Melvin Warner Has a Special Touch With Horses Story and photos by Tiffany Dillon Keen
M
elvin Warner, known as “Dude” to one and all, turned 101 years old on November 14. To say he’s seen it all around these pretty parts of the Virginia Piedmont would be the understatement of the century-plus one he’s been living in the Middleburg area. Born in Loudoun County at Newstead farm in Upperville in 1920, he was one of five children of Baron Warner and Elizabeth Page. He started riding horses sitting behind his father and holding on at age seven while his dad followed the hunt on horseback. During World War II, Mr. Warner served in the Army Quartermasters Corps, seeing action at various times in France, Germany, England and Switzerland from 1942-1945. He was cited for bravery and at one point, was listed as missing in action before eventually rejoining his unit. Not long after he returned from Europe, Mr. Warner began working as a groom in 1947 for the late Mrs. Theo Ayer Randolph and her late husband, Dr. A. C. Randolph. The Randolphs lived at Oakley, adjacent to the Upperville Horse Show grounds. An accomplished horsewoman, Mrs. Randolph was considered a grand sportswoman and served as president of the Upperville Colt & Horse Show, Master of the Piedmont Fox Hounds, and bred many
Jeff Warner with his father Dude Warner. award-winning show horses. Mr. Warner, who still works for the Randolphs grandson, Shelby Bonnie, began exercising horses in the hunter barn for Mrs. Randolph. They hunted
on Tuesday and Friday with Piedmont as well as Middleburg and Orange County, sometimes going out five to seven times a week. He often would hilltop green horses off the track
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