By Julie Reardon As tailgating and horse sports season gets into full swing, we thought we’d be remiss in not offering a field guide to help you identify the real horse people of the Blue Ridge. You never know when it will come in handy to discern real from fake when the actual subject of horses comes up, whether local or prime time nationally known events like the Triple Crown races. Who is a real horseman and who is just an armchair expert? You’ve probably been subjected to the “experts” stating how a jockey should’ve ridden a race, what the trainer should have done differently and how the mounted outriders should do their jobs. There’s nothing like the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness stakes with their longevity and high national visibility to bring the wanna be and the fakes out of their armchairs and onto your social media and into casual conversations. Those are not real horse people. Seeing them in real life makes it a bit easier to identify horse people. That’s because social media offers the wannabe horse person a chance to create a whole fake persona. Although fashion goes through cycles, currently it’s trending back to old school prep that always had a heavy equestrian influence: tweed hacking jackets, waxed Barbour raincoats, and polo shirts, so becoming a horse person is fashionable too and a way to pretend you’re classy old money even if it’s all new money or even no money at all. Online, many offer themselves up as “horse people” even if the sum total of their experience is riding lessons at summer camp many years ago. In real life, horse people may look well put together at first glance at a dressier event but you can usually spy one of their trademarks: dirty muck…
By Julie Reardon Kentucky may have its Derby and celebrities preening for national news in their party hats sipping mint juleps, but in Virginia, the first Saturday in May has always been about the Virginia Gold Cup. And the hats are just as fine. With Virginia’s only flat track open for its boutique summer season, Virginia’s love affair with horses runs longer and deeper than Kentucky’s. We’re starting to produce some decent whiskey locally and young girls still hope to find a pony under the Christmas tree, so the cowboy ballad by the legendary Tom T. Hall about older whiskey, younger women and faster horses could have been written about our state. Kentucky’s famous horse race, first run in 1875, may be the country’s best-known equestrian event, but George Washington was hunting hounds here in Virginia and colonials were racing horses before Kentucky was even settled. And here in suburban Northern Virginia, the Kentucky Derby is held on Gold Cup day, not the reverse. On Saturday May 6th, the Derby will have to share top billing with the Virginia Gold Cup steeplechase race meet, held at Great Meadow, The Plains, VA. Fast Horses With crowds of over 40,000 in attendance, the Gold Cup is to Washington D.C. what the Derby is to Kentucky: a premiere social and sporting events. Arrangements and tailgating parties are planned months, even years, in advance; prime tailgating and railside boxes are often passed down in wills. Good ones are usually sold out long before race day. You can, however, still get general admission tickets up until race day starting at $100 for a car pass that admits 6 by contacting http://www.VAGOLDCUP.com or calling 540-347-2612. If you have been invited to a party on Members Hill, there is a dress code you’re expected to adhere to,…
By Julie Reardon Let’s admit it, we all love to peek through the closed doors and through the windows and walled gardens of others, especially the wealthy. There’s a bit of voyeurism in all of us, and online pictures and videos just aren’t the same as immersing ourselves in these private gardens rarely open to the general public. Even if you’re not a gardener, Historic Garden Week in Virginia April 15 – 22 this year, offers a rare chance to visit some of the area’s loveliest estates during a time when they’re all dressed up in spring colors. Historic Garden Week is a statewide event, and the only statewide event of its kind in the country; this is the 90th year it’s been held. It’s sponsored by the Garden Club of Virginia and its local chapters. During this special week in April, 250 of the most beautiful gardens, homes and historic landmarks statewide will be open during “America’s Largest Open House.” This 8-day event provides visitors a unique opportunity to see unforgettable gardens at the peak of Virginia’s springtime color, as well as beautiful houses and historic sites sparkling with over 2,000 flower arrangements created by Garden Club of Virginia members. In the hunt country of the northern Blue Ridge, take in some or all of the homes open on several different tours scheduled for April 15 – 22. Beginning on Saturday April 15th homes in Warren County near Front Royal will be open for the tour, the same day as Alexandria’s homes are open. Skip to Wednesday the 19th and visit the open houses of the Warrenton garden club in and around that town in Fauquier County. On Thursday and Friday April 20-21 homes in the Middleburg area open their doors and gardens for you, and on Saturday the…
By Julie Reardon Point to point season kicks off this month in the Blue Ridge! Our mild winter, balmy spring days in January and February bode well for the spring point to point and steeplechase season here in the Blue Ridge hunt country. And, there’s no better cure for a little cabin fever than taking in some world class racing action over fences just an hour from Washington D.C. It all starts Saturday, March 4 with on the circuit’s newest course in rural Culpeper County hosting the Rappahannock Hunt Point to Point Races. Rappahannock Hunt’s races have long been a favorite fixture on the early spring circuit but had a 12 year hiatus searching for a new course until 2020 when the new location opened for business. And it may be the circuit’s prettiest course, located in the shadow of some of the best Blue Ridge views around in Boston, Va., at the Hill Farm. The Rappahannock Hunt season opener is already a winner with both fans and horsemen, not only for the views but the careful attention paid to making the course and grounds inviting for both horses and people. The Hill Farm has a long history of hosting fox hunts and not surprisingly, hunting owner Larry Levy has also trained and ridden races. It’s near the Culpeper/Rappahannock county line about halfway between Culpeper and Sperryville. Officials report due to its instant popularity, reserved railside party spots are selling briskly but it still remains one of the best general admission viewing course and starting at $10, is a bargain. Gates open at 10 am on March 4th (rain date March 11) for the first race at noon. For up to the minute details visit the hunt’s website at http://www.RappahannockHunt.com or their Facebook page. The next race on the schedule…
By Julie Reardon When you tell people you don’t have cell service and your internet is too slow to stream, do zoom calls or even watch videos, they’ll look at you like you just admitted that you don’t have running water or electricity. Yet here in much of Fauquier and Western Loudoun Counties, within 45 to 60 miles of the White House, that is the case for much of the population. This is shameful—both Loudoun and Fauquier are wealthy counties. Of Virginia’s 130+ county and city jurisdictions, Loudoun with its 415,000 residents is the 4th most populated and ranks 5th in per capita income. But most of that growth and population is east of Leesburg and unlike the western half, is well served by internet and cell service. Fauquier is more sparsely populated with just over 72,000 residents and ranks 29th in population size but 7th in per capita income. Long time readers of my column might recognize my description of the abysmal lack of internet and cell service where I live in northwestern Fauquier from a story I wrote about the topic seven or eight years ago. Well here it is, early in 2023 and little has progressed. Instead, local officials have raked in grant and federal money to study the problem of the lack of internet access much of Fauquier County. I’ve done my part; 4 years ago I entered into negotiations with a company that builds and maintains cell towers and leases space to providers. They broke ground early last year. Completed in July of last year—seven months ago—it sits uselessly as the county debates who gets the choicest equipment locations. I also have a metal temporary broadband tower next to it. I tell people if you squint you can pretend it’s the Eiffel towner, but it’s…
By Julie Reardon “How can you call yourself a horse lover and be in favor of killing horses for food?” This is a typical reaction that I and other horsemen in the Blue Ridge get when asked why we’re not outraged that horses are still being slaughtered for food. The Blue Ridge Mountains did not ring with roars of outrage, nor did hunt country residents lock arms and march en masse across the river when President Obama quietly signed into law the bill that lifted the U.S. Ban on domestic horse slaughter in 2011, but 11 years later, there are still no places in this country that will process horses so those sent to slaughter are trucked to Mexico or Canada. Often a lengthy and cruel trip, to processing plants without the humane safeguards and regulations that this country requires. An emotion-fraught topic for horse lovers, horse slaughter was once an option, albeit not a popular one, for owners of animals that could not otherwise be rehomed. Like the general public, Virginia’s horsemen and women are squeamish about the thought of eating horses for food, but unlike those that have never lived with and cared for them, most tend to take a more pragmatic view on what’s viewed as a necessary evil. A dead horse is like the 800-pound gorilla in the room—it’s there, but no one wants to look or even acknowledge how difficult it is to deal with. A dead horse is large, and it’s not easy to move. Many places forbid burying them, most landfills will not take them, and cremation is expensive and not readily available. Horsemen predicted the disastrous unintended consequences when the ban on slaughter went in force in 2006. By 2007, the last three slaughterhouses that processed horses in the U.S. closed their…
By Julie Reardon This is the time of year where it’s easy to get numbed by the social media photos, memes and praise of the tight knit, perfect family so full of love for each other and clearly enjoying togetherness during the holidays. There they are, smiling at you from their air brushed faces in their elegant duds in front of the perfect Christmas tree, decorated in the latest fashion and surrounded by an embarrassment of gifts that are all, no doubt, selected with love. You’d think no one in the country has ever had a Christmas or any holiday ruined by that epic melt down or that family member who manages to steal the joy from any family occasion with regularity. You’d be wrong—and you’d be missing some of the funniest Christmas stories ever. Most horrible and inappropriate holiday behavior is usually over a breach of a long held and sacred family tradition and/or fueled by alcohol, or even lack of it. Some tales are hushed up and never spoken of again, but the best ones become laughable and brought up regularly for years until achieving legend status. One friend relates the story of how certain members of her family got around her devout grandparents’ objection to alcohol being served during holidays at their farm. A daughter’s new husband announced he thought he’d seen a snake out by where the cars were parked, so he thought he (and his flask) had better go check it out. He was followed by his brother-in-law and thereafter, checking for snakes became code for “let’s go out and share a flask”. My own sisters and I started a mean little tradition of our own while still children. Our mother, bless her heart, had very strict protocols for gift opening. We were never allowed,…
By Julie Reardon Once upon a time, a person’s word was as good as his signature on a contract, or clicking an acceptance box on a computer screen. Especially in rural communities, most goods and services changed hands without any formal agreements and disputes rarely ended up in court. Truthfully, we’ve probably all conducted business with no formal written agreement and as long as the parties to the deal are honorable, no contract was needed. Indeed, many animals from livestock, to horses, dogs and cats are sold or adopted without them and yes, adoption is essentially a sale since money almost always changes hands, whether it’s euphemistically called an adoption fee or a donation. Should you have a contract when you buy or sell an animal? For practical reasons, they offer protection to both buyer and seller because animals are property and most disputes that end up in court are essentially property or payment disputes. A contract need not be in writing; courts have ruled that oral agreements are enforceable and any contract must have the three major components: offer, acceptance and consideration. Having it in writing provides better protection for all parties as if an oral agreement results in a dispute it can lead to a he said/she said impasse that becomes harder to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. With the purchase of an animal, whether dog, cat, horse or livestock, it’s imperative to research and learn about the person and the animals they breed and/or sell and find out if their philosophy aligns with what you want. From a chicken you plan to add to your flock that you expect to be free of contagious diseases, to a proven show horse that allows you to compete at a high level, you will rely on trust. Sadly, some people…
By Julie Reardon October’s bright blue skies, moderate temperatures and brilliant colors make it the ideal month to plan a day trip to the Blue Ridge for leaf peeping and more. Many annual festivals and events that have not been held for the past two years because of the pandemic restrictions are now back and open for you to enjoy. Orlean Day is Saturday, October 8th this year at the Orlean Market and Pub, 6855 Leeds Manor Rd., Marshall (it is actually 10 miles south of the actual town of Marshall). This historic country store/restaurant/gas station is the heart of the pretty little village in the foothills overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains and is host to Orlean Day, a free, family friendly event with activities for children and adults alike. There will be face painting and a bouncy castle for the little ones and a fitness obstacle course for both children and adults. Live music will play all day and good food will be available onsite. For those who enjoy steeplechasing, there are three good ones to attend this fall locally. The Virginia Fall Races will be held this year on Saturday, October 8 at Glenwood Park in Middleburg. Gates open early for the fox hunter championship finals and post time for the first race is at 1 pm. More information is at vafallraces.com On October 22, The International Gold Cup races will be held at Great Meadow in The Plains; advance ticket sales and information can be found at VaGoldCup.com . The racing season closes on November 5th with the Montpelier Races held at the lovely and historic Montpelier estate near Gordonsville. MontpelierRaces.org has details. Advance purchase of tickets is strongly recommended, visit the websites for more information. Another popular event is the Fauquier Farm Tour, scheduled this year…
By Meg Mullery On a beautiful autumn evening last September, Sprout Therapeutic Riding & Education Center in Aldie, Virginia, hosted a gala celebrating Sprout’s Tenth Anniversary. While these kinds of formal events are not unusual in the D.C. area, this one was far from your typical black-tie soiree. Guests entered the event, which took place in Sprout’s riding facility, through a line of stalls that housed a welcoming committee of very excited ponies and horses with heads sticking out hoping for pats or treats. This led to the large indoor riding ring magically transformed into an elegant venue with chandeliers, loads of twinkle lights, large potted palms, dining tables, a dance floor and live music. After cocktails and dinner, the time came to introduce the guest of honor. A Sprout staffer wearing a stunning gown led a large horse named Duke into the event to a standing ovation. Duke was recognized for his many years of patient lesson service and continuing to prove there is a transformative connection between human and horse. Duke is just one of the 18 uniquely trained horses that give hope and confidence to students at Sprout. And then it was time to dance. And dance they did. Party-goers of all abilities crowded onto the floor. If one were to create a tableau that captured the spirit and vision of Sprout, the gala would serve as the model. Sprout encourages and embraces friendship, fun, and community. Each week, Sprout serves nearly 185 individuals ranging in age from a one-year-old diagnosed with spinal muscle atrophy, to a thirty-year-old survivor of a traumatic brain injury, to an eighty-year-old with advancing physical and mental deterioration. Since Sprout began operations in 2011 its programs have expanded to include adaptive riding/driving; equine supported therapies; community lessons; equine assisted learning; competition; and…
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