Hill is about locals,” says Helen of the foundation’s service in providing programs and affordable housing to the elderly and families.

Several times a year Helen helps fill food baskets for the Churches of Upperville Outreach, where she finds the fellowship of working alongside community folks to be fun and fulfilling. “It’s one of my favorite things,” she says.

Helen has her long-term volunteer commitments, but she can be caught helping out all over the community in various ways. Over

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her lifetime in the Piedmont region of Virginia, from her childhood in Warrenton, to her married life in The Plains, to Middleburg where she has lived for 30 years, Helen has volunteered with Trinity Church, Hill School, local churches, and is there for family and friends whenever needed.

Her home’s walls are lined with countless framed photographs chronicling her full and eventful life. They predominately feature the faces of those she loves, from her grown daughters, Elizabeth and Sheila, and her grandchildren, Molly and Will, to her long-time friends. There’s a black and white photograph of Helen as a child sitting in a gigantic silver trophy bowl from Warrenton Horse Show and just a few feet away a reenactment in color of the same bowl brimming with her two young daughters. There are pictures of her late beloved Jack Russell, Thorn, and newer ones of her 3-year-old cherished Jack Russell, Holly. In these photos, Helen is surrounded by the then and now of a life well lived.

“I just love looking at these photos,” she says.

A smile spreads across her face and then rolls into a ripple of laughter: Helen, sharing what are perhaps her greatest contributions to her community. ML

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WE SHALL BE WED

By Chelsea Rose Moore Photos by Kristen Lynne Photography & courtesy of Marc Chretien

M

arc Chretien’s vision for Mt. Defiance’s new cider barn was to build a venue for his daughter’s wedding. She dreamed of being married there, and he wanted to make it happen. His daughter, Colette Marie, is the founder and designer of La Fille Colette, a dress shop in Boston, and designed her wedding dress and nine bridesmaid dresses. She married Sam Duker, a Boston lawyer after four years together before tying the knot.

“As a fashion person, lighting and aesthet-

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ics were important to her,” Chretien said. “We killed ourselves designing it and building it and doing serious lighting with her wedding in mind.”

They hung some “serious” art on the walls, added sculptures on the property, and built a beautiful wood-burning fireplace, with a mantel made from a pre-Civil War, hand-cut beam. The barn is decorated with steampunk touches, a style close to Chretien’s heart.

With 8,400 square feet and two floors, the venue comfortably seated 170 people for the wedding, with plenty of room for the dance floor. The walls are thickly insulated to make it nearly soundproof, so music will not disturb neighbors.

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Colette’s wedding contained fun and unique touches, including an outdoor oyster bar, an absinthe bar, a cider bar and five crepe stations. She wanted the wedding to be filled with personal touches, and in keeping with the cider theme, the place cards were in the shape of apples and the ginger cider made an appearance on the dinner menu in the form of a vinaigrette.

Her wedding incentivized her father to finish the building on time and create a barn “that satisfied the needs for her wedding, as well as our business needs for a cider barn.”

Her September 2017 wedding served as the barn’s unofficial opening.

Defiance | Page 50

Make This Your Home in 2018 Lovely ranch brick home (3BR 3BA) freshly painted on .91 acres at Halfway.

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“Never underestimate the power of a planted seed.” ~ Author Unknown

$375,000 with home warranty.

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Defiance | From page 48 The barn is a stunning space for hosting weddings and corporate events. “We will pay a lot of personal attention to ensure it’s a memorable wedding,” said Chretien.

“We will do our best.”

“It was incredibly special for us to get married on this beautiful property that my dad dreamt up and created,” Colette said. “It was so fun to see the process of the barn being built and all the love and attention to detail that went into it. My husband and I wanted everything at our wedding to feel personal and meaningful, and we couldn’t have chosen a more fitting venue. The space worked so well for us throughout the day, from the outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour to our seated dinner and dance party that could have gone all night. The barn was the perfect backdrop to our celebration.”

At the cider barn, guests can enjoy the rotating selection of ciders and the distillery’s Pommeau and vermouth. Guests can opt for a tasting, a bottle, a glass—or fill a growler for later. Mt. Defiance offers traditional ciders, with a variety of fun flavors, but all the ciders are dry and crisp.

Chretien is deeply grateful to the town of Middleburg for the support he has received.

With a town government extremely supportive of small businesses, he has enjoyed the way he always feels “welcome.” In turn, he is working to give back to the community and support other small business owners.

“Having a Cider Barn in Middleburg gives one a sense of place in the community,” he said. “I feel I belong here, even if I was raised in Arlington. I feel a part of the community, and that’s important to me. I would not get that in the big city. I know my baker. I know the people at the post office. At the Safeway.

Yet it has the culture I would miss in so many small towns. I’ve always loved Middleburg.

All my life I would come out here. It has

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always struck me as the ideal small town.” ML

Virginia. The barn is open Tuesday-Sunday, from 12-6pm. For details on booking a wed-

The Mt. Defiance Cidery Barn is located at 495 E. Washington Street, Middleburg,

ding or event, email events@mtdefiance.com or call 540-883-3176.

Page 48, top left: Spacious and spectacular for any special occasion. Page 48, top right: Colette Marie with Marc's daughter and her flower girl, Anna Lisette. Page 48, bottom left: Marc's dream of the perfect setting for his daughter's wedding came true. Page 48, bottom middle: It wouldn't be a barn party without its own specialty drinks. Page 48, bottom right: The dance floor was packed all night and the bride and groom savored every moment. Page 50, top: Built with love and pride for his daughter's wedding and maybe yours. Page 50, bottom: Sam and Colette Marie married under a favorite oak tree on the property under a chuppah made of beech to honor the groom's faith.

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BRIDAL PARTY GIFTING WITH TWO JAYNES

By Summer Stanley

T

he invitations have been mailed, the catering is set, and the dress awaits its grand entrance for the Big Day. If you’re a bride-to-be, sometimes it can seem as if the finish line is nowhere in sight, but shifting the attention off of your own wish list and placing it on others can be good for

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your soul. There’s a special group of women who deserves much-needed appreciation for helping you get this far, both in the wedding process and in life. While it’s still popular tradition to thank the bridal party with individual gifts, usually around a wedding rehearsal dinner, you might consider other ways to make your tribe feel special.

I sat down with Two Jaynes owner Sara

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Jayne, of South Riding, Virginia, to talk about what makes the partnership business with her teenage daughter, Macy Jayne, a perfect fit for showering loved ones with gratitude. The mother-daughter duo, who launched their business on Etsy in early 2016, creates handmade products ranging from jewelry and Gifting | Page 53

Gifting | From page 52 accessories to home décor. While these treasures are appropriate gifts for ladies of all ages and versatile enough for any occasion, they’re especially useful during wedding season. The Two Jaynes tag line, “fun, classy and giftable” rings true with each item they produce, as there is an added emphasis on the packaging.

“It’s a big part of the gift-giving process,” says Sara, who explains that how you present something can elevate the perception. Just as the dainty rosebud on a layer of buttercream cake draws us in, so does the Two Jaynes classic black-and-white style. I took the lid off a ribboned box to find a darling floral bobby pin set that had flower girl written all over it, not to mention the “Cute as a Button” hair bands, each adorned with a fabric covered button.

Next, she showed me their gorgeous, best-selling prism compact mirrors that come in various colors and are customizable with a monogram or initials. No matter when you choose to give these to your bridesmaids, they will definitely be handy for the occasional makeup check—something all the ladies are doing for the ceremony, photographs and reception. You can choose your wedding color scheme or your sister’s favorite color, which she’ll keep in her bag long after the event.

An idea for the bachelorette party is to bring along enough elastic hair ties “To Have and to Hold” your hair back, as the sample packaging implies. “After a long night of casual celebrating, the hair always goes up,” says Sara. Two Jaynes can accept custom order requests so you can add names, dates or

It's a big part of the gift-giving process.

— Sara Jayne personal sayings to gift tags. You can even request your own text for the adorable ceramic and cork magnets, sure to give you and your friends a good giggle.

Glam barware, from wine glass charms to bottle stoppers, is another great gift option for celebratory occasions. Imagine the bride and her girls enjoying mimosas the morning of the wedding, each with her own decorative marker. These customizable sets, paired with a Two Jaynes natural slate or marble cheese board, are suitable for gifting the bride and groom, for a bridal shower gift or an engagement party. Plus, the diamond shaped crystal bottle stoppers are an obvious choice for spoiling your squad with extra bling.

When in doubt, gift certificates are available, but isn’t jewelry always the answer, too?

Beaded agate, cuff, and wrap bracelets, freshwater pearl stud earrings and a trinket dish to hold them would be a treat not just for the besties, but mothers of the bride and groom.

Though, you’ll probably find it hard to resist choosing something for yourself along the way. If your groom needs a little help with what to get the guys, go ahead and snag the stag bottle openers with cast iron deer heads while you’re shopping.

The creativity, quality and personality that goes into the Two Jaynes brand sets them apart. “As we establish our product lines, it’s fun to see what people gravitate towards,” says Sara. “Two Jaynes is an evolution based on our journey as a mother and daughter. It’s inspired by our story and who we are. Playing a role in joyful gifting is the icing on the cake for us.”

You can find Two Jaynes online at www. twojaynes.com, at retail and local pop-up events in Northern Virginia, and by appointment in their home studio. Follow Two Jaynes on Instagram and Facebook for updates on new products, as well as current inspiration and just plain fun! ML Page 52, top left: Fabric button hairband and monogrammed compact mirror (photo courtesy of Two Jaynes). Page 52, top right: Natural slate and marble cheese boards (photo courtesy of Two Jaynes). Page 52, bottom left: Crystal bottle stopper (photo courtesy of Two Jaynes). Page 52, bottom right: Wine glass charms (photo courtesy of Two Jaynes). Page 53: Macy Jayne and Sara Jayne, wearing jewelry from their own collection (photo credit Little Nest Portraits of Leesburg).

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BRIDLE ARRANGEMENTS & GROOMING TIPS FOR THE PERFECT EQUESTRIAN WEDDING

By Callie Broaddus

A

nd they galloped off into the sunset, to live happily ever after.

Hold your horses…that was the end of the story. We need to start at the beginning—or at least at the beginning of the wedding. Even as a life-long horseback rider, my mind is abuzz with questions each time I see a horse standing next to a set of newlyweds, whether in my newsfeed or on the big screen (remember the opening scene of Runaway Bride?).

Where did those horses come from? How many times did she have to practice mounting and dismounting in a wedding gown?

Have you ever ridden sidesaddle before? Wait a second…isn’t that your polo pony?

Fiancés in horse country don’t need encouragement from fairytales or rom-coms to conclude that an equine element might add elegance and personality to their special day. A winter morning’s drive through Middleburg’s rural landscape is likely to put

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you in view of a hunt field hot on the scent, a carriage tottering down a gravel road and at least a dozen blanketed bays grazing in frost-covered paddocks.

With such daily inspiration, many couples find themselves asking not “if ” but “how” horses will play a part in their wedding celebration. From a post-wedding-day photo shoot with a favorite horse to a fully mounted ceremony followed by a foxhunt, there is a level of equestrian involvement to suit every couple.

As even the most well-behaved horse carries with it the risk inherent to a 1,400-pound sentient animal, determining the right level of equine involvement for a wedding can be daunting. Luckily, Middleburg is exactly the place you want to be if you have questions of an equine or nuptial nature to explore.

Let us start with the Hindu and Sikh traditional baraat, for example, in which the groom usually approaches the wedding venue riding astride an elaborately decorated white mare, surrounded by his family. Because

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this tradition is not exclusive to experienced equestrians, it helps to have horse-savvy professionals in attendance to make sure everything runs—or, hopefully, walks—smoothly.

Amy Regeti, of Regeti’s Photography in Warrenton, VA, has extensive experience photographing baraat processions. She consults with clients early when planning a baraat to cover need-to-know information on hiring a horse or carriage company, but her advice is sound for equestrian wedding elements of any culture. “Do your research, read reviews, question the horse’s temperament, how many events it’s been present at and how often it’s socialized. When not on events, what is the horse actively doing?” Regeti continues. Adding a photographer’s wish, “More importantly, I would ask how the handler will present and be dressed. After all, they are in a lot of your images.”

As co-owner of Carriages of the Capital, Marcia Brody has to consider every one of Equestrian | Page 55

Equestrian | From page 54 these details as she readies for a baraat procession or bridal carriage. “We are quintessentially detail-minded and have not had many things go wrong,” says Brody. “I have heard of disastrous consequences when couples have tried to use their own animals, and guests or family members have been injured, or worse.”

While such horror stories abound in the horse world, most risks are easily mitigated.

“Use a professional vendor, and craft your vision with a blend of your inspiration and their experience. Make sure they provide safe, trained and immaculately clean animals, and that they carry appropriate liability insurance,” says Brody, who recommends strongly against using your own horse. “Enjoy your day without the shadow of risk, or the responsibility to manage the horse before, during or after the ceremony.”

Some local venues offer horses on site for a more passive approach to an equestrian wedding. At Warrenton’s Black Horse Inn, CEO and owner Lynn Pirozzoli says the venue’s horses are always groomed and at the ready for photo-ops. “They graze peacefully in the front field ready to delight bride, groom and bridal party, or any of the guests. With just a whistle, they gallop to the fence for photos.”

The Black Horse Inn is equally equipped to arrange carriage entrances, to provide a sidesaddle horse for the bride to ride to the Equestrian | Page 56

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Equestrian | From page 55 ceremony, or even to facilitate the couple’s own horse, acting as a “bed and breakfast for horses,” to decrease the day-of stress.

But even Pirozzoli’s horses can throw a wrench into her plans. “May 5th is a big day for hats, with Gold Cup and the Kentucky Derby,” says Pirozzoli, recalling a particular wedding. “To honor this tradition, the bridesmaids and groomsmen had straw hats on. When the horses came galloping up to the fence for a photo op, the hats were just too tempting. The horses sniffed and nibbled them, and the look on the faces of the wedding party—PRICELESS!” Pirozzoli’s advice is simple. “Enjoy the horses and they will enjoy you. They love attention and they will pose for photos that are priceless, with memories that last a lifetime.”

While that may be true of horses at the Black Horse Inn, every horseperson knows at least one horse that simply will not prick its ears, stand up square or even stand still. What if I just described your horse? And what if you desperately want a picture with that horse in your wedding best? Don’t tune out yet; local photographer Krysta Norman may have the solution you are looking for.

Norman’s favorite photo shoots take place in a separate session after the wedding frenzy subsides, when the couple gets the chance to don their wedding attire once more. This time, the couple has no reception to rush to, no weather to contend with. “This way the couple has the freedom to enjoy their time together and really connect with their horse, rather than rushing through it,” says Norman.

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“When you incorporate any animal, you have to be adaptable,” says Norman, noting that horses are big animals with big personalities. “More often than not, they are going to want to do their own thing.”

As a safety measure, Norman says, “I only work with couples that have horse experience and/or use their own horses. I find this to be the most important precaution, as they know their horse's personality, temperament, etc.”

Knowing your horse’s personality and temperament is paramount for those daring couples who choose to ride their own sport horses on their special day.

For their October 2012 wedding in Virginia Beach, Abigail Frye and her husband chose to ride to their ceremony on two of their most “bombproof ” polo ponies, Savannah and Bajita. “Horses are what brought us together and are a huge part of our lives,” says Frye, a show jumper who trains with Gavin Moylan Stables out of Upperville, VA. Noting that both horses behaved perfectly, even with the flower garland around Savannah’s neck, Frye laughs, “I did have a slight wardrobe malfunction! When I dismounted before walking down the aisle, the zipper on my dress came undone! Thankfully, I had help getting it zipped back up quickly before I walked down the aisle!”

Sidesaddle rider and Middleburg local Devon Zebrovious managed to avoid Frye’s wardrobe complications by the simple expedient of not dismounting at all. Zebrovious, who met her husband at a Middleburg Hunt breakfast in 2003, married him four years later just prior to a Middleburg Hunt meet at their farm. “My bridesmaids and I were

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all sidesaddle, and the men were all in scarlet coats. Everyone who was hunting that day was mounted as well, and non-hunting guests were on foot.”

As a safety measure, non-riding guests were simply warned not to stand behind the horses. “Everything went off perfectly!” Says Zebrovious, “As things can go wrong at the most traditional church wedding, we were a bit concerned by adding in 70-plus horses and an entire pack of hounds, but no one put a foot, hoof or paw wrong.”

From Hunt weddings to polo ponies, from after-wedding photos to fence line photo ops, from baraat processions to romantic carriage rides and a spectrum of creativity between, Middleburg is home to an array of professionals who are specially equipped to equineize any wedding. While the opinions here differ on some points, they all agree on two things: Be safe, but definitely do it. ML For more information about the vendors in this article, you can find them online at: regetisphotography.net carriagesofthecapital.com krystanorman.com blackhorseinn.com Page 54: A separate photo session by Krysta Norman Photo. Page 55, top: Sally Pennington and Martin Brown, photographed in a separate session by Krysta Norman Photo. Page 55, bottom: A groom rides in his baraat procession on a white mare, called a Ghodi (photo by Regeti's Photography). Page 56: Devon Zebrovious and George Kuk married on horseback at their Cherry Blossom Farm in November of 2007. Photo by Middleburgphoto.com

It’s hard to find a bad bowl of macaroni and

Gooey, Delicious, Comforting MAC & CHEESE

By Mollie Bailey

cheese in the area, but a few local restaurants have extraordinary versions.

When the mercury starts to drop and the days get shorter, cravings for comfort food come on strong, and for me that means indulging in some delicious macaroni and cheese. Luckily, in the Middleburg area the dish shows up on a surprising number of menus, and even local country stores and barbeque joints make a tasty version that’s perfect for a quick fix on the run.

Over the last several years I’ve made it my personal mission to find the best bowls of mac and cheese around, and while there are loads of great options, a few restaurants do have truly stand out versions. So start with these three favorites, then keep up the taste testing. It’s a long time till next spring.

MELT GOURMET CHEESEBURGERS If you haven’t been to Melt, stop what you’re doing and get in the car. Don’t be fooled by this restaurant’s modest location tucked into a Cheese | Page 58

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Cheese | From page 57 Leesburg strip mall; their food is obsessively prepared and absolute top quality—including the mac and cheese.

Husband-and-wife owners Steve and Debbie Hancotte used to run fine dining establishments, and they kept that same passion for exceptional food and attention to detail when they opened the casual and perennially busy Melt five years ago. As its name

handyman as well as the owner. “We try to vary the cheeses. We have something like 13 different cheeses on hand for the burgers, and sometimes we get in special ones just for the mac and cheese.”

Steve counts his four cheese with pesto as among the most popular dishes, but he has a huge variety of ingredients on hand thanks to his extensive burger menu, so he’s constantly trying out new combinations. There’s a Ger-

bating childhood cancer, with that campaign kicking into high gear in September during childhood cancer awareness month.

Melt is delicious, but it’s hardly a hidden gem, so call ahead for take-out and expect to wait in line to place your order and maybe to find a seat, especially on weekends. But don’t turn away just because there are a few people ahead of you; the tables turn quickly, and the food is guaranteed worth the wait.

Meltgourmetcheesburgers.com 525 East Market Street Leesburg, VA | 703-443-2105 Open Monday to Thursday, 11:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

MARKET SALAMANDER

implies, Melt is best known for its truly delicious and creative burgers (their crab, lamb, turkey, tuna, bison and vegetarian versions have just as many fans as the traditional beef ones.) According to Trip Advisor, Melt makes the seventh-best burger in the United States, and Business Insider voted them the No. 1 burger in Virginia. Their amazing milkshakes (some of the adult variety) have earned their own awards.

But their mac and cheese is just as good.

When Steve and Debbie sat down to plan out their menu before they opened, they decided to make a different mac and cheese every month (they have a special burger and shake of the month, too.)

“I look at seasonal ingredients and try to think what might be good,” said Steve, who jokes that he serves as the chef, janitor and

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man-inspired version (“It wasn’t a big seller, but some people still ask for it,” he said of the recipe that includes bratwurst and mustard seed) to a list of Tex-Mex takes dotted out with jalapeños, jack cheese, roasted corn and black beans. Steve’s conscious to keep kid-friendly and vegetarian-friendly recipes on heavy rotation, but he throws in plenty of creative options to keep regulars interested.

In addition to food, the Hancottes have a twin obsession in philanthropy. Poster-sized prints of adoptable animals from Loudoun County Animal Shelter and Save The Tails decorate the walls (each with the sticker asking you to let the subject “MELT your heart”). In lieu of tips Melt customers may add on cash on their tab to be donated to these organizations.

The Hancottes are also serious about com-

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When Jacob Musyt started his job as the director of food and beverage for Salamander Resort, resort owner Sheila Johnson gave him one non-negotiable instruction.

“She said, ‘There are two things you cannot change on the menu,’ ” recalled Musyt. “ ‘The first is the mac and cheese, and the second is the chicken fingers.’ ” Not that he wanted to. After he tasted the mac and cheese in particular he knew it was absolutely perfect, and it’s his go-to lunch when he’s at the Market.

The secret? Nutmeg. Chef Megan Agregaard layers the pasta with Wisconsin cheddar cheese and cream and fresh-grated nutmeg, baking it once, then adds more cheese layers after that, baking it to perfection.

While the mac and cheese is premade and not baked to order, that doesn’t diminish anything for Musyt.

“For me the nutmeg was a new one,” said Musyt. “I’ve done lots of cocktails with nutmeg, so I know the complexity it adds. When Megan told me that’s in the mac and cheese it made perfect sense. It’s sounds strange to say about mac and cheese, but that nutmeg does give it a really great finish. It’s pretty damn amazing.”

Agregaard makes a fresh 12" by 16" batch every day (probably twice the size of what your mom makes,” said Musyt), which is usually gone by the end of the day, and if by chance it’s not, there’s a fresh batch made the next day anyway.

Market Salamander’s mac and cheese makes a perfect ready-to-go side if you’re stopping in for take-out, or a perfect sit down meal in the sunny dining room if you’ve got a bit more time.

“You’ll see some changes coming in the next four months that visitors and locals need to be on the look-out for,” said Musyt.

“You’re going to see a big revamp and new inspiration brought into the Market. It will still have a local, hometown feel, but the Market is getting a facelift.”

Cheese | Page 59

Melt’s D e c emb er Mac an d Cheese, featuring old cure Virginia Smithfield ham and white cheddar cheese Courtesy of Steve and Debbie Hancotte of Melt Gourmet Cheeseburgers

INGREDIENTS: 1 quart dry elbow pasta, cooked al dente and cooled 1 ¼ lb. Smithfield ham, sliced very thin and short julienne 2 ½ lb. grated white cheddar cheese 1 lb. grated mozzarella cheese 1 lb. grated provolone cheese 2 tbsp. L&P Worcestershire sauce 1 ½ tbsp. coarse black pepper 1 tsp. Lawry’s salt Cheese | From page 58 Sure the executive chef at Salamander Resort may be getting involved, adding more local ingredients from their culinary garden like habanero peppers and sweet potatoes grown a mile away, but don’t worry: The mac and cheese isn’t going anywhere.

Marketsalamander.com 200 West Washington Street Middleburg, VA | 540-687-8011 Open Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

HUNTER’S HEAD AND GENTLE HARVEST When former residents come into town to visit me for the weekend, there’s never a question of where we’re going to dinner: Hunter’s Head Tavern. And on the car ride there we usually debate whether we’ll each get our own mac and cheese or order one (or more) to share. And these days you can get the same delicious meal in Marshall at Gentle Harvest as well.

Lawrence Kocurek, the executive chef at both Hunter’s Head pub and Gentle Harvest, keeps the mac and cheese pretty simple, but that doesn’t make it less delicious. Their recipe involves just one top kind of cheese, a high-quality, organic cheddar (both sister restaurants are affiliated with certified organic and certified humane Ayrshire Farm and feature ethically produced and locally sourced ingredients.)

“We start out with milk and heavy cream and add a touch of dry mustard powder,” said Kocurek. “That doesn’t make it hot, but it gives it a little added flavor. We add a rue to that as a thickening agent, then the cheese to

create our mornay sauce.”

Add the pasta, top with toasted panko breadcrumbs, bake and voilà, a deliciously creamy concoction that hits the spot every time. One of the tricks Kocurek recommends is timing the pasta carefully. A bit too long and it falls apart in the sauce; not long enough and there’s too much bite in the pasta. Even the professional chefs who cook 60 to 120 pounds of mac and cheese a week at Hunter’s Head and Gentle Harvest use a timer to make sure it’s perfectly consistent every time.

At Gentle Harvest, which bills itself as both a community store and a farm market restaurant, there are plenty of options for how to take your mac. You can pick up their signature dish in the prepared food case for now, in the cold case for tonight or the freezer for next week—along with healthy groceries and tasty treats. Or enjoy the same dish—fresh baked to order—alongside a microbrew or glass of local wine while sitting next to the fire at the tavern in Upperville. While it’s not on the menu, you can request a child’s size mac and cheese at Hunter’s Head so you can try another dish on their rotating seasonal menu as well. ML GENTLE HARVEST Gentleharvest.com 8372 West Main Street Marshall, VA | 540-837-4405 Open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily HUNTER’S HEAD TAVERN Huntersheadtavern.com 9048 John S. Mosby Highway Upperville, VA | 540-592-9020 Open Monday to Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

2 tbsp. roasted garlic purée 1 c. cream Panko bread crumbs for the top Scallions, thin bias cut, whites and greens, for garnish INSTRUCTIONS: • Place cooked and cooled pasta in a large bowl.

•

Heat the cream, pepper, Worcestershire, salt and garlic while whisking. Allow to cool slightly.

•

Pour the mixture over the pasta and mix very well to coat.

•

Add in the ricotta, then the cheddar, mozzarella and provolone cheeses.

•

Mix together very well.

•

Add the ham and toss very well.

•

Place in a buttered baking pan and cover with panko breadcrumbs.

•

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top.

•

Garnish with cut scallions, and enjoy!

Page 57: Photo courtesy of Gentle Harvest. Page 58: Hunter's Head Tavern and its sister restaurant, Gentle Harvest, feature a delicious, simple macaroni and cheese (photo courtesy of Gentle Harvest). Page 59: Steve and Debbie Hancotte make a new flavor of mac and cheese every month at Melt in Leesburg (photo courtesy of Steve and Debbie Hancotte).

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Graham Buston, Huntsman for Blue Ridge Hunt, leads the way on this snowy day. Joanne Maisano Photo.

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The Horse in Ancient Gre ek Ar t, National Sporting Library & Museum (Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.): If you haven’t seen it yet or want to catch another glimpse before it closes, this is your last chance to see “The Horse in Ancient Greek Art” at the National Sporting Library & Museum. This exhibition features Greek vases and sculpture from the 8th through the 4th centuries BCE drawn from a private collection, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and other museum collections.

The exhibition and accompanying publication explore the significance of the horse in ancient Greek culture, the superb horsemanship skills of the ancient Greeks, and imagery of the horse in ancient myth, war, sport and competition. Admission is $10 Adults, $8 Seniors, $8 Youth and Children Free.

For more information, call 540-687-6542 or visit www.nationalsporting.org.

1/11, 18, 25, 2/1

National Sporting Library & Museum Gallery Talks (2 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.): Each week, NSLM’s Clarice & Robert H. Smith Educator or museum curators will give attendees a personalized sneak peek at traveling exhibitions, permanent collections and the fascinating stories behind the works in the museum’s art collections. No two tours are alike, so come back for more! Reservations are not required, and admission is free. Bring your friends! Gallery talks are every Wednesday at 2 p.m. For more information, visit www.nationalsporting.org or call 540-687-6542.

1/11-14

Weekend of Mindfulness at Salamander Resort & Spa (Thursday 6 p.m. – 9 p.m., Fri & Sat 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Sun 7 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.): Start 2018 by learning how to manage stress better with Salamander’s Weekend of Mindfulness retreat. Join Dr. Martha Calihan and Turi Nevin-Turkel as they guide you through an entire weekend getaway to learn the impact of mindfulness on your health and wellness. Enjoy our luxurious accommodations as this life-changing weekend teaches you practical techniques on how to manage stress through mindful breathing, movement, meditation and eating.

For information and reservations visit www. salamanderresort.com or call 877-496-8131.

1/12

Hunt Country 4 Hands Dinner at L’Auberge Provencale (6 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.): Join Chef Tom Whitaker of the Ashby Inn & Chef Richard Wright of L’Auberge Provencale as they create a two-chef extravaganza dinner. The evening will begin at 6:00 p.m. for a meet and greet followed by a six-course dinner prepared by these two great chefs in collaboration to celebrate the best the Shenandoah has to offer.

A wine pairing of local Virginia wines will perfectly complement each course. The first of the joint chef ’s dinners will be at L’Auberge Provencale, followed by a second dinner at

the Ashby Inn this spring. Cost is $135 per person. Seating is limited. For information and reservations call 540-837-1375.

1/17

Small Business Financial Education Symposium, Hosted by Middleburg Bank, a Division of Access National Bank with Co-Partners, the Town of Middleburg and Business Financial Group, Middleburg Community Center (6 p.m.

– 8 p.m.): Take advantage of the opportunity to learn from area business and financial leaders the foundation of sound financial management. Light fare and beverages will be provided. Located at 300 W. Washington Street in Middleburg. To register online, go to http://bit.ly/small-biz-symposium.

1/20, 21

Celebrate Live Music at 50 West Vineyards (1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.): Enjoy live music while sipping some of your favorite 50 West wines! Featuring Shane Gamble on Jan. 20 and Ken Wenzel on Jan. 21, you are sure to have a fabulous time. For more information, visit www.50westvineyards.com or call 571-367-4760.

1/21

Live Music at Greenhill Winery & Vineyards (2 p.m. – 5 p.m.): Come hear Andrew O’Day entertain you while sipping your favorite Greenhill wines! Learn about our new wine club options. For more information, call 540-6876968 or visit www.greenhillwinery.com.

1/21

Three Fox Vineyards and The Ashby Inn and Restaurant Wine Dinner (5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.): Join Winemaker John Todhunter and Chef Tom Whitaker for the Three Fox Vineyards wine dinner at The Ashby Inn and Restaurant in Paris, Virginia. Reception starts at 5:30 p.m. Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m.

Cost is $95 per person. The Ashby Inn is also offering 15% off of rooms! Reserve your space at the dinner today! Space is limited. For more information and reservations, call 540-592-3900.

1/27

Carving with Ice Lab of Baltimore at Salamander Resort & Spa (2 p.m. – 4 p.m.): They’re giving you the tools to construct a frosted masterpiece. Literally! Learn from the ice professionals how to chisel and compete for the best frozen creation. Six people maximum; $210 per person.

Price does not include tax and gratuity. For more information, please call 540-326-4070.

1/27

Dynamo Deb Bowman at The Drawing Room, 8393 West Main, Marshall, VA 20115 (6 p.m.

– 9 p.m.): Deb Bowman, award-winning actress and singer is coming to Virginia for one night only and teaming up with our very own esteemed George Mason musicians. She has created a unique jazz cabaret concert just for you with a diverse collection of songs, schtick and story that is

not to be missed. For tickets and information visit thedrawingroomat8393westmain.com.

1/28

Spain versus France Wine Dinner at L’Auberge Provencale (12:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.): Join us for an eventful afternoon while we explore wines from both Spain and France, with wine representative Hugues Beaulieu from Elite Wines. He, along with our Sommelier Christian Borel, will duel over whose wine is the best. To accompany these delicious wines, Chef Richard Wright will pair each wine with inspired regional dishes with the best of what the Shenandoah Valley has to offer. This will be an event you will not want to miss! Cost is $135 per person. Seating is limited. For information and reservations, please call 540-837-1375.

1/28

Three Fox Vineyards & Girasole Ristorante Murder Mystery Dinner (6:30 p.m.): Join us for an evening of fun, intrigue and deliciousness.

Hosted by John and Holli Todhunter of Three Fox Vineyards, the experience will transport you to the famous Camponeschi Ristorante in Rome where a prominent judge is being given an award. Unfortunately, it appears the award will need to be given posthumously. Enjoy a four-course dinner featuring classic Roman dishes and wine pairings by Virginia’s Three Fox Vineyards. With each course, you’ll get clues to help solve the judge’s murder. Reservations are required. For more information or reservations, please call 540-252-5501.

2/2

Paul Bergan Poetry Festival at Foxcroft School (8 a.m. – 4 p.m.): Foxcroft School, located at 22407 Foxhound Lane, Middleburg, is holding its annual Poetry Festival. Cave Canem fellow Teri Ellen Cross Davis, author of “Haint,” which won the 2017 Ohioana Book Award for Poetry, highlights this annual celebration of the written and spoken word. For more information, contact Cathrine Wolf at cwolf@foxcroft.org or call 540-687-4511.

2/2

Land Trust of Virgina and Goose Creek Association Present “Observing Our Changing Planet From Space,” The Hill School Performing Arts Center (6 p.m. -7:30 p.m.): Come hear Dr. Ellen Renee Stofan, who recently served as a NASA chief scientist, talk about our changing planet. Over five decades of observing Earth from space has revealed the effects of our changing climate, from severe droughts to rising sea levels to more powerful storms. Climate change will affect all of our lives, but there is still time to avert the worst consequences of global warming through action. Admission is free. Pre-registration is encouraged. Register online at www.landtrustva.org or contact Kerry Roszel at Kerry@landtrustva.org or call 540-687-8441. ML

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AiM HIGH

ARTISTS IN MIDDLEBURG

By Richard Hooper

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he goal of Artists in Middleburg, as described in its mission statement, “is to nurture, develop, and provide arts educational opportunities for all, especially the youth, in our area utilizing our rich resource of local artists to teach and share their art. In so doing, AiM will support and

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strengthen the local arts community in Middleburg and the surrounding Piedmont area by increasing the vitality, awareness, and appreciation of the arts."

At the gallery, located at 102 W. Washington Street, the group is meeting its goals.

Workshops and classes are given throughout the year. Equine sculpture classes taught by Goksin Carey will begin again in February.

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Carey is a member of Virginia Equine Artists, is certified through the American Academy of Equine Art, and is an associate member of the National Sculptor Society.

Ms. Carey also offers classes, in a joint program that began in 2014 between AiM and the National Sporting Library and Museum, from July 9 through July 13, held at Artists | Page 63

Artists | From page 62 NSLM. Recent workshops in painting have been given by Earl Tester and landscape artist Antonia Walker. Tom Neel also spoke recently about framing. The classes are structured for various levels, and anyone who is interested is welcome to participate.

Themed exhibits change every four to six weeks, and each show is judged with a Best in Show award and other recognition.

In addition to the work on display at the gallery, a file is kept on 100 or so artists who are members of AiM. The diversity of style and subject matter

is a delight.

In addition to sculptures and paintings, there i s g l a s s wor k and notecards reproducing work by some of the artists.

As a location for local artists to exhibit, AiM is one of Middleburg's wonderful resources and is a friendly environment for buyers and browsers alike. The gallery is open from Wednesday through

Sunday between 12:00 and 5:00 pm. If you have not stopped by, it would be an excellent New Year’s resolution to do so. ML

Page 62, top: A large painting of Camargue horses by Isabelle Truchon (photo by Richard Hooper). Page 62, bottom left: Having at It, by Leslie Anthony (photo by Richard Hooper). Page 62, bottom middle: Morning Hunt by Earl Tester (photo by Richard Hooper). Page 62, bottom right: The Dog by Nancy Anderson (photo by Richard Hooper). Page 63, top: Wendy Lind Andrews, a Best of Show winner for her sculpture, with Leslie Husain, host of the AiM Fundraiser at her home in The Plains (photo

by Tyler Cadenas). Page 63, bottom left: AiM invites you to explore the works of area artists (photo by Richard Hooper). Page 63, bottom right: Wendy Lind Andrews' Best of Show polo sculpture (photo by Richard Hooper).

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INGLEWOOD FARM CONSERVATION

850 ACRES PROTECTED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

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he Land Trust of Virginia (LTV) is pleased to announce that Inglewood Farm, located 3.5 miles southeast of Arrington, Virginia in Nelson County, is now perpetually protected with a Conservation Easement donated by Tillman Real Estate, LLC. The 850-acre farm had the potential to be developed into 46 parcels. However, thanks to the conservation leadership of Shannon and Katherine Tillman, this conservation easement drastically reduces that number to three total parcels, a wonderful contribution to conservation and to the community.

One of Inglewood Farm’s most significant conservation values is the scenic open space views provided to the public through the protection of this property. There is substantial road frontage on a number of local roads, and with several access points, it was very vulnerable to development. In total, there are almost three miles of road frontage

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along Variety Mills and Cedar Creek Roads plus Harlow Lane.

The property’s soils are well-suited for agricultural uses and approximately 400 acres of the property is forested, providing a valuable natural resource to the region. There are three miles of streams, and with the property being within the Tye River, James River – a State Designated Scenic River - and Chesapeake Bay watersheds, an easement on this property works to further protect our valuable water resources.

The Tillman family started purchasing parcels of land in 2010, in order to run a working farm. They have protected the land with the intention of providing a working farm for their family to use for generations to come. “We love farming and we love this land and we wanted to make sure that it stayed the way it is for our children and their children,” said Shannon Tillman.

Inglewood Farm is the largest proper-

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ty under conservation easement held by the Land Trust of Virginia. The next largest is Ayrshire Farm in Upperville, VA, with 793 acres, donated in 2001. Inglewood Farm is now LTV’s 157th easement. “This is a great day for conservation,” said LTV’s executive director Sally Price, “and we are honored to have been selected by the Tillmans for the future stewardship of their property.”

The Land Trust of Virginia is a non-profit land trust that partners with private landowners who voluntarily protect and preserve properties with significant historic, scenic, or ecological value. With the addition of this easement, LTV now holds 157 easements protecting a total of 17,541 acres in 13 counties in Virginia.

Inglewood Farm Conservation Easement

donated

into