November 2023 by Middleburg Life

Volume 40 Issue 11 | November 2023 | middleburglife.com

Scenes from the Theodora A. Randolph Field Hunter Championship

APPLE CIDER DOUGHNUT TOUR

Our Favorite Fall Finds Gift Guide

Middleburg Books Builds Community

In The FIeld GRAHAM BUSTON WITH

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S I M P LY B E T T E R . | ATO KA PR O PE RT I E S .CO M

NADEEM HELFER

MARIA ELDREDGE

REALTOR®

Licensed in VA & WV

Licensed in VA

540.379.3164

540.454.3829

nadeem

maria@middleburg realestate.com

atokaproperties.com

ANNE MCINTOSH

SCOTT BUZZELLI

REALTOR®

Executive VP, Managing Partner Licensed in VA

540.454.1399 scott@

atokaproperties.com

Licensed in VA

1181 CATLETT MOUNTAIN RD | FRONT ROYAL, VA

$1,875,000

203.58 AC | Fantastic opportunity! This 203+ acre property with state road frontage, and trails throughout has the potential for residential development and more! Current zoning for the property is mixed among the current parcels between Agriculture and Residential 1. Potential for 53 single family home sites. Located minutes from downtown Front Royal, I-66, and I-81.

LOT 30 DEER LANE | BOSTON, VA $139,000

ROCKY WESTFALL REALTOR®, GRI Licensed in VA & WV

540.219.2633 rocky.westfall@ gmail.com

Professional Experienced Dependable Local

KRISTIN DILLONJOHNSON REALTOR® Licensed in VA

703.673.6920

kristin@ atokaproperties.com

Beautiful 3.19-acre building lot with Hazel River frontage in quiet subdivision near Boston and Culpeper. Great access to US 522 and US 29. Convenient level to gently sloping building site with some winter views of the river. Very private.

LEEDS MANOR RD | DELAPLANE, VA $395,000 Build your dream home on 11.77 +/- acres with plenty of mature trees! Property is off of scenic Leeds Manor Rd. Located a stone’s throw from Rt 17 and Hwy 66. Minutes to Thompson Lake Park and Wildlife Refuge, Sky Meadows State Park, adventure, privacy, and convenience await you!

In today’s active and competitive real estate market, it pays to have the right information and insight before you buy or sell in Northern Virginia. That’s why more people turn to Kristin Dillon-Johnson to find the tools and resources they need to seize their investment opportunities. Kristin will guide you in your research of current market trends and your search of the latest property listings resulting in valuable information for your move. Kristin Dillon-Johnson not only brings her extensive expertise and knowledge to your investment, she is also part of the powerful marketing clout of Middleburg Real Estate | Atoka Properties and McEnearney Associates. The combined expertise of these powerhouse firms delivers the highest level of real estate service available in the surrounding counties and Northern Virginia.

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Put Kristin’s knowledge and expertise to work for you!

703.509.4499 annewmcintosh@ gmail.com

mcintoshand eldredge.realtor

530 ASHBY STATION RD | FRONT ROYAL, VA

$1,725,000

4 BD | 3/1 BA | 4,671 SQFT | 18.31 AC. Experience unique Oakland, a turnkey, private horse property. This fabulous property includes 18.31 fully fenced acres, and a beautiful home tastefully renovated in 1996 keeping the original 1731 structure. Extensive landscaping makes the immediate yard and pool extremely private while opening the property to mountain views.

TED ELDREDGE Associate Broker REALTOR® Licensed in VA

571.233.9978

tede@middleburg realestate.com

MARGARITA MOYLAN REALTOR® Licensed in VA

703.298.7303

margarita@ atokaproperties.com

3309 RECTORTOWN RD | MARSHALL, VA

$1,189,000

4 BD | 3/1 BA | 4,126 SQFT | 5 AC. Charming colonial farmhouse nestled on five acres with plenty of privacy and seclusion, off a private drive. As you enter the house, the main rooms are to the right, with a family room with a fireplace, den, living room, and updated kitchen with granite countertops. Oversized garage holds four cars.

UNDER CONTRACT

ANNE MICHAEL GREENE Associate Broker REALTOR® SRES, SRS Licensed in VA

540.364.9500

amg@ amgreenerealtor.com

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11121 OAKVIEW RD | DELAPLANE, VA

$845,000

5 BD | 4 BA | 3,842 SQFT | 26.37 AC | Exquisite country retreat nestled on 26 picturesque acres. This meticulously crafted post and beam home offers an unparalleled level of comfort and privacy. Gourmet, top-of-the-line kitchen. Dine al fresco and savor the vistas on the large deck. Lavish primary suite complete with a spa-like ensuite bath and a private balcony.

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NOV. 2 0 2 3 middleburglife.com

PUBLISHER: Greenhill Media, LLC EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kaitlin Hill | kaitlin@middleburglife.com COPY EDITOR & DIGITAL ASSISTANT Susan Stark ADVERTISING DIRECTOR | PUBLISHER Christian Bentley christian@middleburglife.com ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Vicky Mashaw vmashaw@middleburglife.com ADVERTISING SALES Jennifer Richards | jennifer@middleburglife.com Andrea Ryder | andrea@middleburglife.com ACCOUNTS ADMINISTRATOR Joanne Maisano DESIGNER: Elisa Hernandez PRODUCTION DIRECTOR: Nicky Marshok ON THE COVER Graham Buston, huntsman of the Blue Ridge Hunt, heads out at Fox Springs Woods. For Buston’s full story, turn to page 6. Photo by Joanne Maisano. ON THIS PAGE Autumn is on full display outside the Middleburg Antique Gallery in downtown Middleburg. Photo by Callie Broaddus. ADVERTISE IN MIDDLEBURG LIFE Greenhill Media, LLC P.O. Box 328 | Middleburg, VA 20118-0328 540.687.5950 | info@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, Boyce, Centreville, Delaplane, Front Royal, Gainesville, Great Falls, Haymarket, Leesburg, Manassas, Marshall, Middleburg, Millwood, Paris, Purcellville, The Plains, Rectortown, Tysons, Upperville, Vint Hill, Warrenton, Washington, D.C., and Winchester.

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

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Looking for more? www.MiddleburgLife.com Get additional content online!

8 ACRES IN FAUQUIER COUNTY $2,200,000 5133 Dumfries Road, Warrenton, VA Laura Farrell +1 540 395 1680 Barrington Hall +1 540 454 6601

DAKOTA SPRINGS CONTRACT PENDING | $2,750,000 5120 Dakota Springs Court, Warrenton, VA Will Thomas +1 202 607 0364

CARTER HALL $6,750,000 255 Carter Hall Lane, Millwood, VA Laura Farrell +1 540 395 1680 Ron Mangas, Jr. +1 703 298 2564

BEAUTIFULLY SITED ON NEARLY 7 ACRES $975,000 12216 Moss Hollow Road, Markham, VA Carole Taylor +1 703 577 4680

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FAUQUIER SPRINGS COUNTRY CLUB $1,050,000 8582 & 8586 Springs Drive, Warrenton, VA Carole Taylor +1 703 577 4680

MARKHAM COMING SOON | $735,000 3829 Leeds Manor Road, Markham, VA Eric Diello +1 703 232 7265

HUME SOLD | $600,000 5059 Leeds Manor Road, Hume, VA Eric Diello, Represented Buyer +1 703 232 7265

POWHATAN SOLD | $580,000 1629 Olmstead Drive, Powhatan, VA Eric Diello, Represented Buyer +1 703 232 7265

THE PLAINS BROKERAGE 6474 MAIN STREET, THE PLAINS, VA | +1 540 212 9993 | TTRSIR.COM ©2023 TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, licensed real estate broker. Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated. Equal housing opportunity. All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Price and availability subject to change. US dollar conversion as of 05/28/19.

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CONTRIBUTORS Heidi Baumstark has been writing for several lifestyle magazines and newspaper publications since 2005, specializing in history-related articles highlighting Virginia’s Piedmont. She has been with Middleburg Life since 2014. Over the years, she has featured hundreds of businesses, leaders, residents, historical sights, lectures, heritage programs, and museums in her work. Heidi hopes to inspire readers to pause and consider the people, places, and events that have shaped the story of our local history. Michael Butcher is the owner of Butcher Photography. Originally from Christchurch, New Zealand, he resides in Springfield, Virginia, with his family. For the past 15 years, Michael has specialized in portraiture, event, and editorial photography. When not behind the lens, he enjoys gardening and swimming. Diane Helentjaris chose Loudoun as her “forever home” in 1990 after experiencing Ohio, Michigan, Montreal, San Francisco, and New Jersey. Following years as a clinical physician and public health administrator, she returned to her humanities roots. A finalist in the 2020 Icelandic Writers Retreat, her book “The Indenture of Ivy O’Neill” was released in June 2022. Diane also writes a monthly newsletter, The Silk Mill, which is dedicated to those in love with fabric in all its glory. Shannon Ayres is a Reston-based freelance photographer. His work has appeared in Arlington, Chesapeake Life, Northern Virginia, Virginia Business, and USA Today magazines. He has an MFA in fine art photography from San Francisco’s Academy of Art University. His editorial work can be seen at sdayres.com. Lia Hobel is a freelance journalist, known in town for her blog, Uplift Loudoun, which she launched during the start of the pandemic to share uplifting stories. In addition to her work for Middleburg Life, Lia writes periodically for online platforms with articles appearing on GOBankingRates, Forbes, Huffington Post, and Yahoo! Lia began her career as a broadcast journalist, but left TV news when she moved to Leesburg, Virginia, with her family. She is a Loudoun 40 Under 40 honoree and a Certified Tourism Ambassador for the county.

Callie Broaddus is a Warrenton native and graduate of the University of Virginia with a degree in Architecture. After seven years as a book designer at National Geographic Kids, Callie founded the nonprofit, Reserva: The Youth Land Trust, in 2019. Callie’s land preservation projects and focus on youth empowerment are aided by her talent for storytelling through her camera lens as a professional photographer. In her spare time, Callie enjoys Earl Grey tea, Harry Potter trivia, and dreaming of getting back into the jumper ring. Bill Kent’s journalism has appeared in more than 40 national and regional publications including the Washington Post, Art & Antiques, Philadelphia Magazine, Baltimore Magazine, New Jersey Monthly, and The Hunt. A former correspondent for the New York Times, he taught writing and journalism at the University of Pennsylvania, Rutgers, and Temple universities, and is the author of seven novels, a Fodor’s Guide, and a history of Atlantic City. After graduating from Oberlin College with majors in English and Religion, he published his first piece in The Georgetowner. When not writing, he enjoys walking his westies on Washington Street. Laticia Headings is grateful to call Middleburg home. In 2013, she discovered the area attending the first annual Middleburg Film Festival, and has come back every year since as a volunteer, attendee, and for the past several years, a writer for Middleburg Life. Laticia is the founder of Latitude Media and has 23 years of experience as a producer, writer, and camerawoman for television (Discovery, National Geographic), documentary film, and multi-platform media. Now, a full-time realtor with McEnearney Associates, she is thrilled to be helping clients in Hunt Country and beyond. Carlo Massimo is a reporter based in Washington, D.C., and a columnist at InformationWeek. A poet and literary translator outside work, his book-length translations of Mario Scalesi and Salvatore Mugno are due in 2024. Carlo joined Middleburg Life in April 2023.

Dulcy Hooper and her husband Richard moved to the country from Washington, D.C., nearly 10 years ago. Shortly thereafter, both began writing occasional articles for Middleburg Life. Dogs are a big part of the Hoopers’ lives and several of Dulcy’s earlier articles focused on the couple’s Chinese crested powderpuffs!

Beth Rasin graduated from Middlebury College, where she studied nonfiction creative writing. She worked as a writer and editor at The Chronicle of the Horse for more than 25 years, including 10 years as the president and executive editor. As a freelancer, she’s contributed since 2015 to Middleburg Life, as well as Northern Virginia magazine, Blue Ridge Outdoors, the former Loudoun magazine, and many others. She lives in Hume, where she and her husband and daughter run a boarding facility for retired horses. She enjoys running, hiking, and spending time with her many adopted dogs and cats.

Victoria Peace is a recent graduate of Georgetown University and holds a degree in French and Art History. On the weekends, she frequently visits her family in The Plains. In her free time, she enjoys playing polo with Twilight Polo Club, riding with the Georgetown Equestrian Team, gardening, walking her family's dogs at Sky Meadows State Park, and visiting her retired horse, Taco. Her perfect “Hunt Country” day would include a stop at the local farmers market in The Plains, a trip to her favorite Middleburg antique stores, and a sunset trail ride in the Virginia countryside.

Gracie Withers is a local photographer who grew up in the village of Aldie and has been photographing local weddings, portraits, and events since 2016. She was a contributing photographer at Georgetown University for over three years and also has a wide variety of experience in sports photography. Her passion began when she received her first camera in middle school and she continued to study the craft in high school and in college. She joined Middleburg Life as a contributor in the spring of 2022.

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Also in this issue: Kerry Phelps Dale.

om out | | 6 n | ttage ed eam, acres

ains | ently ge

ater o,

FULTON RUN

ATOKA STORE

MIDDLEBURG, VIRGINIA

50 sprawling, usable acres | Mountain Views | Middleburg Hunt Country | Build the life of your dreams while residing in the 3 BR, 3 1/2 BA | 10’ ceilings, exotic granite kitchen | Property has 3 additional Loudoun County approved building sites for custom main house and/ or 2-3 other dwellings. Perfect for a family compound | The Carriage house/barn is prepped for a 2 full bath, full kitchen, apartment or can be used as an artist studio with a full view glass doors allowing for natural light | 40+ fenced in acres and several paddocks divided across gently rolling hills country living with city access - 35 minutes to Dulles International Airport, 1 hour to DC. Property is in easement for reasonable taxes.

GLENDONNELL

MARSHALL, VIRGINIA

SPRING GLADE

WARRENTON, VIRGINIA

Property has been a landmark for community for decades | Major frontage on Route 50 & Atoka Rd | Commercial kitchen, beer cooler, grocery items, pizza oven, in store seating | Potential to be very lucrative | Property also improved by older home, old gas station has been renovated for potential office space or storage & stone spring house | 2 lots w/ commercial village zoning.

Built in 1918 | Features light-filled rooms, a center hallway with arched doorways leading to the living room, dining room, and 2nd floor | Kitchen gives the gourmet cook all the amenities for efficient food prep | dining and living rooms are perfect | 5 wood-burning fireplaces | A separate office and gym on the first floor | Four bedrooms, 2 full baths on the 2nd floor, 2 half on the first | The home has a rear stone patio for outdoor generating—a detached garage with room for additional storage | Oil radiator heat, town sewer and water | 1.14 Acres

SALEM HILL

MIddLEBuRG, VIRGINIA $2,795,000

MARSHALL, VIRGINIA

$2,700,000 $1,500,000 Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905 Paul MacMahon French Country703.609.1905 home, with renovations in 1999 Well protected Fauquier location | 6 bedrooms Lynn Wiley 540.454.1527| Brian MacMahon 703.609.1868 Brian MacMahon & 2017 | 4 BR, 5703.609.1868 full & 2 half BA, 5 FP, hardwood 4 full and 2 half baths | 3 fireplaces | Great views

$3,900,000

$3,690,000 Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905

PUPPERVILLE aul MacLAND Mahon 703.609.1905 NEW MOUNTAIN ROAD ALDIE, VIRGINIA M M 540.454.193060 wooded acres h Total of 44.55 acres of which 15 acres were producing grapes | Prime on top of a ridge | In conservation

PIEDMONT DRIVE

UPPERVILLE, VIRGINIA elen ac ahon

location w/mountain Views & privacy | Vineyard infrastructure still remains &includes fencing, irrigation system and computerized well | Perc site for 4 bedroom home. Property is in conservation easement | Property can be converted to Residential use.

$1,195,000 Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905 Brian MacMahon 703.609.1868

GAME CREEK

203 acres i River fronta 4 full & 3 1/2 Gunnite pool and private | 5 stall Ji paddocks, pa | Old d

MIDDLEBURG, VA

End unit all brick townhouse | Living room w/additional sitting area, FP & built in book cases | Kitchen w/ outside entrance, large island | Dining room | 3 BR include large walk in closets | Lower level is fully finished w/ 2 private home offices, bath & family room w/ fireplace, built in cabinetry & wet bar | Back garden is fully fenced | Private outdoor space with flagstone terrace

easement, trails throughout, elevated building sites, 1500 ft of frontage on Little River | 25 minutes to Dulles, close to Aldie and Route 50

$990,000 Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905 Brian MacMahon 703.609.1868

$895,000 Helen MacMahon 540.454.1930

HALCYON HILL

103 W FEDERAL STREET

SAINT LOUIS ROAD LEEDS MANOR ROAD MIddLEBuRG, VIRGINIA PURCELLVILLE, RECTORTOWN, VIRGINIA VIRGINIA MARKHAM, VA

MIDDLEBURG, VIRGINIA

2 commercial spaces side by side | Entire complex has been renovated & both units are currently leased to established businesses | All details provided reflect both units being offered together | Both units include a fully finished lower level for additional retail space or storage | High ceilings, hardwood floors, updated finishes throughout | Nice foot traffic and large display windows | Private off street parking.

Hard to find 9.58 acres between Middleburg and Purcellville | In the process of obtaining 4 bedroom certification letter from Loudoun County Health department | Mountain views, woods and pasture with frontage on Beaverdam Creek. No HOA

A remarkable property located within a private 17 acres of rolling pasture land in the village enclave just minutes from town | Stone and stucco of Rectortown | Convenient to both Routes 50 manor house with main level master suite | 7 $600,000& 66 | Newly renovated | Private setting with additional BR | 5 stone FP | Beautiful gardens, magnificent mountain views | 4 bedrooms, Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905 $845,000 $575,000 terraces, salt water pool, cabana, carriage house & 4 full bath, 1 half bath, 2 fireplaces | Heated Helen MacMahon 540.454.1930 Marqui Simmons 703.774.6109 stable with 2 paddocks | Lovely finishes throughout pool & spa | 2 bedroom guest house | & sweeping lawn to private trails to Goose Creek | Large shed & 2-car garage 31 acres | Private, elegant & convenient

$2,650,000

Classic farmhouse on a private acre lot | Originally constructed in 1899 | Traditional floor plan | Sitting area that leads into a large living room& family room | The galley kitchen extends to the dining room & sunroom w/ views of the countryside | Upstairs, there is a primary bedroom,2 additional bedrooms, a full bath, & a sleeping porch | The basement contains a rec room, ample storage | Spacious backyard, 2 large outbuildings

$2,475,000 N OV E M B E R 2 0 2 3 • m i d d l e b u r g l i f e . c o m

Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905

Circa 18 rebuilt a beams an Barn a 2 bedroom multiple b outsi 5

Pau

In the Field with

Graham Buston

Huntsman of the Blue Ridge Hunt Written by Heidi Baumstark | Photos by Joanne Maisano

ounted foxhunting has existed in America since the Colonial era. In fact, the earliest record of the impor-

tation of hounds was June 1650 when the private ship of an English gentleman, Robert Brooke,

sailed into Baltimore’s port with his family and a pack of hounds. But long before, hunting with hounds as a formalized activity has its origin in England and Ireland beginning in the 1500s. And one Irishman, Graham V. Buston, now

“I’ve been hunting for over 40 years. I was always interested in the hounds.” – Buston

Graham Buston.

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makes his home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, trading foxhunting in Ireland to be a huntsman for the Blue Ridge Hunt in Boyce, Clarke County. Buston | Page 7

Buston | From page 6 Established in 1888, the Blue Ridge Hunt includes territory in Clarke and Warren counties and parts of West Virginia; it is the only hunt west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. British-born Archibald Bevan organized the Blue Ridge Hunt when he was 29 years old, and served as Master of Fox Hounds (MFH). Bevan boarded for a time at Carter Hall near the village of Millwood. His hunt saddle is now on display in the museum at the Clarke County Historical Association in Berryville. Since 2015, Buston has been a huntsman of the Blue Ridge Hunt. Prior to that, he was a huntsman for the 2013 and 2014 seasons with Bear Creek Hounds in Moreland, Georgia. And before that, he was a huntsman for the County Waterford Foxhounds, the Stonehall Harriers Hunt, and the County Limerick Foxhounds in his native country, Ireland. AN IRISH LAD GOES A-HUNTING Buston is from County Limerick, the southwest portion of Ireland; his hometown is Ardlaman. “I started foxhunting when I was 5 [years old] on my first pony with the local foxhound pack, the County Limerick Foxhounds,” Buston says. “I’ve been hunting for over 40 years. I was always interested in the hounds. My mom was second cook for Lord Daresbury [who was MFH from 1947-1977] of the County Limerick Foxhounds. I was always going over to Altavilla House where she worked for Lord Daresbury because he used to keep foxhound puppies from the kennels to be reared. I loved helping with

the feeding and cleaning out of the puppies. I was very young, but loved hounds then, and it’s [what] started my interest.” AMERICA BOUND Buston had a friend in Georgia who asked him to come to America “on holiday.” This led to a job offer as huntsman for Bear Creek Hounds beginning with the 2013 season. “It was a big move from Ireland to the U.S. I went from nice, damp weather to hot, humid weather.” He continues, “They loved my accent. I just had to talk really slow so they could understand me.” Buston brought his wife and some hounds from Ireland with him. “I brought some of my Old English bloodlines and bred them with

American foxhounds,” he explains. “I landed in a place where I knew nobody — and didn’t know the territory or the quarry — so I just tried it. It worked very well and was successful. I just stuck with what I knew.” ONTO VIRGINIA In 2015, Buston saw an ad for a huntsman for the Blue Ridge Hunt. He applied, even though he had only been to Virginia once when he came to the hound show in Leesburg as a huntsman with Bear Creek. A Blue Ridge Hunt Master contacted him for an interview. “They drove me around the countryside,” he remembers, “and I thought the territory was more like home with its rolling Buston | Page 8

“You put so much effort into breeding them and then seeing them follow the fox scent as a pack; it’s rewarding.” – Buston

Left: Graham and MFH Anne McIntosh at the end of a hunting day. Top right: Graham with the Blue Ridge Hunt Hounds. Bottom right: Sheri and Graham Buston at the BRH Puppy Show.

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Buston | From page 7 hills and stone walls, more of a farming community like back in Ireland. And I got along with the Masters right away.” Anne W. McIntosh has been Blue Ridge’s Joint MFH since 2006; Jeffrey L. LeHew has been Joint MFH since 2017. Buston is now entering his ninth season as a huntsman for Blue Ridge. Buston started a new breeding program in Virginia with his hounds from Georgia and Ireland. “I mixed American blood with my hounds from Georgia — with the Old English bloodlines from Ireland — but knew I was missing something,” he explains. “So, I tried fell hounds, which are more of an athletic type that also have a good independence in them. I mixed Old English and American hounds crossed with fell hounds; with the combination of these three hounds, I hit the jackpot.” In Georgia, the hunting territory is mostly woods and flat lands, but in Virginia, the terrain is hilly, and hounds need to be able to jump the wire fencing since foxes can go through the small square wire fencing required to keep cattle inside the fields. Buston has 35 couples (70

hounds), and he and McIntosh are responsible for the breeding and training of the hounds. Buston’s dedication to his hounds has resulted in unforgettable hunt moments. One of the most memorable stories with Blue Ridge was in January 2021 in West Virginia at The Glenn. The story goes like this: “We were on a great coyote chase. The coyote continued his tricks to lose the hounds, and after an hour and a half he decided to jump into the cold running Shenandoah River with hounds in hot pursuit! Without missing a stride — as I watched the coyote swim upriver with hounds swimming behind him — I jumped off my horse, tore off my scarlet coat and boots, jumped in after my hounds, and started swimming. It wasn’t until I was swimming that I saw the hounds flowing down river and the coyote had started to turn toward the riverbank to me! Needless to say, I also turned toward the riverbank where I came from. I was so blinded with pride for my hounds that they had jumped in after [the coyote] that my excitement took over and I jumped in as well. The Field members and Masters all had seen me do it and had a good laugh by the time I came back with my hounds — and with

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a big smile on my face.” Perhaps unsurprisingly, Buston admits, “One of my favorite parts as [a] huntsman is picking the dog and the bitch for breeding, whelping their offspring, training them, and watching them grow into hunting hounds.” Buston says, “I’m like the friendly schoolteacher!” Another favorite part as a huntsman is seeing the fox and watching the hounds quickly follow the scent and work the line together, “especially on a hard scenting day,” he emphasizes. “I love seeing the work of the hounds. You put so much effort into breeding them and then seeing them hunt the scent of the fox as a pack; it’s rewarding.” Reflecting on the beauty of Clarke County and his role as a huntsman, Buston says, “We look out every morning to mountains, fields, and can walk along the Shenandoah River. Our kitchen faces the kennels. When I turn on the light early in the morning the hounds see me, and they’re waiting for me. When the weather gets cooler, they get so excited. In exercise, they can smell the foxes and know it’s hunting season.” ML

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Sunday, December 3, 10, & 17: Advent services each Sunday at 8:00am, 10:30am, & 5:00pm Also: Seasonal services & events: Sunday, December 3, Advent Sunday 10:30am A Service of Advent Readings & Carols 11:30am Advent Wreath Making Workshop 6:00pm Trinity Christmas Party, Auction & Paddle Raise Sunday, December 10, The Second Sunday of Advent 3:00pm On Christmas Night, with the Blue Ridge Singers Sunday, December 17, The Third Sunday of Advent 5:00pm Readings & Carols, with the Master Singers of Virginia Saturday, December 23 9:30am Pageant Rehearsal

Sunday, December 24 The Fourth Sunday of Advent, Christmas Eve 8:00am Said Holy Eucharist, Traditional Language 5:00pm Christmas Pageant & Family Service 8:00pm Celebration Choral Eucharist 11:00pm Candlelit Eucharist Monday, December 25, The Nativity of Christ 10:00am Festive Eucharist & Carols Wednesday, December 27, St. John, Apostle & Evangelist 12:00noon Said Holy Eucharist Sunday, December 31, The First Sunday after Christmas 10.30am All-Together New Years Eve Service, with Carols

TRINITY, THERE IS A PLACE FOR Y O U On Rt 50, Upperville, VA, just 15 minutes west of Middleburg. 540 -592-334.

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Scenes from the 2023 Theodora A. Randolph Field Hunter Championship at Glenwood Park Photos by Joanne Maisano

Rosie Campbell.

Competitors making their way up to the winner’s circle.

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Steam after the Mock Hunt.

Gina Cotto and Michelle Johns setting up the tailgate.

Heather Heider over the log jump.

Noah Mitchell wins the Sportsmanship Award.

Champ Laura Sloan with Amy McNeely, the director of the TAR Field Hunter Championships.

First day TARFHC with MH at Goodstone.

Ribbons and cups waiting to be awarded.

Denya Dee Leakes with Heather Heider representing Blue Ridge.

Annabel Bybee, Noah Mitchell, and Laura Millerick representing Middleburg Hunt.

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Meet Your Neighbor:

TESS NEWCOME

Takes Great Meadow into The Future With Open Arms Written by Beth Rasin | Photos by Michael Butcher

s the fireworks exploded overhead on July 4 this year, Tess Newcome reflected on the conclusion of her first major event as executive director of Great Meadow Foundation in The Plains. “I came in just a few weeks earlier, on the madness of the biggest event we fully host, and it was a huge eye-opener,” she says. “It was trial under fire. But it turned out okay; the fireworks were amaz-

ing, and families had a chance to come together with old-fashioned kids’ games, like sack races, where they could just get to be a kid in this open space.” She spoke that evening with John Arundel, son of Great Meadow founder Nick Arundel, who told her his family used to throw increasingly large Fourth of July parties at their home. “Dad said when he bought this land that he knew where he

Top: Great Meadow’s Gate 1. Bottom right: Tess Newcome.

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could hold a bigger party,” Arundel told her. “I think he’d be happy to see that we’re still doing it,” Newcome says. Arundel bought the land that would become Great Meadow in 1982, when it was under threat to become a housing development. A framed print of the plans for that sidelined development hangs on the wall of the Summer House, just outside

Neighbor | Page 15

Neighbor | From page 14 Newcome’s office. Looking out the windows of the Summer House, the view of the Bull Run Mountains and open fields reminds Newcome of her native West Virginia. “This is a little bit of coming home for me,” she explains. “It fills my soul. I don’t know how anyone could not love this space.” After earning a degree in psychology and business administration from West Virginia University, Newcome was recruited to work at an accounting firm in Bethesda, Maryland. She later worked for B.F. Saul, who she just recently learned was one of Great Meadow’s founding members. “It’s interesting how circles overlap, and you don’t realize it until later in life,” Newcome notes. To her new role, Newcome brings a background in finance, auditing, and accounting. She has also volunteered for several nonprofits, including as president of the board of the Adult Care Center of the Northern Shenandoah Valley, which offers a place for people with dementia and Alzheimer’s to go during the day, and the Frederick County and Winchester Public Schools’ Special Education Advisory Committee. “I’ve always wanted to be a useful part of the community and give back, and now I can do that for conservation and equestrian sport,” she says. “It’s truly heart driven, and I highly respect Nick’s vision of knowing what can happen to a space.” As executive director, Newcome plans to offer more variety on the calendar, with both new events and the return of some old favorites. “I’d love to build out more community events, get families here and participating,” she explains. “Ideas are flowing. We have a think board, and anyone can walk in and make a suggestion. Great Meadow should be a service to the community.” She encourages locals to volunteer, too. “It takes a lot to maintain over 300 acres. Of course we have staff, but I want others invested in it to keep it this way and pass it on.” Although Great Meadow is a private foundation, she says its doors are open. “You can come take a walk, learn about Great Meadow, and we want to bring back the dog walking program,” she expands.

“It’s not a public space technically, but we love to have people as part of the space.” In addition to Newcome, Great Meadow has a new director of operations, Kim Finnelle, and new marketing coordinator, Madi Hunter. “So many people want this to succeed; we just need to bring it back,” Newcome shares, referring to a period of stalling during the pandemic. “COVID was hard for a lot of nonprofits. We’re running a business where our job is to be with a lot of people, shoulder to shoulder, and COVID had a real impact on that. The board of directors allowed time to pass with the intent to build out a strong team to take Great Meadow into the future.” As part of her new role, she’s taking the time to learn the layout, who’s using it, and who might like to, and ensuring those uses align with the organization’s mission and Nick Arundel’s vision. “That’s going to take time and work with the board and the community and collaboration with other nonprofits,” Newcome explains. “It’s an exciting time for those who have visited Great Meadow. They love Great Meadow and will tell you their story of how they came to know it, whether by volunteering, or that their parents were friends of Nick’s. It’s nice to hear that. We want people to feel a part of Great Meadow, that they don’t just come to visit it.” She shares a story of two volunteers who became engaged on-site decades ago, with the proposal taking place in the steward’s stand as the sun was rising. “And then someone came in more recently and asked if he could propose to his girlfriend. She said ‘Yes!’ We were able to capture a picture of them and will always be a part of their story,” Newcome beams. “Those love stories are 35 years apart, but it’s heartwarming that couples still want to use this space to ask someone to marry them.” She wants to ensure Great Meadow is always a part of the community, including working with local sports teams or involving schools to teach children about conservation and preservation. “I’ve been very excited since day one.” She continues, “You look at this space and just feel inspired, and the whole team feels that way. I’m excited about what 2024 and the years to come [will] hold.” ML

Top: The iconic Steward’s Stand on a fall morning. Middle left: History on display. Middle right: The “Racegoer” statue of Nick Arudel studying a racecard on Member’s Hill. Bottom: The Summer House.

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MIDDLEBURG BOOKS: BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH THE POWER OF STORIES Written by Laticia Headings Photos by Shannon Ayres

any readers are drawn to local bookstores for their nuanced charm and sense of community. Whether it’s scouting for the latest bestselling novel or searching through a treasure trove of literary gems, there’s the feeling that it’s a place about more than just books. Owner Mary Beth Morell wanted visitors of all ages to not only have that feeling when they crossed the threshold of Middleburg Books; she wanted to magnify it. “There are many of these little touches we have layered on with pops of details that make it a magical place. We really want it to be a destination that people go out of their way to visit,” she says. When Morell and co-owner Christina Duffy conceptualized the design of the bookstore, they took cues from many of their favorite books for everything from the constellation wallpaper on the ceiling to the statement bathroom. “The idea for our logo, the key, came from ‘The Secret Garden,’” says Morell. “It’s a very enchanting environment. It almost feels like you should be searching for secret passageways,” says Middleburg local Linda Huntington, who attended the bookstore’s ribbon cutting Books | Page 17 Mary Beth Morell and Christina Duffy.

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Books | From page 16 ceremony on September 28. During their opening weekend, a flood of locals and tourists stopped in to chat about staff picks and browse the carefully curated collections of books. “The choice of books is very diverse, [so] there’s something for everybody,” Huntington shares. “The diversity of books is no accident,” Duffy

explains. “Mary Beth and I wholeheartedly agree that it’s more important than ever that everyone has access to stories from all walks of life.” The two women became fast friends when they met in 2019 while working at the Holy Trinity School library in Georgetown. “We share a lot of the same philosophies. We believe books are mirrors that help us see ourselves, that reflect back our own experiences. This is especially im-

portant for children,” says Duffy, who was the assistant librarian at the private elementary school. Morell worked at Holy Trinity for 17 years, serving as both the head librarian and a technology teacher. “My primary goal was to create a culture of reading,” she says. “If a child doesn’t like to read, I firmly believe we haven’t found them the right book yet. It’s so rewarding when you have a reluctant reader come back and ask for another book.” The idea for Middleburg Books was sparked last summer when Morell and her husband, Michael, were visiting Middleburg. “We were in the process of building a house here and came out for lunch. We saw that Second Chapter Books was for sale, and this light bulb went off,” Morell remembers. “It’s exactly what I was looking to do at this stage of my life.” Morell proposed the idea of opening a bookstore to Duffy, who was immediately on board. “Books have always been a part of who I am and been such a priority to me. Anyone who knows me wasn’t shocked that I was opening a bookstore,” she says. The former librarians did copious amounts of research and took a weekend “booksellers bootcamp” in Florida where they learned about the hard truths of owning a bookstore. “It gave us a reality check that there's a lot more to running a bookstore than loving books! It's actually quite a complicated business endeavor,” Morell says. In 2021, Morell started an online bookstore Books | Page 18

“It’s a very enchanting environment. It almost feels like you should be searching for secret passageways.” – Huntington

Top: Middleburg Books on South Madison Street. Bottom: The interior is a book lover's dream with floor-to-ceiling shelves.

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Books | From page 17 called Lion and Dragonfly that she ran for two years. “It was a great experience. I took the skills I learned from that and applied them to this,” she says. With the support of their husbands and families, they started to scout for a brick-and-mortar location in town. Both Morell and Duffy have been avid readers and lovers of books from a very young age. “I really approach the world through stories. Books were always a way for me to connect with people,” says Morell. “You grow to love people that are completely different than you and see the world through their eyes by reading.” As a child, Morell and her family moved frequently for her father’s job with Ford Motor Company, including a four-year relocation to Brazil when she was 10. No matter where they were, a constant in her life was going to the library with her mother and brother. “I discovered all of these British books in Brazil and read them all. We ran out of books so my brother and I would read encyclopedias!” she laughs. Duffy’s family also moved a lot when she was young. “My dad was in the military, so books became a friend and escape for me, especially when transitioning.” She credits her father for her love of reading. “If we got good grades, my parents would take us to the bookstore as a reward,” says Duffy. During her fourth grade year, Duffy had a difficult transition to a new school. She bonded with the school librarian, who recognized she was struggling. “I was happy to be a library aid during recess. She provided a safe space for me, and the library was my happy place,” Duffy shares. “Because of my experience in the library as a kid, being a librarian [at Trinity] was a full circle moment. I loved it and it was easy to identify kids like me who I

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could see needed help.” Both women are mothers — Duffy has a 9-year-old daughter and Morell has three grown children — so creating a distinctive children’s space in the bookstore was a priority. “I love reading kids’ books as much as I love reading adult books,” Morell notes. The business partners and their design team, led by Gretchen Yahn of Castlerock Enterprises, Inc., had the goal of creating a store with a sophisticated, yet welcoming, atmosphere. “Words cannot describe my gratitude for what they have done to take my vision and turn it into this jewel box of space,” says Morell. There were several unforeseen challenges while renovating 17 South Madison Street, a historic building dating back to the 1750s. Over 2,000 pounds of bricks had to be taken out of a crumbling chimney when it was opened, causing a two-week delay. “It was literally raining dust from the bricks,” Morell laughs. “We have a saying that two things happen in life — good things and good stories. This is [one] hundred percent a good story!” The bookstore owners plan to have special events with schools and other local businesses. Duffy says, “It’s so impressive how the community is connected. We are so grateful to be part of that and work with other owners who are already established.” With plans for book clubs, author talks, and cookbook potlucks, Morell and Duffy are keen to foster their love of books while building a bridge to the community. “I want Middleburg Books to be the key to community reading and a place where people love to come and gather,” Morell says. “It’s not just a bookstore, it’s not just a business,” explains Duffy. “We want it to be a place where people feel welcome, where everyone feels included and seen.” ML

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“I really approach the world through stories. Books were always a way for me to connect with people.” – Morell

Top: The constellation ceiling. Bottom: The bookstore has something for everyone.

HUNTING & RIDING ATTIRE COUNTRY CLOTHING SADDLERY & STABLE REQUISITES BOOKS & GIFTS ANTIQUES & ESTATE JEWELRY

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60 Alexandria Pike, Warrenton, Virginia 20186 t Store Hours: Monday–Saturday 10AM - 5PM N OV E M B E R 2 0 2 3

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Henway Hard Cider Returns Written by Diane Helentjaris Photos courtesy of Henway Hard Cider

“C

ider is finding its way,” shares Becca Rally, director of marketing for Experience Bluemont. Rally is a bubbly conversationalist, as bubbly as, well… a sparkling cider. Informative and responsive, she knows her stuff. Her email address block includes the half-joking title, “Branding Alchemist, Head of Creative Chaos.” When asked about the description, she responds, “What I do best is managing creatively and the best way I can describe it is ‘chaotic’ in the best possible way.” Experience Bluemont, Rally’s employer, is the umbrella organization for the Zurschmeide family’s businesses. Thirty years ago, the Zurschmeides opened their flagship Great Country Farm. It grew beyond the typical pick-your-own farm, eventually offering field trips, activities for the kids, counHenway | Page 21

Henway’s hard cider on tap.

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Henway | From page 20 try cottages to rent, and a venue for events. While children enjoy plucking strawberries from their stems and choosing Halloween pumpkins, their parents may appreciate the farm’s

ethos. Great Country Farm offers non-GMO fruits and vegetables and uses regenerative farm-

ing practices. Regenerative agriculture emphasizes sustainability. Resources — water, soil, land — are conserved, improved, nurtured. Waste is avoided. Out of this initial effort sprang Bluemont Vineyard, followed by Dirt Farm Brewery. In 2019, Experience Bluemont opened Henway Hard Cider. They began producing hard cider, and serving it in the taproom for customers to sit, sip, taste, picnic, and enjoy. “Everything is rooted in farming. We take what we grow and make the most of it,” Rally says. “Cider is a natural growth from our craft beer, a natural extension of our farming roots. Taking what we grow [and using it]. … Virginia is a prominent region [for hard cider] because of the apples we find here. A craft cider starts in the orchard or on the farm. [Hard cider is] just now becoming popular.” People have been fermenting apples and making cider for a very long time. When Julius Caesar invaded Britain, he found Celts making cider from crabapples and helped spread the practice through Europe. Cider making is found around the globe, each cider reflecting the terroir and culture of its locale. It’s not a one-way activity, either. A variety of fruits can be added to the apple juice, apple varieties switched up, sugar increased or decreased, the number of rounds of

fermentation altered — all will result in distinct ciders. Production steps can be varied to provide a crystal-clear, cloudy, or sparkling drink. Even the condition of the apples can differ. Quebec developed “ice cider,” made from apples allowed to freeze on the trees. One can only imagine how this first came about with an early freeze and a farmer loath to waste his crop. Virginia has a long history of apple and cider production. Apple trees blossom and bear fruit easily in many areas of the state. Colonials quaffed hard cider, partially to stay healthy. Water quality was often dicey and the alcohol in the cider killed at least some of the germs. Even children drank hard cider in the past. In 2012, the Virginia General Assembly passed a resolution making the full week before Thanksgiving Virginia Cider Week. The 50 or so cideries in the state celebrate the week with special activities, tastings, workshops, and open houses. This year, Experience Bluemont anticipates reopening the Henway Hard Cider taproom to coincide with Virginia Cider Week (November 10 - 19). Details can be found on Henway Hard Cider’s website and social media. Closed in the summer of 2022 for construction, the Henway Hard Cider taproom will open with new products and a refreshed menu with a Southern flair. The Coop, a semi-sweet, “apple forward” favorite, will be offered along with such ciders as Liquid Courage, Cherry Vanilla, Apple Cider Donut, and Spring Peach. Anyone looking for a new beverage to explore should consider hard cider. The many flavors and styles are enough to keep the most curious exploring onward. It is popular with folks who like a sweeter beverage, and those who follow a gluten-free diet appreciate the lack of grain in nearly all hard ciders. Virginia hard ciders clock in at 7% to 10% alcohol by volume. Hard cider, as a craft beverage, is coming into its own. Rally suggests, “Cider is a young industry. When you see hard cider, don’t overlook it. There are some hidden gems, especially in the state of Virginia.” ML Henway Hard Cider 18780 Foggy Bottom Road Bluemont, Virginia 20135 henwayhardcider.com (540) 554-8439 cheers@henwayhardcider.com

Top: A spread of Henway’s seasonal flavors. Bottom: The Cider House has a lovely water view.

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OAKENDALE

435 acres | $19,600,000

107 acres | $9,975,000

The Plains – This Colonial Revival stone manor is the epitome of an exquisite Horse County Estate. From the meticulously manicured gardens, grounds, dependencies and the hundreds of acres of surrounding pastures with protected view-sheds, Oakendale is in a class of its own.

Marshall – Magnificent estate of approximately 107 gorgeous acres in the heart of Virginia’s renowned horse country. 17,800 sq.ft. of exquisite living space and spectacular equestrian facilities. Unparalleled in its beauty and charm, Red Bridge simply cannot be replicated anywhere.

John Coles | 540-270-0094

Jim McGowan | 703-927-0233

ROCKBURN

RED BRIDGE

132+ | $7,450,000

COUNTRY ESTATE

30 acres | $5,900,000

Marshall – Tucked along a quiet gravel road is this idyllic farm anchored by a classic 10,000+ sq ft estate house c.1828 and lovingly restored by the current owner. 7 BRs / 8.5 BAs and 8 fireplaces. Blue Ridge Mountain views. 2 barns, log cabin, 4 tenant houses, 2 workshops.

Middleburg – Spectacular country estate with manicured lawns and towering trees. Built in a Tuscan style of architecture, it includes 5 BRs, 8 1/2 BAs, 8 fireplaces, heated pool & Jacuzzi. Also, 4 BR guest house, 8 stall center aisle stable and run-ins. All in a beautiful setting with mountain views!

Cricket Bedford | 540-229-3201

Mary Ann McGowan | 540-270-1124

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IF YOU INSIST ON THE BEST YOU MUST CALL ON THE BEST. Presenting the area′s premiere listings by the area′s premiere agency. LITTLETON FARM

153 acres | $7,880,000

Upperville – This premier estate is a paradise with the main house for grand living and entertaining; 2 horse barns, riding ring and trails to ride out. Multiple outdoor living spaces perfect for enjoying the stunning landscape of Virginia’s horse country. Agent is related to Owner.

Julia O’Regan 202-468-0751 | Cricket Bedford 540-229-3201

We’re matchmakers with properties, people and the unique way of life Horse Country has to offer. It’s no surprise that over the decades our agents have sold almost every premiere estate in Horse Country – sometimes more than once. Our intimate knowledge of the area and community come together to help locate the perfect home for you. Give us a call today.

DELAPLANE MANOR

$4,500,000

Delaplane – Built for Channing Delaplane, Jr. in 1921, the manor house with its exquisite symmetry is beautifully sited and located within the Crooked Run Valley Rural Historic District. 10 BRs, 6 and a half BAs. To the back of the house are barns and paddocks, and beyond are mature woodlands.

John Coles | 540-270-0094

THOMAS & TALBOT ESTATE PROPERTIES 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.

540-687-6500 | thomasandtalbot.com | 2 South Madison Street, Middleburg, VA 20117

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Written by Carlo Massimo Photos by Michael Butcher

he aroma of fermenting mash is overpowering, sweet with yeast and sharp as green timber, but Becky Harris, founder of Catoctin Creek Distilling Company in Purcellville, no longer notices it. The barstool she sits on in

the Catoctin Creek tasting room looks out on the distillery floor: two pot stills, steel fermentation tanks, a conveyor belt-fed bottling machine, and the quiet trickle of unaged rye whiskey. This is Catoctin Creek’s specialty, and although the company

Becky Harris.

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makes brandy, eau de vie, and gin, Catoctin Creek and rye are almost synonyms. It's a historical passion as well as a matter of taste for Harris, who founded Catoctin Creek Rye | Page 25

Rye | From page 24 with her husband Scott in 2005. “If you look back at the 1600s and 1700s, rye was the only spirit distilled on the Eastern Seaboard,” she says. “Virginia’s main crop was tobacco, so farmers grew rye as a cover crop, to replen-

ish the soil.” That sense of local history, of the tangible story of a place, animates Catoctin Creek. All the rye is grown nearby, either in southern Pennsylvania or in Rappahannock County. The honey that sweetens the Hot Honey Rye comes from Berryville. The Vidal blanc grapes that make up Catoctin Creek’s Virginia Brandy are grown by Doug Fabbioli of Leesburg, and the peaches in the Peach Brandy by Bluemont Vineyard. The charred aging barrels, which by law can only be used once, are oak from Virginia or the Midwest. Catoctin Creek is, in other words, a hub as much as a company. If local vintners need brandy for a fortified wine, Catoctin Creek will distill it for them. If a local grower needs to offload pears or surplus cider, Catoctin Creek will make eau de vie. If local distributors need hand sanitizer, as they did in the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, Catoctin Creek will produce it for them. This vast, outward-looking energy radiates from Harris herself. She’s sat on the board of the American Craft Spirits Association since 2019, served two terms as its president, and oversaw one of the Association’s greatest victories: reducing the federal excise tax on liquor from $13.50 per six bottles to an incredible $2.70. Beyond that, Harris helped found the nonprofit STEPUP Foundation, which introduces interns from underrepresented communities to every step of the spirits business, from distillation to distribution. This year, Bourbon Women named her as a finalist in their prestigious Women of Whiskey Legacy Achievement award. It's an industry that needs champions like Harris. As she explains it, the spirits industry relies on a three-tier model: Distillers make a spirit and sell it to a distributor, and the distributor in turn sells it to a retailer. In theory it works, but in practice it’s a mess. When Harris and her husband started Catoctin Creek, there were about 200 distilleries total in the United States. Last year there were 2,700. In the meantime, the number of distributors has dropped by a third. In other words, there are more and more spirits being made, and fewer and fewer ways of selling them. “Small producers need a direct link to customers,” Harris says. “Retail is where volume happens; it’s where growth happens.” She notes that the laws governing wine and spirits are frustratingly different. “A winery can ship wine directly to consumers in 47 states. A distillery can’t.” Catoctin Creek is lucky in that it established distributor relationships before the boom in artisanal liquor. But Harris’ advice to novices is

bleak: “Don’t count on distributors. You can’t sell what you can’t move out the door.” At Catoctin Creek, 100,000 bottles pass through the door every year. The flagship whiskey, the Roundstone Rye 80 Proof, has a dry, spicy flavor distinct from the sweet, more familiar taste of bourbon. (Scott Harris describes one of Catoctin Creek’s whiskeys as “unruly and vivacious,” which is true of good rye in general.) Whiskey starts as beer, just as brandy starts as wine: 1,000 pounds of rye flour are mashed, or watered down and heated with malting enzymes and yeast in steel tanks, filling the building with the unmistakable aroma of fermentation. After a week, the resulting beer is pumped into a pot still, a tall copper apparatus that distills the alcohol out of the mash. It’s the industrial version of the glass retort you may have used in a chemistry class. Harris, a former chemical engineer, insists on the old-fashioned model, the pot still. A modern column still can produce 300 gallons in three minutes. Harris’ pot still takes six hours. “Those Kentucky bourbon stills are almost too efficient,” she said, erasing some of the nuance of the whiskey. “Most of the flavors in rye come from the end of production.” The clear liquor that comes out of the still has a hot, unfinished flavor, although the spicy edge of the rye is immediately apparent. From there it goes into 30-gallon American oak barrels — 30-gallon because initially those were all that could fit in Harris’ Ford Ranger, in the days before the company had a forklift and was operating out of a converted barn. Then it sits in a warehouse for two years, acquiring a dark color. Catoctin Creek, unlike many large-scale producers, uses no caramel coloring. The law that requires new barrels for every batch is another frustration. “You can make bad rye or bourbon with new barrels,” she says, “and you can make — I have made! — very good rye with used barrels.” After its two-year rest, the barrels come back to the distillery and an Italian-made machine pumps the whiskey into sterilized bottles, corks and seals them, and adds a label. Some of the other Catoctin Creek products sit in the barrel longer than the basic Roundstone, but Harris believes that rye is best young. “There’s a flavor curve,” she explains, “and you want to bottle the whiskey at the right moment to balance the impact of the wood with the impact of the grain.” This is the side of distilling that takes delicacy Rye | Page 26

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Rye | From page 25 and nuance. Harris may have once been a chemical engineer, but as a whiskey distiller she knows how to put aside the engineer’s obsession with efficiency. This isn’t about maximizing volume, or

even maximizing sales. It’s about producing rye whiskey worthy of the name. “This is what makes us special,” she emphasizes. “We’re willing to do what larger producers won’t. It matters.” ML

Catoctin Creek Distilling Company 120 West Main Street Purcellville, Virginia 20132 (540) 751-8404

Left: American oak barrels. Right: Catoctin Creek’s lineup of spirits.

Briede Family Vineyards 450 Green Spring Road Winchester, Virginia. 22603 540-664-2048 Www.Briedevineyards.com

Middleburg Gourmet is here to make your holiday season truly special! Whether you're hosting a gathering or seeking a delightful gift, our shop is your destination for gourmet excellence. As you plan your Thanksgiving feast, consider the delicious addition of our exquisite cheeses, jams and spreads, chocolates and cookies, olive oils and vinegars, honey and teas and more! Taste the difference and savor the season with us! Middleburg Gourmet | 10 East Federal Street in Middleburg, Virginia 20117 | middleburggourmet.com | (540) 883-3114

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5 S Madison Street Middleburg, Virginia

dancingwith the middleburg stars

dancingwith the middleburg stars -2024 TEAMSorange

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SAVE THE DATE! FEBRUARY SATURDAY

TOM SWEITZER

AT 7 PM

KIM TAPPER

VERNA STERN

SAM MEEK

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2024 MIDDLEBURG COMMUNITY CENTER GRAND BALLROOM

BRIDGET WILSON

JONATHAN ADAMS

SUSAN MCCASKEY

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PAUL HAEFNER

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JOIN US FOR THE MIDDLEBURG COMMUNITY CENTER’S FIRST EVER DANCING WITH THE MIDDLEBURG STARS RESERVE YOUR TABLE NOW BY VISITING:

www.middleburgcommunitycenter.com/dwtms .

KERRIE JENKINS

ANDREW RICHARDS

ANNE SITTMANN

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CAB GRAYSON

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A Transatlantic

Rewilding Conversation

Finds an Audience at the Community Center Written by Bill Kent | Photos by Callie Broaddus

he question came from the audience after Isabella Tree, Lady Burrell, finished her evening talk last month at the Community Center: It’s all well and good to stop mowing lawns; tear down fences; fill drainage ditches; invite deer, pigs, bears, and beavers to make themselves at home; and otherwise let nature take its course — but what are we in Hunt Country to do about invasives? Isabella (she prefers Isabella to Lady Burrell, in the same way her husband, Sir Charlie Burrell, 10th Baronet, likes to be called Charlie, because, he quipped, “Charles is currently in use”) visited Hunt Country last month with her husband to promote their new 560page “Book of Wilding: A Practical Guide to Rewilding Big and Small.” The visit was on all accounts successful, with Crème de la Crème selling 180 copies of the book in a matter of hours. In answering the question, Isabella first cited what Charlie had said earlier that day. After describing a costly and ultimately futile

attempt in California to end an invasive plant infestation, Charlie said that Americans may just have to “get over it!” At the Community Center, Isabella added the hope that, “Eventually we may learn to embrace invasives.” A shiver went through some of the 200 or so Hunt Country landowners, farmers, and members of the Piedmont Environmental Council, the Garden Conservancy, and the Oak Spring Garden Foundation which had sponsored the Burrells’ visit. Anyone who grows anything outdoors in Hunt Country knows that if invasives are permitted to take their course, some plants, bugs, and critters can destroy a garden, a tree, a vintner’s grapes, a pond, a creek, a paddock, or a forest in a few weeks. Leaving the invasive question almost as fast as it came up, Isabella earned enthusiastic applause as she ended her talk on a positive note. Of rewilding, she said, “It brings a change in our relationship with nature. It puts us in a position Rewilding | Page 30

Left: Copies of Isabella Tree and Charlie Burrell’s book. Right: Isabella Tree and Charlie Burrell outside the Community Center.

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Left: Isabella signs books following her talk. Right: A crowd eagerly listenings to Isabella’s rewilding advice.

Rewilding | From page 28 of humility,” in which we work more intimately with nature, and not against it. She finished, “Perhaps the most important things we are rewilding are ourselves.” Rewilding, as the Burrells describe it, is not new to Hunt Country. The Virginia State Arboretum in Boyce has several examples open to the public along its 2.4-mile loop nature trail. “The 35 acres in front of the house used to be farmed,” says Jack Monsted, the trail’s assistant curator. “It’s been left alone to become one big native grass meadow.” Other rewilding highlights along the Arboretum trail include a forest of native Virginia white oaks, red maples, and pawpaws, and other, wilder areas along the trail’s southern edge. “Rewilding — preserving some wild spaces as they are and letting native wildlife and plant species return — is one of our main priorities here,” Monsted explains. For Laura Schultz of ReWild NOVA in Haymarket, rewilding is about caring for and rehabilitating animals that have been injured or displaced. “Most of our cases are a result of human encroachment on local habitats. People often think of cars hitting animals, but more often it’s actions like taking down trees, which have larger impacts. Clearing out dead or fallen trees this time of year is problematic for bat populations who are beginning to look for hibernation locations. [It also] destroys flying and gray squirrel nests currently filled with their young.” Isabella, a travel writer, and Charlie, an environmental scientist, had not heard of rewilding when Charlie inherited Knepp, his family’s ancestral farm in west Sussex in 1987. The inheritance

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included a castle, formal garden, croquet lawn, a herd of dairy cattle, and 3,500 acres of degraded clay soil. The couple “tried to make a go of it” as farmers. After 17 years of persistent failures on depleted clay soil, the Burrells were £1.5 million in debt. In 2001, they planted a 350-acre wild grass meadow and brought in grazing deer, hoping to create natural habitats that would eventually replenish the soil and return the landscape to what it had been before it was farmed. On the advice of Dutch biologist Franz Vera, they stopped all agriculture on their estate and reintroduced herbivores — pigs, elk, and horses — in order to “put nature back in the driver’s seat,” Isabella said at the Community Center event. Within months wild grasses sprouted from what had been furrowed fields. After a year they noticed an increase in the number of birds, some of which, like the stork, had not been seen in southern England for centuries. On their regular morning walks, they found that birdsong became louder on the estate than the roar of jet planes flying into Gatwick Airport. After removing fences and drainage ditches (and gaining the cooperation of neighboring farmers), the Burrells saw ponds appear, dry up, and return as the seasons changed. They reintroduced beavers on a stream running through their land, which built dams and created habitats for freshwater fish. “With some difficulty,” Isabella related, she and her husband followed Vera’s advice not to feed, assist, or provide veterinary care to the farm’s new inhabitants. The animals adapted to the landscape, finding their own food and shelter in the brutal winter. Instead of using carnivores

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to limit the herds, the Burrells “assumed the role of apex predators,” deriving a limited source of high-quality beef, pork, and venison. Perhaps spurred by the Burrells’ success, rewilding became so popular in the United Kingdom that the 2022 best-of-show winner at the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show was a rewilded garden, with its own beaver dam and stream. At the Community Center Isabella shared that Knepp is now debt free, generating about £1 million a year in revenue from agritourists who want to see what has become the world’s most celebrated rewilding showcase. Visitors can tour the grounds in safari-style vehicles, take short walking tours, hike, and camp. They can assist in on-going ecological studies, spend the night in a treehouse or “glamping” accommodations, and dine in a restaurant that serves meals from ingredients harvested on the farm. The once-depleted soil is now so rich that a recent survey determined Knepp was absorbing as much carbon as a mature forest. Rewilding, Isabella told the Community Center audience, may be the single best way to reduce greenhouse gasses and reverse the catastrophic effects of climate change. Back in 2018, Isabella wrote a book about the farm’s transformation, incorporating anecdotal and scientific evidence for rewilding’s success. “Wilding: the Return of Nature to a British Farm” became an international bestseller, popularizing what is now a movement that claims, at its heart, that nature can fix the ecological damage wrought by human beings, if human beings would only let it. Her current book, written with Charlie, is a Rewilding | Page 31

guide for those who want to give rewilding a try. Some in Hunt Country have already done so. According to Aldie-based landscape architect and garden designer Fritz Reuter, “It would be difficult to find any large-scale Hunt Country landscaping project in the last 10 years that hasn’t incorporated some kind of rewilding. The key is management. Neglect is not rewilding. You can’t turn your back on nature and expect everything to work out. If you look closely at what the Burrells have done, you see that they didn’t either.” He calls the Burrells “kindred spirits. They have shown that what we have been doing here has merit, not just locally, but on a global scale.” “If you put a plant that’s native to our area in a pot on a balcony,” he continues, “a pollinator will find it. If you leave the seed heads on after it flowers, a bird will eat those and connect you to the wilder natural world around you. Working with nature, rather than just letting things go, is a great way to find joy.” Margrete and Mike Stevens wanted to do precisely that with invasive shrubs and trees at Bonny Brook Farm in Catlett. “We decided to begin this work a couple of years ago,” Margrete says,

“because our tree lines were suffering from being choked and crowded out. … [W]e have established a wildflower meadow and planted, with PEC’s assistance, some 150 native trees along Cedar Run, which traverses our farm. We have also set aside an area of our wetlands to enable us to observe what the seed bank might produce; and we have some 30 acres of woods that are left unencumbered.” Results have been slow, but worth the wait. Margrete says there has been “an increased presence of native wildflowers, from the early spring until well into fall. Our ‘liberated’ trees look much healthier.” Bert Harris, executive director of Warrenton’s Clifton Institute, has recommended the Burrells’ rewilding books to Hunt Country landowners. The books, he says, have “many useful points that can get people motivated to do something important ecologically with their land. It’s one of many ways to understand that you really can work with nature to make things better for [yourself] and [your] neighbors.” Part of the Institute’s mission is to offer Hunt Country landowners what Harris calls “targeted” ways to cope with invasives. “It’s not as simple as just getting over it. We have a lot of invasives in Virginia and there will never be enough time and

Greer’s Antiques GREER’S ANTIQUE CONSERVATION Greer’ s

money to get rid of them all. But we can prioritize which species we can get rid of realistically, clear out a few more and maybe learn to live with others.” Pete Smith called the Clifton Institute three years ago for advice in rewilding his Berryville farm. He says he’s pleased with the results. “Since we’ve pulled out the autumn olive, and put in some native plants, it looks so much better. We have about 25 species of native grasses and plants now. We’ve seen more birds, box turtles, and deer. Marsha and I have the greatest respect for the Burrells. They’ve gotten us to think about what we can do with our land to keep this region strong.” Toward the end of Isabella’s question-and-answer segment, Pat Cassidy stood up and announced that six years ago he tried rewilding most of the 110 acres on his farm. He cited Isabella’s observation that the first thing most rewilders find after a season or two of letting nature take over is an increased presence of birds. “The first thing we noticed was the return of wild turkeys,” he said. “Then the ticks disappeared.” Lady Tree was delighted. “Ticks used to be such a problem for us, too. Now we haven’t seen one at Knepp for 10 years!” ML

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WHERE TO FIND APPLE CIDER DOUGHNUTS IN HUNT COUNTRY Written by Lia Hobel | Photos by Michael Butcher

ith stunning foliage, winding country roads, and no shortage of farm stands, fall in Hunt Country is the perfect time for a road trip. Along the way, we recommend you indulge in a local and seasonal delight: the apple cider doughnut. Luckily, here are our recommendations for where you can find these tasty autumn treats.

GREAT COUNTRY FARMS The 400-acre working farm at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains outside the village of Bluemont has long been a treasured fall spot for families for apple picking and pumpkin patch visits. These autumn outings also call for a visit to Knead Bakery, located at the farm, for those scrumptious apple cider doughnuts. They are made fresh daily. “We have honed our recipe over the years and guests drive from all over to come enjoy them this time of year,” said Kate Zurschmeide, owner of Great Country Farms. The farm does sell out on weekends, so plan to stop at the bakery before heading out for all the fall fun at the farm. Location: 34345 Snickersville Turnpike, Bluemont, VA 20135

THE APPLE HOUSE Located in Linden, Virginia, Apple House is an iconic favorite for its delicious apple butter cinnamon doughnuts and other comfort foods. Made with fresh apples and a blend of warm spices, the Apple House apple cider doughnuts are the epitome of autumn indulgence, and a musttry treat for locals and tourists alike while in the Shenandoah region. What sets these donuts apart is the use of apple cider in the batter, giving them a distinctly sweet and tangy flavor that pairs perfectly with the soft, pillowy texture. Each bite brings a burst of apple goodness, making the Apple House variety truly irresistible. The success of Apple House's apple cider

A Great Country Farms dozen.

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donuts can be attributed to the quality ingredients and attention to detail in their preparation. Whether enjoyed as a morning treat with a cup of coffee or a sweet dessert after a day of fall gatherings, these doughnuts are a taste of autumn that will leave you craving more. Location: 4675 John Marshall Highway, Linden, VA 22642 MARKER-MILLER ORCHARDS With Winchester fondly known as the apple capital of Virginia, you better believe apple cider doughnuts are homemade and top-notch. Marker-Miller Orchards is a beloved apple-picking loDoughnuts | Page 33

Doughnuts | From page 32 cation for visitors near and far for pick-your-own apples and donuts by the dozen or more. Market-Miller uses Rinker’s Apple Cider out of Stephen’s City and mixes it with their apples. The cider is popular in the area for being 100% juice with no added sugar or preservatives. Heather McKay, the manager of Market-Miller, says the doughnuts are baked daily. “The popularity is growing,” she shares, noting that they do sell out, so call ahead during the fall season. Doughnut holes are also offered, as well as gluten-free apple cider doughnuts that are baked rather than fried in their machine. You can find these doughnuts at the Winchester store, as well as Harvest Gap Brewery in Loudoun and at local farmers markets. Location: 3035 Cedar Creek Grade, Winchester, VA 22602 COX FARMS Come for one or for a dozen (we think you’ll choose the latter). Cox Farms in Centreville is also home to fresh apple cider doughnuts — in addition to all the autumn fun to be had. These cinnamon-sugar treats are made with Virginia-made Rinker’s Apple Cider and are fried in batches daily to meet the demand of weekend festival crowds. The autumn festival offers hayrides, pumpkin picking, music, slides, and apple cider doughnuts that are hard to resist. Location: 15621 Braddock Road, Centreville, VA 20120 WEGMEYER FARMS Wegmeyer Farms boasts a large pumpkin patch — and pumpkin pickers can be rewarded with a freshly baked apple cider doughnut once they find the perfect jack-o'-lantern. Although reservations are required for the you-pick pumpkin patches, doughnut seekers can come anytime to one of the farm’s locations to satisfy their apple cider doughnut cravings. Tyler Wegmeyer says the farm started making doughnuts in the spring of 2017 for strawberry season. From there, they began to offer pumpkin and apple cider flavors with a mixture of other classics, like cinnamon sugar and chocolate frosted. Come to the Hamilton location and taste the doughnuts and other pastries being made at the bakeshop. “We love making them for our customers who visit the farm,” Wegmeyer says. Location: 38299 Hughesville Road, Hamilton, VA 20158 WAYSIDE FARM In Clarke County, Wayside Farm is another place for fall amusement — and fresh apple cider doughnuts. In Doughnuts | Page 34

Top: The Apple House. Bottom: An Apple House employee holds up a freshly baked apple cider doughnut.

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Doughnuts | From page 33 fact, they’re made from the same recipe as Wegmeyer Farms, because they’re sister properties and made in their kitchen. In addition to scrumptious fall sweets, Wayside is the place for all things fall family enjoyment, from tractor rides for pumpkin picking, to hog races, corn mazes, farm games, and more. Location: 5273 Harry Byrd Highway, Berryville, VA 22611 The beloved seasonal treat is not limited to these nearby locations. You can find apple cider doughnuts at farm stands, such as Loudounberry in Leesburg, as well as local farmers markets through the autumn season.

Loudounderry in Leesburg is another hot spot for doughnuts.

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The Middleburg Film Festival Recap: Passionate About its Purpose Written by Laticia Headings | Photos by Shannon Finney Photography

very October, film lovers from across the country come to Middleburg to see the year’s biggest and most influential films,

many of which go on to be Oscar contenders. In its 11th year, the Middleburg Film Festi-

val (MFF) continues to grow in popularity and exceed expectations. “It gets better and better,” says Beth Erickson, president and CEO of Visit Loudoun and a MFF board member since its start. “It’s been exciting to see the festival grow,

expand, and almost catch fire in terms of the love everyone who comes back year after year has for it.” A total of 39 films were presented, including documentaries and international features, nine of which are their countries’ official Oscar entries for Best International Feature. The four-day festival kicked off Thursday night with “Rustin,” a Netflix biopic and true story about civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, considered by many to be the architect of the 1963 March on Washington. Rustin actor Colman Domingo (“If Beale Street Could Talk,” “Lincoln,” “The Butler”) was in attendance for a Q&A following the film along with director George C. Wolfe (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Lackawanna Blues”), who reRecap | Page 37

Sheila Johnson presents director George C. Wolfe with the Impact Award.

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Recap | From page 36 ceived the festival’s Impact Award in “recognition of his artistic achievement and determination to shine a long overdue spotlight” on the civil rights leader. On Friday afternoon, Grammy Award-winning film composer and director Michael Giachinno was presented with the Distinguished Composer Award during a concert performance featuring some of his greatest compositions from “The Incredibles,” “The Batman,” “Coco,” “Up,” “Lost,” and the Marvel and Star Trek suites. To bring the music to life, Maestro Kim Allen Kluge conducted the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra. “I was impressed by the audience’s passion for music. They gave us a standing ovation after each of the ten pieces of music,” says Kluge, who works with his wife, Kathryn. “As composers, Kathryn and I have had the great privilege of working with the best in our profession. We draw inspiration from our colleagues and Michael is one of our favorites, so it was a special joy to work with him on this historic concert.” Music is a cornerstone of the festival every year and a lifelong passion for MFF founder and Board Chair Sheila Johnson. Her background as a concert violinist and music teacher has heavily influenced the importance of music in cinema and the spotlight on composers at the festival. The Sheila Johnson Vanguard Award was presented to Kris Bowers (“Greenbook,” “Bridgerton,” “Queen Charlotte”), the Emmy-winning and Grammy-nominated composer whose stellar career has been on the rise since 2011. Bowers is also a filmmaker and has attended MFF several times over the years. He received the award after a screening of his latest documentary, “The Last Repair Shop,” which he co-directed with Ben Proudfoot. Alexander Payne (“The Descendants,” “Election,” “Sideways”) received the Director Spotlight Award. “The Holdovers” was Saturday’s centerpiece film and reunited the director with actor Paul Giamatti after nearly two decades. “It’s my first year here,” says Payne, whose film “Nebraska” played the opening night of the first annual MFF in 2013. “How groovy that this community … [has] access to most of the top films coming out every year and the ability to meet filmmakers, and for filmmakers to meet one another. That’s one of the things I like most about Recap | Page 38

Top: Kris Bowers receiving the Sheila Johnson Vanguard Award. Bottom: Audience members prepare to watch “The Zone of Interest.”

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Recap | From page 37 film festivals. We directors operate in our individual fiefdoms and never really meet one another. It’s so nice meeting other directors here.” The director of “Saltburn,” Emerald Fennell was presented with the Agnes Varda Trailblazing Film Artist Award. Given to a woman filmmaker or actor in recognition of exceptional film and television achievements, the award champions those who serve as a role model for young women in the industry. Fennell, also a writer, producer, and actor, was the first British female director to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director for “Promising Young Woman,” the same film for which she won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. On screen, she can be seen in “Barbie” and “The Crown.” Through its many panels, the festival endeavors to bring attention to unique and, in some cases, lesser-known filmmaking voices. This year, in collaboration with the U.S. State Department through the United States’ flagship film diplomacy program, MFF presented a powerful

panel of five leading Ukrainian filmmakers. The thought-provoking discussion highlighted various cinematic triumphs and struggles in a time when their besieged country finds itself in an agonizing war against Russia. Kateryna Smagliy, First Secretary of Culture and Public Diplomacy at the Ukrainian Embassy, gave opening remarks at the panel. “Filmmakers have been telling Ukraine’s story well before we became independent in 1992. And now we see this very talented generation of new Ukrainian filmmakers who tell of Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty, which has very much been influenced by the events of recent years,” she says. “It’s important [that] the filmmaking industry uses its voice in the right way. We cannot be silent when these atrocities are going on.” While the film festival continues to gain more visibility each year, it has maintained a feeling of intimacy and access that makes it desirable for both filmgoers and filmmakers to attend. “The Middleburg festival has become an important place to be a part of the documentary conversation,” says Will Cohen, producer of National

Ukrainian filmmakers weigh in on a discussion of Ukraine’s cinematic landscape.

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Geographic’s “The Mission,” which follows the story of John Chau, a young missionary, and his death following an attempt to contact the world’s most isolated Indigenous peoples. “It’s also just a pure pleasure, to come together and share stories in this place that’s so connected to its past,” says Cohen. “That’s what made it feel particularly appropriate to screen ‘The Mission’ here, a film in part about how the choices we make in life … are shaped by history and by the stories we each carry with us.” The many unique parts of the festival are what make the whole event distinctive and highly acclaimed. “I truly believe that MFF is unlike any other film festival out there,” says Erickson. “It’s a transformational experience. With each conversation, it builds an instant community where there was not one before.” Kluge and his wife are among the many who will be coming back again next year. “We’re enthralled by it,” he says. “Middleburg’s distinctive and outstanding qualities make it a truly one-ofa-kind community. There is no other place like it!” ML

In Review: “Nyad” Encourages Audiences to Never Give Up Written by Kerry Phelps Dale Photos courtesy of Netflix

“N

yad” is an uplifting and inspiring biopic that tells the story of Diana Nyad (Annette Benning) and her 103-mile, 53-hour swim from Cuba to Key West at the age of 64. When Diana Nyad turns 60, she has to reckon with her age and the perceived limitations that go with growing old. It is the poet Mary Oliver’s line, “Tell me, what it is you plan to do with your one wild and precious life,” that serves as the catalyst for the rebirth of the swimmer. Former athlete turned sports commentator, she yearns to shed the “bystander” role and get back in the water. Ridiculous, her long-time friend Bonnie Stoll (Jodie Foster) tells her. At her age, what is she thinking? Such words and sentiments play throughout the film as gauntlets for Diana. “I don’t believe in imposed limitations. I don’t believe in any limitations.” Diana seeks the approval and support of Bonnie, and thus best friends become athlete and coach and the training commences. The swim must be accomplished without assistance — Diana may not touch the boat and no one may touch her. As part of her unrelenting bravado, she determines to make the swim through the shark-infested and fast-moving water that flows between Cuba and Key West sans shark cage. The movie leads audiences through the harrowing experiences of her multiple attempts,

complete with box jellyfish, storms, threatening sharks, and an allergic reaction to a medication. The swim itself would certainly make for a riveting film (directed by “Free Solo” Academy Award-winning team), but “Nyad” is so much more. It is a story of determination, resilience, and friendship. At times the script could be heavy-handed and clumsy. Mantras spoken over and over by Diana feel like an anthology of inspirational quotes and narcissistic declarations. There are also flashbacks of her swims as a young girl and having been abused by her coach that seem to disrupt the film’s flow. It is the superb performances from Bening and Foster that maintain interest in the endeavor and ultimately inspire celebration. The team effort of the crew is remarkable. Bening is compelling in portraying sheer narcissism peppered with flashes of striking vulnerability, and Foster brilliantly showcases the sense and sensibility of Bonnie. Watching the venerable Bening and Foster on the big screen together playing aging women

who live large is awe-inspiring. Though Bening does the heavy lifting in this film — the training and swimming and holding on to the superego essence of Diana — Foster is equally mesmerizing as the more authentic Bonnie. Both women are magnetic on screen. Rhys Ifans also turns in a superb performance as John, the crusty and brilliant all-important navigator for all five of Diana’s adventures. And though it is the feat of swimming from Cuba to Key West that is the centerpiece to “Nyad,” it is the decades-long friendship of the two women that fuels the film. Diana finally realizes her accomplishment is owing to the incredible dedication of Bonnie, John, and the team. Leaving the film feeling uplifted and inspired, I overheard a 40-something woman say, “I’m just so tired from watching movies.” She might need to see the film a few more times. ML

Top: Annette Benning and Jodi Foster as Diana Nyad and Bonnie Stoll. Bottom: A still of treacherous swim between Cuba and Key West.

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Our Favorite Fall Finds Photos by Callie Broaddus

Brushed Cotton Shirts, $429, Available at Country Classics Pumpkin & Clove Facial Bar, $18, and “Latte for your Botte” Scrub, $42, Available at The Village Blacksmith Wellness Shop

Assorted Chocolates, $12.50, Available at Raymer's Homemade Candies

Sabina Savage Silk Twill Stole Lined with Pure Cashmere, $850, Available at Tully Rector

Wool Hats, $60 each, Available at Lou Lou Boutiques

Fall Books for Kids, $18.99, Available at Middleburg Books

Jen & Co. Vegan Handbag, $48, Available at The Lucky Knot

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Fall Play Set, $75, and Hat, $20, Available at Little Lambkins

& Hunt Country

STAY IN THE KNOW WITH HUNT COUNTRY’S NUMBER ONE MAGAZINE. Subscribe today to get the magazine delivered straight to your door for just $28 a year! SUBSCRIBE HERE

DeeDee Hubbard pictured with Patti Thomas Photo by Joanne Maisano

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We at the Middleburg Life team join the family and friends of DeeDee Hubbard in mourning her passing and celebrating her memory of dedication to this great community. Sunday October 22nd, 2023

YELLOWSTONE COUNTRY N O W AT T H E F E E D S T O R E

7 4 0 8 J O H N M A R S H A L L H W Y, M A R S H A L L , VA > 5 4 0 - 3 6 4 - 1 8 9 1 > T R I C O U N T Y F E E D S . C O M N OV E M B E R 2 0 2 3

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Purcellville Artisan Tour November 4 - 5 | 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. | purcellvilleartisantour.com Check out the Purcellville Artisan Tour for local art, crafts, and wine. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day participating artists will open their doors for visitors to tour the space, purchase art, and ask questions of the artists. For more information and a full list of vendors visit: purcellvilleartisantour.com Veterans Day Comedy Night November 10 | 7 to 8:30 p.m. | wineryatbullrun.com/calendar Join The Winery at Bull Run for an evening of laughs on Friday, November 10, at 7 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m. for pre-show food and wine. Comedic acts will include Robert Mac, Gigi Modrich, and Allan Goodwin, a U.S. Navy Veteran and two-time winner of the World Series of Comedy. In honor

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of Veterans Day, all past and current military will receive 10% off purchases with ID during the show. Tickets are $35 per person with add-on packages available. Veterans Day Remembrance November 11 | 10 to 11 a.m. | marshallvirginia.com Remember those who have served our country on November 11 at the Marshall Cemetery on East Main Street. As the event approaches, more information will be available at marshallvirginia.com/events. Sunday Funday at Lost Barrel November 12 | 12 p.m. | lostbarrel.com On November 12, Lost Barrel’s Sunday Funday will benefit the Land Trust of Virginia. Stop by the brewery for great drinks supporting a good cause, where 10% of beer

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sales go toward the LTV. For more information, visit lostbarrel.com/calendar. Community Thanksgiving Dinner November 16 | 6 to 8 p.m. | middleburgcommunitycenter.com Join The Middleburg Community Center for their 2023 Community Thanksgiving Dinner. Enjoy Thanksgiving with friends, family, and neighbors on Thursday, November 16, from 6 to 8 p.m. The festive menu will contain your most loved Thanksgiving dishes, and a movie will be playing on the big screen to help keep the kids occupied. Admission is $7 and reservations are required through Eventbrite. Gobble Gobble Run or Wobble 5K November 18 | 8 a.m. | facebook.com/gobblegobblerunorwobble Run or walk for a good cause this November Calendar | Page 43

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Calendar | From page 42

in the Eighth Annual Gobble Gobble Run or Wobble 5K in Warrenton. The race will start at 8 a.m in front of the Court House on Main Street. Proceeds from the 5K will help ensure children across Fauquier County have access to all of the opportunities necessary to succeed in school through the Learning Starts Early Fund. More information and registration can be found at findarace.com/us/events/ gobble-gobble-run-or-wobble-5k. Wreath-Making Workshop November 18 | 9:30 to 11 a.m. | naturecomposed.com/classes-workshops Get in the holiday spirit with a wreath-making workshop at Nature Composed. Jenn Pineau will guide participants through the art of garland- and wreath-making from start to finish, working with cutting tools, foliage,

berries, pods, and more. Tickets are $125 per person and can be booked on Eventbrite. Ukulele Lessons – Intermediate Level November 19 | 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. The Marshall Community Center is holding ukulele lessons for teens interested in learning the instrument. This class is a continuation of the beginner level and will build on the basics of technique, rhythm, and chord structure. For more information, visit fauquiercounty.gov/living. “At The Parish House” Concert November 19 | 3 p.m. | emmanuelmiddleburg.org/events-calendar Enjoy the musical stylings of Moon Music as they perform at Emmanuel Episcopal Church’s “At The Parish House” concert series. This Virginia-based band’s setlist in-

cludes selections from their debut album “You’ll Dream About Me” and a variety of traditional folk, rock, and pop songs from the ‘70s to current day. Sunday Sketch at NSLM November 26 | 2 to 4 p.m. | nationalsporting.org Don’t miss November’s Sunday Sketch at the National Sporting Library & Museum. A 15-minute skill session from 2 to 2:15 p.m. will be streamed on Facebook Live, and the in-person guided activity will start at 2:30. Participation is free and RSVP is not required. This is a family-friendly event and all ages are welcome. For questions or to share your interest, contact Julie Banner at JBanner@NationalSporting.org For more Hunt Country events visit MiddleburgLife.com or scan here:

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Finding Finding your your home home in in town town and and country country since since 1939 1939 Our local real estate network has become more powerful than ever, representing exceptional homes in Our local real network has become powerful thanlive ever, representinglives exceptional homes in Hunt Country andestate the DC metro region. We’vemore helped our clients extraordinary by finding properties Hunt Country and the DC metro region. We’ve helped our clients live extraordinary lives by finding properties that fit their unique lifestyles. Connect with us to make your next move. that fit their unique lifestyles. Connect with us to make your next move.

6760 W I L S O N R O A D , MA R S H A L L Listed by &D Peter Pejacsevich 6760 W ILaura L S ONunley N ROA , MA RSHALL

43449 LOS T C OR NER R OA D , LEES B U R G Jackie Wynn 43449 LOS TListed C ORby NER R OA D , LEES B U R G

4 1 1 6 3 S T E L L A RUN L AN E , AL D I E by RUN Lisa Groover 4 1 1 6 3 S TListed ELLA L AN E , AL D I E

Offered at $4,250,000 I 703.795.8667 Listed by Laura Nunley & Peter Pejacsevich Offered at $4,250,000 I 703.795.8667

Offered Listed at $1,699,000 by JackieI 540.454.1452 Wynn Offered at $1,699,000 I 540.454.1452

Offered Listed at $1,600,000 I 703.919.4426 by Lisa Groover Offered at $1,600,000 I 703.919.4426

3 8 914 G O O S E C R E E K L A N E , L E E S BU R G Kaaren 3 8 914 G O OListed S E Cby RE E K L Lofgren A N E , L E E S BU R G

36510 WY NHU R S T C OU R T, M I D D LEB U R G by Scott &T, Kevin 36510 Listed WY NHU R S TBuzzelli C OU R M IChung D D LEB U R G

2 K I RCH E S T RE E T , L O V E T T S V I L L E by Candice 2 K I RCH Listed E S T RE E T , L OBower VETTSVILLE

Offered at $1,550,000 703.862.9194 Listed by KaarenI Lofgren Offered at $1,550,000 I 703.862.9194

Offered $1,399,000 540.454.1399 Listed byatScott BuzzelliI & Kevin Chung Offered at $1,399,000 I 540.454.1399

Offered at $810,000 I 703.623.6605 Listed by Candice Bower Offered at $810,000 I 703.623.6605

McEnearney Associates I Middleburg Real Estate I Atoka Properties McEnearney I Middleburg Estate I Atoka Properties 10 East Washington Street,Associates Middleburg, VA 20117 I Real 10 West Market Street, Leesburg, VA 20176 10 East Washington Street, Middleburg, VA 20117 I 10 West Market Street, Leesburg, VA 20176 MiddleburgRealEstate.com I Tel. 540.687.5490 I Tel. 540.687.6321 I @middleburgrealestate MiddleburgRealEstate.com I Tel. 540.687.5490 I Tel.I Middleburg 540.687.6321 I @middleburgrealestate Ashburn I Charles Town I Leesburg I Purcellville Ashburn I Charles Town I Leesburg I Middleburg I Purcellville Alexandria I North Arlington I Clarendon I Kensington I McLean I Spring Valley I Vienna I 14th Street I Equal Housing Opportunity Alexandria I North Arlington I Clarendon I Kensington I McLean I Spring Valley I Vienna I 14th Street I Equal Housing Opportunity