Middleburg Life Oct. 2011

Middleburg Life OCTOBER 2011

PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID BURKE, VA PERMIT NO. 44

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Volume 33 Issue 7 October 2011 www.middleburglife.net

Virginia Fall Races

Jeff Murphy rides Aero to victory in the National Sporting Library/Chronicle Cup. Photo By Douglas Lees

See More Photos, Page 20.

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OCTOBER 2011 Middleburg Life

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Middleburg Life OCTOBER 2011

Middleburg Library Gears Up For Long-Planned Expansion

By Margaret Morton Staff Writer “It’s amazing, truly amazing.” That was the reaction of Middleburg Library Manager Sheila Whetzel as she contemplated the progress of the effort to double the size of the county public library system’s smallest branch from 2,100 square feet to 4,200 square feet.

She has long experience in the difficulties entailed in trying to serve a growing readership base with increasingly diverse needs in a too small space, having been the branch library manager since 1990.

After years of trying to accommodate their faithful reading clientele in its current quarters while hoping for larger space, Whetzel and her staff are delighted to see the beginning of the light at the end of the tunnel as the project enters the permitting process and gears up a fundraising campaign for the final, construction phase.

The whole project is being masterminded by the affable and energetic president of the Middleburg Library Advisory Board, Denis Cotter. With his able team of Jeff Baldwin, Mike Morency and Marc Leepson, the four men act as a building subcommittee of the advisory board.

The long months of gaining resolutions of support from various entities, planning, hiring an architect and an engineer, entering into a memorandum of understanding with the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and working with Loudoun County Public Library administration are coming to an end as Cotter prepares to go before the Town of Middleburg to gain needed permits. With those approvals in hand, plus a county building permit and a construction bid award, Cotter and his committee can open the fundraising campaign.

In a recent interview, Cotter outlined progress of the project to date. After a public bid process, the advisory board hired Bill Turnure, of Middleburg-based Turnure Architecture, to be the project’s principal partner, in conjunction with fellow architect Tim Clites, of Clites Architecture. “They were local, independent architects who both wanted to do the job and were very involved in the community, so they decided to combine forces,” Cotter said. In September, the Board of Supervisors gave its formal approval of the gift agreement between the Middleburg Library Advisory Committee and the county.

Turnure said an approximate timeline envisions receiving the town Planning Commission and Historic District Review Committee approvals this fall, then completing construction drawings by the end of the

year. “I hope by May or June 2012 to break ground,” he said. Construction should take six to seven months, with opening of the expanded space early in 2013.

The original library was “done very well,” Turnure said, noting it fits with the adjacent community center, so there are plenty of architectural features to carry through in the new design. At the same time, there is a form change to the building involving shoehorning all the new features into the new space. “We want it to have its own personality, but tie into the existing building as closely as possible,” Turnure said. Cotter agreed. “We all want to make sure [the expanded library] is cohesive between the old and the new, and has good sight lines.”

The addition will provide a much-needed meeting room, a separate teen and children’s area, new shelving, new equipment and more space for staff. There also will have to be new systems to tie into the existing systems. The team has met with Town Zoning Administrator David Beniamino in several preliminary meetings, and the first application will come before the HDRC Oct.6. The site plan and special use permit to build in a residential area applications will be submitted simultaneously later.

The building committee has met with the architects, public library system Director Chang Liu and Whetzel over the summer to discuss the plans to expand the library to 4,200 square feet.

“It will be modeled on the size of Lovettsville, but it won’t look like Lovettsville’s library,” Cotter said. One specific advantage is that Whetzel temporarily managed the expanded Lovettsville Library, so she knows what works and what doesn’t work in a library of that size, he said.

One statistic that fascinates Cotter: The planned Gum Spring Library in Dulles South will be 40,000 square feet, with 80,000 items. An ardent supporter of the town’s library, Cotter slyly noted current statistics for Middleburg’s tiny library show that at around 16,000 items, it already has many more items per square foot than its larger sister.

“It gives it that cluttered look,” he said.

That’s a look Whetzel and her staff will be happy to lessen. Space is a big problem. Currently, it looks like “a large living room,” Assistant Librarian Lew Prillaman said, noting everything has to be done in that one space. “We’re a very active library. We get a lot of children, and the space is divided only visually. The additional space will help make it more flexible and usable for users with difContinued On Page 12

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OCTOBER 2011 Middleburg Life

Generations Celebrate As Middleburg Elementary Turns 100 Danielle Nadler Staff Writer The campus of Middleburg Elementary School burst with former students, teachers and principals Sept. 24. They played oldfashioned games, munched on barbecue and cotton candy, and, mostly, reminisced.

After all, there was much to be celebrated. This year marks the school’s 100th year, and the weekend’s Centennial Celebration reflected on the school’s history of education.

Former students, some now in their 70s and 80s, walked through the school’s main hallway that was peppered with old class photos and other aging memorabilia.

They pointed and smiled as they looked back at their classmates and teachers over the decades.

“Look at Jimmy. Wow,” one man said, pointing to a photograph from the 1960s.

Everyone had their stories about attending or working at Middleburg Elementary School.

“I spent a lot of time in the principal’s office,” admitted 33-year-old Derek Smith, who attended Middleburg from kindergarten through fifth grade. His father, Wayde Smith, Continued On Page 8

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Staff writers: Margaret Morton, Erika Jacobson Moore, Danielle Nadler Contributing writer: Lauren R. Giannini Columnists: Susan Byrne, Kay F. Colgan, Marcia Woolman, Kim Trapper, Judy Sheenhan.

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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 Middleburg, Upperville, Aldie, Millwood, The Plains, Rectortown, Delaplane, Paris, Boyce, Leesburg, Marshall and Warrenton.

Mary Lee Phelps, former student, teacher and principal at Middleburg Elementary School, is greeted by father and son Wayde Smith and Derek Smith, both former students, at the school’s Centennial Celebration Sept. 24.

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1888 – The original school, called the Stove Pipe Academy, was built. The primary grades were housed on the second floor and the upper graders on the first floor. An addition was later built on the back of the building to house the high school. The first high school classes were organized around 1908.

1911 – A new brick building with a hewn stone foundation was built in downtown Middleburg. The school had a circular stained glass window and a prominent bell tower. The wooden floors of the building were oiled regularly to withstand the water, snow and mud that were often tracked in from the boots of children.

1927 – An auditorium with a stage, two small rooms and student bathrooms were added to the building.

1934 – Middleburg high school stu-

dents are moved to attend Aldie High School until Loudoun County High School opened in 1954.

1960 – Due to overcrowding, an addition is added to the front of the school.

The addition included four classrooms, two new offices, storage room and student restrooms.

1967 – Loudoun County is forced to integrate schools, and several African-Americans enrolled in Middleburg School.

1971 – Middleburg sixth- through eighth-grade students are moved to attend the new Leesburg Middle School.

1975 – Kindergarten classes are established throughout Loudoun County.

Courtesy of Mary Lee Phelps

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Middleburg Life OCTOBER 2011

MARY ANN MCGOWAN (540) 687-5523 PEAKEWOOD PHARM

MIDDLEBURG ESTATE

FOXMOUNT FARM

Elegant 12 room manor presides over manicured lawns, flagstone terraces and brilliant perennial gardens Encompassing over 104 acres of verdant, board fenced pastures, lush woodlands and a picturesque spring fed pond Magnificent estate offers privacy Historic stone walls 2 center aisle stables, a state of the art riding ring, two stunning apartments and a charming three bedroom Guest House. $7,995,000

Magnificent Estate on 100 Acres in a spectacular setting.

The stone house boasts 22 elegant rooms, 9 fireplaces, high ceilings, all superbly detailed and beautifully appointed. Brilliant gardents surround the heated pool.

Fabulous 11 stall stone stable with 2 staff apartments.

Riding ring, green house all in pristine condition. Additional acreage is available.

Priced at $12,000,000

WHIRLWIND

Extraordinary equestrian estate approximately 186 acres Contemporary residence and extensive dependenciesParklike setting, fabulous mountain views Minutes to Middleburg Gorgeous stone and frame 12 Stall Stable 3 Tenant Houses 2 Stone Guest Cottages Stable Apartment Indoor Schooling Ring Riding Ring Polo FieldHuge Equipment building and Workshop $5,600,000

LOCUST GROVE Fabulous 250 acre farm Beautiful stone Main Residence meticulously updated and restored Charming Log Guest Cabin and separate Studio or Office Newer Barn with Run-in area Separate Apartment All in pristine condition Gorgeous views in a very protected area In Conservation Easement. $3,800,000

Exquisite country French manor with over 9000 sq. ft. of spectacular living space on over 55 gorgeous acres just minutes from town Grandly scaled rooms  Extraordinary detail The finest quality  Beautifully decorated  Impeccably maintained  Includes fabulous pool surrounded by terraces and brilliant gardens  Fabulus apartment over three bay carriage house Ideal for horses $4,675,000

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ATOKA CHASE-MIDDLEBURG Stunning 5 Bedroom Cape on 10 gorgeous acres. Wonderful floorplan, sun filled rooms, high ceilings & hardwood floors.

Living & dining rooms open to fabulous gardens, pool & terrace. Master suite with sitting room, gourmet country kitchen opens to breakfast & family rooms. 2nd level has 3 bedrooms and 2 Baths; Seperate Office/Guest Suite over 3 car garage. $2,495,000

Spectacular 17 room custom brick Colonial boasting over 10,000 Sq Ft. of living space on a private lane  25 gorgeous acres Palladian windows  Wood floorsGrandly scaled rooms with high ceilings Extordinary quality throughout Fabulous pool surrounded by flagstone terraces Brilliant gardens Board fenced paddocks Ideal for horses.

Minutes to Middleburg $2,750,000

GRYPHON HILL

WESTWOOD-MIDDLEBURG

Elegant 12 room Residence on 7+ acres with barn and paddocks in a beautiful country setting. Completely renovated with impecable taste and extraordinary craftmanship, with 3 finished levels. Sun-filled and charming rooms, this exquisite home enjoys gorgeous mountain views and is ideal for gracious entertaining. Private and only 5 minutes to the village of Middleburg. $1,875,000

10 beautifully landscaped private acres in prestigious "Atoka Chase" Completely remodeled, expanded and exquisitely decorated Features a New Kitchen and Baths, New Siding, New Roof, All New Utilities, New Decks and Porches, Terraces and Brilliant Perennial Gardens Gated Entrance and Board Fenced Paddocks, plus a Run-In Shed for the equestrian, with trails for ride-out. $1,625,000

ON THE ROCKS

SPRING HOUSE

Fantastic one level residence on a private, fenced 1/3 acre parcel and “in town” location Totally renovated with brand new Kitchen, 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths, new floor plan, French doors to terrace and exquisite perennial gardens Spacious rooms are ideal for entertaining Skylights, new windows and multiple French doors add light and warmth Sun lit rooms Beautiful decor! $949,900

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Gracious antique colonial (circa 1914) on a beautiful 1+ acre parcel on prestigious Foxcroft Road Towering Trees, Mature Landscaping, Brilliant Gardens Surround the Fieldstone Terraces Gleaming Wood Floors, Stone Fireplaces, and Custom Built-In Cabinetry Master Suite features “His and Her” Baths with ample Closets Sunroom boasts Stone Flooring and overlooks Pastoral Views. $732,000

Elegant English Manor House beautifully sited on approximately 50 acres of magnificent woodlands Spectacular views and total privacy Built with superior quality and craftsmanship, superbly detailed moldings 5 Fireplaces Gleaming Wood Floors Mahogany paneled Library and French doors opening to the flagstone verandah Wine Cellar 14’ ceilings Detached 3 Bay Carriage House.

$3,000,000

TUCKAHOE Exquisite “Williamsburg” colonial on approximately 20 park-like acres in the Piedmont Hunt Territory Almost 9,000 square feet of spectacular living space, beautiful historic detail, gorgeous décor and pristine condition Brilliant gardens and flagstone terraces surround the pool Breathtaking mountain views and spring fed pond add to this idyllic setting. $2,450,000

PLUM GROVE A historic 10 acre farm circa 1787, beautifully sited in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains Gracious Manor House, recently updated 3 levels, 5 Bedrooms Guest House Log Cabin 3 Bay Garage and Storage Building Stocked Pond and Magnificent Views Additional acreage available. $1,500,000

POPLAR ROW Charming country home has been completely renovated with new Kitchen, Baths, Flooring, Plumbing, and Electric Located at the end of a quiet lane in the heart of Upperville on a beautiful 1 acre parcel Property boasts towering trees and an inground pool Great Room has vaulted 2 Story-Ceilings, Brick Fireplace, Hardwood Floors, and opens to the Deck and Spa! $445,000

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OCTOBER 2011 Middleburg Life

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Middleburg Life OCTOBER 2011

Marshall Center Highlights Norwegian Connection During Fundraiser

By Lauren R. Giannini For Middleburg Life History lives in Loudoun County, right in the heart of Leesburg itself, thanks to people like General George C. Marshall, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953. Marshall’s European Recovery Plan provided valuable assistance and aid to post-war Europe even though it was met with great opposition from several countries. One of its goals, after all, was to combat the spread of communism.

Marshall, Chief of Staff of the Army from 1939 to 1945, became one of our most important soldiers. He foresaw the need for military readiness before the attack on Pearl Harbor and in its aftermath built the army of more than eight million soldiers that contributed greatly to the Allied Victory in World War II. He resigned his post when the war ended in 1945, but he continued to serve his country and its people.

The former five-star general’s talent for diplomacy came in handy during his term as acting Secretary of State from 1947-1949 when the Marshall Plan, as it is familiarly known, began its work of helping Europe to rebuild.

Today, peace and international cooperation continue to underscore the programs supported by the George C. Marshall International Center at Dodona Manor. The general’s Leesburg residence has been fully restored, but it stands as much more than a historical landmark. By conducting various educational programs, it serves as a functional tribute to the distinguished statesman, soldier and humanitarian.

“Our mission is to promote George Marshall’s legacy of peace and international cooperation,” Patricia Daly, executive director of the Marshall Center, said. “His house is a historic museum and landmark. The restoration of the property was completed in 2005, and we preserve and maintain it. We conduct tours. In our view, our most important contribution to the community is our educational program.”

The Marshall Immersion Workshop gathered teachers from throughout America, Austria, Germany and Norway for two weeks during the summer. The Student Partnership Exchange Program provides funding to help Loudoun students and two teachers who will visit Germany from Nov. 18 to Dec. 3. The exchange program works both ways.

“Our Teacher Immersion Workshop is free,” Daly said. “We’re in the middle of our exchange program. We have 20 students from

Germany and two from Austria, living with host families for two weeks and experiencing our culture. We’re about to send 15 Loudoun students to Germany for a cultural immersion experience. Supporting the Marshall Center through participation as a sponsor or attending the benefit allows us to expand our program into other Marshall Plan countries.

The programs broaden the knowledge base for both teachers and students. We think that with these cultural exchanges future leaders of foreign countries will be more successful in terms of global harmony.”

Nov. 12, the annual fundraiser continues Marshall’s legacy of peace when “An Evening At The Marshalls” begins at 7 p.m. at Dodona Manor. Tickets must be purchased in advance, but everyone is invited. The dress code is cocktail attire.

“What Dodona offers is invaluable and everyone ought to know what it is, what programs we offer and why it’s so important to support the Marshall Center,” Catherine Patton, co-chair of this year’s fundraiser, said.

“Come to the benefit, have a lot of fun and learn why Marshall is such a great American and why everyone should know and appreciate what he did. It’s huge what the Marshall Plan has meant for the western world.”

This year’s theme highlights Norway, which was a Marshall Plan recipient. The honorary chair for the event is Norwegian Ambassador to the United States Wegger Christian Strommen. Benefit guests will enjoy a buffet of Norwegian cuisine and wine tastings, as well as the holiday gift shop, raffles, a live auction, and dancing to the Martinsburg Jazz Orchestra.

In addition to regular benefit tickets, anyone wishing to provide more to support the Marshall International Center can subscribe to the Patrons’ Reception that begins at 6 p.m. Guests will have the opportunity to meet Strommen, enjoy hors d’oeuvres and wine, and experience the beauty of Marshall’s fully restored home. Patron tickets include admission to the annual benefit that begins outside at 7 p.m. under the big tent.

RSVP and purchase tickets by Oct. 15 for the early bird prices: $85 per person for the benefit ($100 after 10/15) and $150 for combined patron reception and benefit ticket ($200 after 10/15). To make your arrangements to attend email benefit@georgecmarshall.org or call 703-777-1301.

For more information, visit www. georgecmarshall.org.

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OCTOBER 2011 Middleburg Life

Middleburg Montessori Stays Outside The Box development that someday I would love to own a Montessori school, because that’s really the approach to developing lifetime learners that I wanted to be part of. I wanted to create an environment that all children could experience.”

The school still is relatively small with fewer than 50 students, but its popularity continues to grow as children mainstream into private and public schools and interact with their peers. After all, their Montessori experience has stimulated curiosity, motivation and spontaneous self-development.

Learning for the sake of learning is like a game of mental leapfrog: you can’t delve into this without taking a leap into that.

There’s no better source of information than someone who has “been there, done that” and it was easy enough to enlist Slater’s help to talk to her daughters.

CatiAdele, now 12, spent from the age of 2 to 6 at Middleburg Montessori. Her mother asked the big question: How had Montessori made her different from her friends in the way they approached the daily reality of school?

Middleburg Montessori’s owner/director BethAnn Slater and Erin “CatiAdele said show off one of the silent auction items. Photo by Lauren R Giannini that she felt an excitement about learning,” helped this school to meet its goal. reported Slater, who had taken notes. “She said Making Montessori available to the com- she always wondered why her friends would munity is as important as its basic learning phi- say ‘Why do we have to do this?’ CatiAdele losophy, which includes respect for the child, said she would answer, ‘but it’s so fun, we development of intrinsic curiosity, and recog- should do it.’ She thought it was about attinizing the natural interests of children while tude. Instead being like her friends and saying nurturing self-confidence, independence, and ‘Do we have to do all of that?’ CatiAdele would concentration. Of course, there’s more to it say, ‘Oh yes, then we could also do blah blah than that, but it all comes down to self-motiva- and blah.’ That’s a big difference because of tion as each individual in the classroom learns Montessori.” differently at a different pace. Montessori Slater’s 16-year-old daughter, MegAnn, removes the learning experience from the box, recalled the actual concrete work. She attended so to speak, and creatively turns that box into Montessori for only three years, until she was an educational toy. Children do tend to live 5. what they learn.

“Montessori has a binomial and a trino “I attended a Montessori school in George- mial cube in the primary [youngest program] town when I was three,” BethAnn Slater, the and a pink tower,” Slater recalled. “MegAnn owner and director of Middleburg Montessori, said that she felt like she took the pictures in said. “It was something that my mom actually her mind, so that math and geometry came researched and gave to me. I knew when I did really easily to her and she didn’t know why, my undergraduate work in early childhood but thought it might be from her preschool

By Lauren R. Giannini For Middleburg Life Middleburg Montessori School offered a taste of India during its third annual community scholarship fundraiser, the Fall Festival Family Fun Night held Sept. 17. Indian cuisine, silent auction, moon bounce, crafts from India and henna art were featured and kids of all ages had a great time, and a spirit of giving

time in Montessori.”

Slater’s youngest child, Bobby, who started when he was 2, is now 9. It will be interesting to hear how he views the differences between his own approach to learning and his friends when he attends mainstream school. That’s a few years away, however, because Middleburg Montessori has a plan for the future, thanks to being certified by the International Montessori Association based in the Netherlands. Its program continues to age 14, allowing students to weather the storms of adolescence and early teen years in a learning environment where their personal interests and talents do not require competition for grades and approval.

That’s another big plus of the Montessori method: learning for the sake of slaking that intellectual thirst.

Progressive “outside of the box” thinking is what the Montessori method is all about. For more than 30 years Middleburg Montessori has embraced the ideas and concepts of Maria Montessori (1870-1952), who made history in Italy as the country’s first female doctor of medicine. She pioneered innovative learning techniques for children with special needs and those successes led her to apply those revolutionary principles to children with potential.

The results, then as now, were astounding.

“I believe in my heart that Montessori is for all children, not just the ones who can afford to do it,” Slater said. “One of the beautiful things about our scholarship program is that we’ve got children who came here speaking only Spanish who are now bi-lingual, just by being part of this social learning environment. I didn’t do traditional ESL. It’s amazing to watch and it gives me goose bumps and I’m thrilled, not just for the Spanish families, but for everyone, because the other children are learning Spanish.”

The open classroom favors the mixture of the ages, which is a major benefit of the Montessori method: 2.5 to 6 in the primary environment and 6 or 7 to 12 in the Elementary. The environment runs like a family, like a small community wherein the children help each other and, as a result, they become independent and self-reliant.

“Montessori learning is interactive socially and experientially, and it’s exciting for the children and gives them tools that they will take with them for the rest of their lives,” explained Slater. “We prepare the environment with what they need to know for the long run so that they carry the knowledge with them. It becomes part of who they are and, as a result, they often take one area of study into another area of study. That’s the huge beauty of the elementary program we’ve added on. Montessori fosters a lifetime lover of learning.”

For more information, go online to www. middleburgmontessori.com.

Middleburg ES

Continued From Page 4

siblings and now his nieces and nephews also attended the school.

“We had three generations here, so it’s cool to be here,” Derek Smith, looking at old photos. “It brings back a lot of good memories.”

Mary Lee Phelps, 84, most likely claims the most stories of the school’s history, as she was a part of it in some capacity most of her life. She attended the school from 1933 to 1940, taught at the school on and off from 1940 to 1971 and served as principal of the school from 1971 to 1991. Today, she still lives less than a mile away.

“I’ve been connected to this school my entire life,” she said.

Phelps was asked to teach bookkeeping even before she graduated from Middleburg School, which served elementary through

“

We had three generations here... It brings back a lot of good memories.

– Derek Smith

”

high school students until 1934.

“During World War II, they were short teachers, so they asked me to help out,” she recalled. “And lo and behold, I was teaching my classmates.”

While Phelps reflected on the great progress that has been made in the school, there are some lessons she believes today’s modern school system could learn from looking at the little red-brick school’s history.

For decades, the school set aside the last 30 minutes of every Friday for an assembly. Each week, a different person acted as the guest speaker or guest performer. The mayor would come and share stories of his childhood, the janitor would sing, and even professional football player Darrell Green visited to inspire the students to shoot for their dreams.

“It was just a good time,” Phelps said.

“To me, it really meant a lot.

The school opened in 1911. It underwent renovations and additions in the 1920s and again in the 1960s, but is still considered one of the oldest schools in the commonwealth.

9

Middleburg Life OCTOBER 2011

Schools • Powhatan School is the recipient of a donation by Agnes Crocker Bengal, Constance B. Crocker, and Isabelle Crocker Osborne of 46.8 acres. The land will be held in perpetual easement for educational and recreational use and more than triples the current campus size. The donation will allow Powhatan to expand its commitments to environmental science, outdoor recreation, and the study of nature. The gift solidifies a long-term educational relationship between Powhatan and the Crocker/Carter family. For many years the family has allowed Powhatan to use the land to incorporate environmental study into the curriculum. Generations of Powhatan students have benefited from the existing nature trail and the associated environmental activities held on the property. “The opportunity for our faculty to elevate experiential learning is exciting,” Head of School Ms. Susan Scarborough said in announcing the donation.

“This gift allows us to continue to broaden the Nature Enhanced Approach to Learning program and reinforces Powhatan’s commitment to environmental education. We plan to look for ways our students can be not only beneficiaries of this wonderful gift but also act as environmentalists, entrusted with using the land appropriately and maintaining its natural habitats, trees and plants.”

The property will be known as The Crocker Conservancy.

• Each year on Sept. 21 students from The Boyd School participate in various activities to mark the International Day of Peace. From “planting” pinwheels for peace to composing original works of poetry, the students are encouraged to express their thoughts on peace and what peace means to them. Peace Day was established by a United Nations resolution and first celebrated in 1982. This year, the younger children at The Boyd School in Chantilly were presented with hand-crafted origami peace cranes from the upper elementary students while children at The Boyd School in Ashburn made peace salsa—a lesson on how items from all over the world can come together to create something beautiful and tasty. The day concluded with the singing of “Light A Candle For Peace” by Shelly Murley and the school’s participation in the “Sing Peace Around the World Project.”

• Several cross country runners for Wakefield School in The Plains achieved notable finishes in the first Delaney Athletic Conference meet of the 2011 season, held at Foxcroft School on Sept. 13. Senior Carson

Craig of Haymarket came in eighth out of 87 runners and exceeded his last season’s personal best by seven seconds. Ninth grader Ben Weimer of Manassas ran second for Wakefield, coming in 17th, and ninth grader James Wroe of Ashburn finished 29th, exceeding his last-season personal best by 22 seconds. Senior Ben Mason of Warrenton completed the scoring for the boys, and Patrick Dean of Centreville provided the push-spot run. On the girls’ side, Wakefield took first place among the eight competing schools. Junior and two-time Delaney Athletic Conference Champion Emily Granruth of Marshall delivered another win as anchor of the Wakefield girls’ team. Wakefield senior Sarah Stirrup of Haymarket took fifth place, ninth grader Ali Russell of Leesburg took seventh, and eighth grader Kate Anderson of Leesburg was 17th. Ninth grader Shelby Sipes of Front Royal provided a strong pushspot finish at 24th, giving the Wakefield girls the win with 27 team points. Seton’s girls’ team took second with 47 points and RMA finished third with 56 points.

• The Piedmont Environmental Council working with the Clarke County Public School System and Powhatan School will host a Conservation Day for all fourth graders in Clarke County from 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 14. Hosted by the Powhatan School at its Boyce campus, close to 200 fourth graders from D.G. Cooley, Boyce Elementary, and Powhatan School will attend.

Students will rotate through various environmental stations that include the Virginia State Arboretum, the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center, Mountain Trails, and the Audubon Society. The stations will be hands-on experiences for the students to explore and discuss the theme “The Riches of Nature.” Following lunch, Powhatan parents and businessman Art Major will speak to the students.

Major’s firm, Gear Clean, was involved in the clean up efforts following the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The event is part of Powhatan’s Nature Enhanced Approach to Learning that promotes conservation and the environment by bringing nature indoors and the classroom outdoors.

• Four Highland School students have been recognized as commended students in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship program. All seniors, the students were Anna Brehm, Devin Kennedy, Vivien Rendleman and Joseph Soley. In addition, senior Brendan Goggin was named a National Merit Semifinalist. Goggin will have the opportunity to continue in the Merit Scholarship

competition and advance to finalist standing by meeting a number of additional requirements. More than 1.5 million students took the 2010 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test last October and entered the National Merit Program. In April, the 50,000 highest scorers were offered the College Plans Reporting Service through their respective schools. Some 16,000 of those high performers were recently designated semifinalists. Only those students have the opportunity to continue in the Merit Scholarship competition. The other 34,000 high performers were named commended

students. Gagging was the only student from a Warrenton area high school to make the semifinalist list.

• Wakefield School will hold an Admission Open House at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 16, at its campus in The Plains. The event will provide prospective families with the opportunity to meet current students, parents, and faculty members as well as the opportunity to have a tour of the school and hear a presentation from the Headmaster. For questions or to RSVP, call Assistant Director of Admission Kristen Day at (540) 253.7600.

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OCTOBER 2011 Middleburg Life

Coming Up: Sporting Library Art Museum Opens Oct. 11

By Margaret Morton Staff Writer The long-awaited National Sporting Library and Museum’s sporting art museum will open Oct. 11 with an inaugural exhibition, “Afield in America: 400 Years of Animal & Sporting Art 1585-1985.”

The exhibit is curated by F. Turner Reuter, Jr. and is based on his book Animal and Sporting Artists in America that was published by the National Sporting Library in 2008 and reprinted this year.

More than 100 works of fine art are included in the inaugural exhibition which is designed to raise awareness of the importance of animal and sporting art as a direct reflection of American history and culture.

The public will be able to see an outstanding body of art works by well known American artistic icons, some of which comes from the sporting library’s own extensive collections and others that have been borrowed for the occasion from private collections, museums and other institutions.

Artists include Albert Bierstadt, Alfred Jacob Miller and Frederic Remington. It also will include works by recognized masters of the animal and sporting art genre, such as John James Audubon, Edward Troye, Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait and William Tylee Ranney.

According to curator Reuter, the exhibition also places a strong focus on work by other fine American sporting artists that has long been welcomed by enthusiasts of the genre, but, until recently, were overlooked by art historians and critics. That group of artists includes William Herbert Dunton, Herbert Haseltine, Thomas Hewes Hinckley, Anna

Hyatt Huntington, Alexander Pope, Ogden Pleissner, Percival Rosseau and John Martin Tracy.

To guide viewers of the exhibition there will be an illustrated color catalogue containing critical essays exploring larger interpretations of the works of art to more closely define the remarkable role animals and sporting artists have played in the history of American art. Essayists include William H. Gerdts, art historian and author of Art Across America, Adam D. Harris, curator of the National Museum of Wildlife Art and author of Wildlife in American Art; Daniel J. Herman, historian and author of Hunting and the American Imagination; and Robin R. Salmon, author and vice president for collections and curator of sculpture, Brookgreen Gardens, and F. Turner Reuter Jr. The exhibition will run from opening day, Oct. 11, through Jan. 14 of next year.

Admission is free and hours will be from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday (apart from the opening, Tuesday, Oct. 11); and from noon-4 p.m. Sunday.

The public also is welcome to attend a practical demonstrative of coaching skills Saturday, Oct. 8. Beginning at 10 a.m., more than 25 historic coaches and their drivers will participate in a celebratory pageant at the Upperville Colt & Horse Show grounds, site of the oldest horse show in the country.

For the sporting art institution on The Plains Road in Middleburg, the opening of the museum and its inaugural exhibition represent the culmination of a dream to build a worthy complement to the library’s extensive collection of 250 works of art includ-

The new sporting art museum as visitors will see it as they enter the library/museum complex Oct. 11 for the inaugural exhibition of the museum: “Afield in America: 400 Years of Animal & Sporting Art, 1585-1985.” To the right is Vine Hill, the original home of the Library of Sporting Art, founded in 1954, now joined by the addition that blends perfectly with the historic house.

The entire building will serve as a museum, while the library collections are housed in a building to the left built in 1999, when the collection outgrew the space at Vine Hill.

Photo by Grunley, courtesy of the National Sporting Library and Museum

ing paintings, sculpture and art books, and 17,000 books that date back to 1523. The new building is seamlessly attached to the original historic Vine Hill red brick building at the Washington Street end of the library and museum complex. The entire building now serves as a museum, while the collections are housed in the white library building on The Plains Road, built in 1999 after the collections outgrew the space at Vine Hill.

Founded in 1954 by George L. Ohr-

strom Sr. and Alexander Mackay-Smith as the National Sporting Library, the cultural institution has expanded to become not just a library but a research facility attracting fellows for different research projects from around the world, and art museum, dedicated to preserving, sharing and promoting the literature, art and culture of horse and field sports.

The 1999 library building now contains the Forrest E. Mars Sr. Exhibit Center and the Founders’ Room for public events.

International Gold Cup Runs Oct. 15 At Great Meadow

By Lauren R. Giannini For Middleburg Life It’s that time of year: the days are getting shorter, the leaves are starting to turn, and the tents are about to mushroom all over Great Meadow for the 74th running of the International Gold Cup Races Oct. 15. If you haven’t experienced this al fresco celebration of a rural sporting tradition whose roots are in England and came over with the founding fathers, now’s the time.

The full race card includes everything from the popular terrier races, the Junior Field Masters Chase, tailgate competition, and a full race card featuring the season’s best steeplechasers over timber, hurdles and on the flat. One flat race showcases an international roster of jockeys who are official members

of the International Federation of Amateur Riders (FEGENTRI) competing against U.S. jockeys for the World Cup of Nations.

The featured International Gold Cup, sets an exciting pace with the best timber horses galloping and jumping solid timber fences over the testing 3.5-mile course. Last year’s winner has very local roots. He’s A Conniver, ridden by Jody Petty, is owned by EMO Stables and trained by Ernest M. Oare who lives with his wife Betty in Warrenton. Bon Caddo, owned by Merriefield Farm, finished second with local jump jockey Chris Read doing the honors. In the 2011 Virginia Gold Cup Bon Caddo returned to Great Meadow to win going away by 13 lengths with Blair Waterman Wyatt in the irons for Merriefield (MD).

It’s a great day to gather a party of family and friends and attend general admission with a picnic basket or reserve your own tailgate spot or tent. Businesses should call for the availability of corporate tents, but time’s running out to book a caterer.

You’ll find great shopping, specialty wares—the cigar stand tends to be popular—and food concessions on the grounds if you don’t feel like bringing your own picnic, plus there’s that great day of action. The event draws a few celebrities, members of Washington’s diplomatic community and ambassadors from around the world. With attendance at 30,000 and greater, people-watching is superb, almost as much fun as the action on the Great Meadow Gold Cup course.

Gates open at 10 a.m. Tickets are avail-

able at the gate, but the good folks at the Virginia Gold Cup office encourage pre-purchase, and most people prefer to avoid waiting in line on the day of the event. General admission car passes cost $55 in advance of the event. Also, please note that you can purchase passes for Member’s Hill and other areas not accessible by general admission. Children under 12 are admitted free with an adult.

Also, please honor the “no dogs please” policy, not even on a leash. The only dogs admitted are the Jack Russells who will entertain you with their antics during the races in the paddock, presided over by Tommy Lee Jones.

For more information call 540-347-1215 or order online at www.vagoldcup.com.

11

Middleburg Life OCTOBER 2011

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OCTOBER 2011 Middleburg Life

Middleburg Library Continued From Page 3

ferent needs,” Prillaman said.

One of the biggest benefits will be expanded room for Internet users, Whetzel said. “We have wireless. It’s a great need in this area because so many people can’t get online from home,” she said. The current library has nine chairs available at two tables.

They’re always full. “It gets pretty crowded.”

So far, the Middleburg Library has managed to provide Internet service to the many, but it’s a growing need and there’s not a square inch more Whetzel and her staff of

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four full-time employees and one part-timer can expand into in the present building.

Because of the small space, programs with children can be a bit disruptive to someone nearby trying to do some quiet research, Whetzel said, citing the twice-a-week story times: “We crowd into a tiny area—everyone on the floor—it works, but it would be great to spread out more and be able to do programs more often.” Likewise, tutors and pupils have to sit at the same table with another person.

A poll of patrons revealed they “want more books, more magazines—more of everything” and a better browsing experience, she said.

Lately, the library has seen more preteens and teenagers than normal, which Whetzel finds gratifying. But that, too, will require more space. The rise of the Internet has brought huge changes to all libraries in terms of equipment and space needs, she said. She and O’Connor attributed the success of the project so far to the expertise of the building committee members. O’Connor is the overall driving force, but each of the other members bring a particular experience to the team. In the planning stage, Jeff Baldwin was particularly helpful. As a retired partner with DeLoitte & Touche, Baldwin brought a deep strategic planning knowledge and business acumen to the project. Mike Award Winning!

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Morency has strong construction experience while Leepson brought a historian’s knowledge and perspective.

Getting the county supervisors on board with the project was key, Cotter said, lauding the board’s willingness to work with the Middleburg trustees. In its consent agreement to the MOU in early September, the board required certain check points, but “basically agreed the advisory board would be responsible for raising the funds, building it according to Liu’s and Whetzel’s requirements, and checking with the [County Library] Board of Trustees as you go along,” Cotter said. The county would have to approve the schematics and construction drawings and the building will be built to county code standards and will remain part of the public library system.

“We may be deluded, but we think we can do it better,” Cotter said.

The agreement with the county also stated it would waive its site plan review fees for the project and the Middleburg Town Council approved a waiver for its permitting fees—an action by both governments that will mean a significant savings for the project.

Cotter cited attorney Tamar Dunlap for her expertise in putting the gift agreement together, which is between the advisory board and the county as represented by the supervisors and the public library trustees, who must approve before their recommendations are sent to the supervisors.

The county government’s approval was crucial to getting the project off the ground, he said, noting support from the dais came from all sides of the spectrum. “We’re not trying to privatize [a county library], it will be public. We’re lessening the burden of government in our by-laws.”

Board of Supervisors Finance Committee Chairman Jim Burton (I-Blue Ridge), who previously has been wary of private endeavors that eventually fell on the supervisors’ shoulders to complete, agreed.

“It’s a wonderful example of the local community pitching in, and stepping up to help. We approved the MOU; they should be off and running. I wish them luck in raising the money and getting it all done,” Burton said.

New Library Board of Trustees Chairwoman Nancy Nuell came on board July 1 and, at her very first meeting, signed the agreement. For Nuell, the public-private partnership should serve as a national model.

“I’m delighted, and I think the addition will be a tremendous asset for the community,” she said. Once the dust has settled, Nuell said she hoped to publicize the project at the National Library Convention “to let people know how these kinds of things can be accomplished.”

Public library director Liu, who has

been on the job since March 1 and represents the county in the discussions and planning, also has been very supportive, Cotter said, citing her professionalism and considerable experience in managing various sized library renovation projects.

The library director said her role, once the preliminary design concept was created, was to “provide professional counsel; where

“

No one’s done anything like this in Loudoun before.

– Denis Cotter

”

should the children’s area be; how tall should the shelves be, etc.” And Liu’s familiarity with shelving vendors and circulation patterns in various libraries is proving invaluable to the team. The larger space will improve the customers’ experience, she said. “It won’t be so cramped.”

Because the Middleburg area population is not high enough to require more library space based on the county’s guidelines, and therefore making it an unlikely candidate for county funding, the proposal to pay for it with private money seemed the perfect solution, both Liu and Library Board of Trustees member Joe Maio (Blue Ridge) said.

Appointed to the county library board last year, Maio is totally supportive of the project. “First of all, I wish the whole world had people like the Middleburg library advisory trustees, with Denis as chairman, working for them,” he said.

The fundraising campaign will not start until all permitting approvals are in hand and the construction bid prepared, Cotter said, noting the agreement with the county explicitly states the Middleburg trustees must have the financing. “The shovel won’t go in the ground until we have the money.

“No one’s done anything like this in Loudoun before,” Cotter continued. But when it’s completed the expanded Middleburg Library will be a shining component of the county system. Libraries support so many important facets of life, he said, citing public literacy, lifelong learning, a place to do homework and Internet access to search information and jobs, particularly in a recession.

“We’re pretty good value,” he said

13

Middleburg Life OCTOBER 2011

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14

OCTOBER 2011 Middleburg Life

Artist J Douglas: A Contemporary Impressionist

By Lauren R. Giannini For Middleburg Life J Douglas celebrated his first official gallery exhibit in his hometown of Leesburg, thanks to Shirley and Patrick Medlin of Medlin Art, Ltd. The opening took place, appropriately during August’s First Friday Gallery Walk event, with a reception that welcomed everyone with refreshments and the opportunity to observe the artist at work on one of his oil paintings.

“J is a contemporary Impressionist,” Shirley Medlin said.

“Looking at his artwork and studying it the way we have, he has evolved into a great artist. He’s always been a good artist, and the difference now is that I think he has learned how to portray how he feels in his art. That’s the first thing an artist has to do; they have to feel it themselves, internally, before they put it on canvas.”

Many might know Douglas better without his “virtual” beret, so to speak. He founded the Tiger Claw Taekwondo & Personal Safety Center in 1997. He began learning martial arts in Australia 41 years ago and today wears a black belt as a Sixth Degree Master. His commitment to excellence influences all facets of his life from the curriculum, teaching staff, and progress of students through the levels at Tiger Claw to his artistic visions and ambitions.

His oil paintings put a unique spin on the style of art that originated in France in the 1860s when Impressionist painters veered away from the realistic and more precise representations of earlier masters. As Impressionists, they opted instead to utilize the interplay of color and light. Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, and Degas, to name a few of the greats, were pretty much scorned by contemporaries, but their impact on art makes them some of the most revered and influential artists of all time.

Douglas paints with all the intensity and power that he puts into martial arts. Vivid colors transform his brushstrokes, both bold and subtle, into moving and eloquent scenes. As an artist, he has learned not only to feel his paintings within his own self, he has learned to harness those emotions and capture them on canvas. He isn’t for the faint of heart, artistically speaking.

His contemporary Impressionism tends to pack a visual wallop, rather like a karate kick to the senses. One way or another, you are going to react to his art. The works displayed in the Medlin Art Gallery either leapt off the walls or easels, demanding your attention, or they beckoned you with a comehither invitation to enter an unfamiliar but beautiful realm devised of light, color and movement (energy).

“I had done charcoal and pencil portraiture for many years before I moved to oils,” Douglas recalled. “My wife Cindy Battino took me to see Henry Asencio paint live in Old Town Alexandria. Initially, I had been inspired by a piece of Asencio’s art that hung in Cindy’s house. But watching him paint inspired me so much that the next day I went out and bought paints, brushes and canvas. I also got out all of my books on oil painting and studied them for months.”

That was four years ago, and the fruits of his artistic labors have been stunning, to say the least. Douglas yielded to popular demand—after all, he does live in horse country—and started painting horses. His repertoire includes people of many cultural backgrounds, especially Native Americans, as well as tasteful figure studies.

His work takes the saying to heart that the eyes are the gateway to the soul. Whether he works in charcoal—a horse commissioned by the Maryland Steeplechase Association or a playful portrait of Jimmy Buffett in concert during his commer-

During the August edition of Leesburg’s First Friday that featured the opening reception for Douglas’ exhibit at the Medlin Gallery visitors were able to watch the artist at work.

Photo by Lauren R Giannini

cial period in graphic design—or in oils—a painting of rock and roll harmonica player Crawdaddy—the image will have heart and soul.

As a graphic designer back in 2004 Douglas added to his list of credits an unusual Virginia license plate you have probably seen on cars and motorcycles. The Parrot Heads plate refers to Jimmy Buffett’s Parrot Heads In Paradise group of charity fan clubs. Douglas designed the plate as part of the effort by Parrotheads of Old Dominion, a PHIP chapter active in Loudoun, Fauquier and Prince William counties, to win General Assembly authorization for the plate.

“It’s been quite a year so far,” Douglas said. “Shirley Medlin wants to display and sell my work at Medlin Art Gallery—that’s very exciting. We’ve known each other close to 20 years. When I started painting what I call my gallery art four years ago, I would bring her my work and put it front of her and ask if she liked it.

Shirley would say, ‘Oh, that’s nice.’ Every year, she would comment that I was growing my style and my ability and that my art was growing.”

Earlier this year Douglas took several of his latest pieces to

Medlin. This time her reaction ran along the lines of “OK, it’s time. Let’s put together an art show.”

“One of the most beautiful comments anyone has made to me about my art were the words Shirley said to me when I asked, ‘Why now? Do you know how long I’ve waited to be in your art gallery?’” Douglas recalled. “Shirley said, ‘Do you know how long I’ve waited for you to be good enough to be in my art gallery?’ That’s a beautiful thing and I loved the way Shirley let me know that the time was right.”

Douglas recently returned from Carmel, CA, where he had a three-day show to meet and introduce his work to the proprietors of 58 art galleries. He ended up with a commission, even though that wasn’t his purpose. One gallery has indicated an interest in an exhibit of his work, so the talks are ongoing. The future is looking very positive on both coasts.

“I’m very much a technician; I study my subject, but this year I found myself just painting and loving painting,” Douglas said. “I’ve come to a place where artistically I feel so free.”

You can find out more about Douglas’ work online at www. rtistj.com.

15

Middleburg Life OCTOBER 2011

ON THE MARKET

Elegance, Grace Exuded at Pohick Farm

Set on 464 Acres, Property Features Bucolic Surroundings, Grand Style

Back in the 1930s, Col. (later Gen.) George S. Patton was Master of Foxhounds for the Old Dominion Hounds, and perhaps not surprisingly given his aggressiveness on the battlefield, could be reckoned with to lead his field across the hill like tanks.

This month’s featured property – Pohick Farm – sits in the heart of this territory, located on 464 rolling acres with mountain streams, a pond and exceptional vistas highlighting the exterior to complement 5,500 square feet of finished interior space with an open floor plan and amenities galore in the newer home that brings modern touches to the historic parcel near Delaplane.

For information on the property, contact Helen MacMahon of Sheridan-MacMahon Ltd. Realtors.

The location and physical layout of the property are ideal for horses and livestock and the planting of corn, rye and alfalfa.

Just an hour away from the District of Co-

lumbia, the home is a wonderful retreat, designed by an architect conscious of both Virginia and modern traditions.

The main home has been situated on a well-shielded hilltop that overlooks its own private valley, with interior and exterior landscaping integrating well with the pastoral and intimate surroundings.

Named in honor of the Pohick Indians who inhabited the area, the farmland was first owned by Bryan Fairfax, the nephew of Lord Fairfax, who offered the tract to George Washington to pay off a debt (Washington opted for a Catoctin Run site instead). In the 1930s, even more colorful owners brewed whiskey – quite illegally – on the hillside under the cover of a pork operation. (While that operation met its demise in 1933, the current owners note playfully that its remnants can “still” be found on Red Oak Mountain.)

With 5,500 square feet of interior space, you are guaranteed room to enjoy daily

life, and the home is also designed to entertain a crowd. Throughout, you will find 45 Marvin custom windows, plus French doors, solid-brass fixtures, heart-of-pine and custom-milled oak planking and solidpine interior doors. The attention to detail is striking.

The formal rooms include the foyer, living room and den, each with a sumptuous, airy personality. The kitchen is filled with grand accoutrements, including ceramic tile from Mexico, while a first-floor den is a perfect spot for quiet reflection.

The second level is home to the bedrooms, each a personal retreat, and on the second floor you also will find a sitting room.

From the covered rear porch, enjoy vistas that change with the seasons.

The separate guest cottage, with an open floor plan, includes 1,600 square feet of interior space and is home to a living room, kitchen, office, three bedrooms (with spa-

cious closet space) and two full baths. There also is an enchanting spiral staircase.

Also on the grounds is a separate farmer’s cottage, along with various farm buildings and structures dotting the property.

The 30,000-gallon pool, with nightlighting, is augmented by the adjacent poolhouse that features two bathrooms.

Articles are prepared by Middleburg Life’s real estate advertising department on behalf of clients.

For information on the home, contact the listing agent. For information on having a house reviewed, contact the Middleburg Life real estate advertising department at (571) 333-6273.

Facts for buyers

Address: Delaplane.

Listed by: Helen MacMahon, SheridanMacMahon Ltd. Realtors (540) 687-5588.

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Middleburg Life OCTOBER 2011

OCTOBER 2011 Middleburg Life

Exquisite details throughout this incredible 12 bedroom Georgian Revival manor home built in 1936. Situated on over 370 acres. This lovely home boasts a Reception Hall and a white Carrara marble Flying Staircase accessing 3 levels. Over 1/2 mile of Rappahannock River frontage, spectacular views, springs, ponds and rolling pasture

Steeped in Piedmont Hunt History, the land and manor home of Clifton Farm is understated elegance. As one crests the knoll of the long winding drive the home sits nestled in its own protected environment of 415 acres of some of the most beautifully open and rolling land.

Tremendous Easement Potential. $9,850,000

199 acres in the heart of the Orange County Hunt Territory s 5 Bedroom Georgian Manor sFormal living and dining rooms s Solarium s Pools c.1801 Patent house, 2 tenant houses Horse facilities include an indoor arena with 13 stalls, paddocks and fields with run-ins. & apartment and pond. In $7,500,000 a VOF Conservation Easement.

Custom Built English style stone/stucco 3-story home s4 Bedrooms, Large Master, In-law suite with separate entrance sSlate Roof, Game Room, Theatre, Study, Custom Kitchen, 4 Stone Fireplaces sExtensive Horse Facilities s18 Stall Barn s2 Stall Barn s14 Paddocks sLarge Ring. $6,500,000

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Awe-inspiring Federal manor home on 200+ acres outside of Paris s 4 Bedrooms s 4 ½ Baths s 12 ½‘ Ceilings s 25’ columns s Original Millwork and Authentic Hardware Throughout s 8 Original Fireplace Mantels s Professional Equestrian Facilities s Carriage House s Manager’s Cabin s Complete renovation in 2006 s Stunning views and more $4,250,000

Circa 1878 sExquisite brick Victorian on 52 open acres near Middleburg sElegant Dining Room sFormal Living Room s12' Ceilings s4 Levels sGreat Mountain Views sBeautiful Stable with 1 Bedroom Apartment sRun-In Sheds sOut Buildings and more. $3,950,000

c.1845 listed on National Register of Historic Places.

Exquisite stone and stucco Greek Revival country estate surrounded by beautiful gardens on 98 acres sGrand entrance foyer opening into double drawing room s Pool with 2 Bedroom Pool Houses 2 Bedroom Guest Cottage s Magnificent views $3,950,000

164 acres in an ideal location. Beautiful Open and wooded land near Bluemont in the heart of Piedmont Hunt Territory with spectacular mountain views and scenic vistas and great home sites. Open Space Easement and Fox Hunting Easement. Property is in 2 parcels and may or may not be combined. $3,034,000

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Outstanding equestrian training facility. 111 acres in 3 parcels includes regulation polo field, cross country courses, outdoor ring, indoor arena, 5/8 mile track, 3-acre lake for swimming, stabling for 50 horses in 3 barns, 20 paddocks, main house/office, tenant house, 2 apart$2,500,000 ments.

Exquisite Colonial on secluded 25 acres. 4 Bedroom, 4 Baths4 Fireplacess Pine floors, Living Room, Dining Room, Family Room, Study & Gourmet Kitchens Charming 2 Bedroom Guest Houses Free Form Pools 4 Stall Barn,5 Paddockss Blue Stone ArenasEquipment Shed. $2,195,000

Beautifully restored and enlarged, circa 1800 log and clapboard home in a tranquil setting on 29+ acres. 3 Bedrooms, 3 ½ baths, pool, 4 stall bank barn, 2 ponds, stone walls, stone terrace and perennial gardens reminiscent of Williamsburg. 3 parcels. $1,700,000.

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CLIFTON LAND - 126.11 acres of mostly open, verdant land in great location, just north of Upperville with pastures and views of the Blue Ridge. Fully fenced, multiple home sites, tributary Pantherskin Creek. Ideal for easement potential and could benefit from excellent tax credits. Piedmont Hunt. $3,600,000 THE PLAINS 283+ ares of rolling land with incredible views is all directions sFrontage on Zulla Road or Rock Hill Mill s Great location with one home and several large barns and plenty of stalls sVery private setting sTax credit incentives. $28,000/acre DUNGARVAN - Blue Ridge Hunt. 365 acres. Pond.

Mostly open, rolling land. Great tax incentive with Open Space Easement potential. 4 parcels. 10 DURs. $2,700,000 NEAR THE PLAINS - 142 acres. Great location South of The Plains. Mostly wooded with views. $1,400,000

PEC LAND - Paris Mountain- 487 Acres adjacent to Historic Ovoka Farm and Sky Meadows State Park.

Conservation land with potential to build two homes; however property cannot be divided. $5,500/acre sold in entirety. $2,673,000 POTTS MILL - Middleburg. 316 acres with frontage on Little River sOpen Space Easement with further tax credit potential. Rolling fields with mature hardwood forest.

Orange County Hunt. Great ride out. Within 5 miles of the village of Middleburg. Excellent views. $21,000/acre

Warrenton Hunt Country s493 acres in Open Space Easement sRolling land with good air drainage sPerfect for grapes/vineyard s1830’s Manor Home s2 Tenant Houses s39 Acre Lake Site sDairy Barn sStables sMachine Shed sWoodland Trails sHuge Specimen Oaks. $5,950,000

Near Middleburg sBeautiful Brick Georgian style home built in the mid 19th century on 165 acres s7 Bedrooms, 8 Full Baths, 2 Half Baths s double Parlor/Living Room, Paneled Library, Dining Room sPool s4 Bedroom Tenant House s9 Stall StablesConservation EasementsPiedmont Hunt. $4,995,000

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Rappahannock County~Beautiful 3 Bedroom Brick Colonial home on 25 acres with tremendous views s Very private s 10'ceilings on 1st floor, 9'ceilings on 2nd s Great Kitchen with Island s Six-foot Windows s Elegant Floor Plan s Mud Room sBasement s Two Bay Garage s Easy to maintain sNice Elevations Very well built $995,000

51+ acre farm with a beautiful 5 BR home with gourmet kitchen, wine cellar, great views, pool, flagstone terrace and carriage house - extensive horse facilities - 9 stall barn, covered arena, outdoor arena, 7 paddocks, 4 stall shed row barn, machine shed $2,750,000

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in st Li ew N Middleburg/Upperville sUnique Italianate-Palladian inspired villa sBuilt by Architect/Owner s4,600+ sq ft stucco home s4 Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths s2 Master Suites s20’ Ceilings s10’ French Doors sTerra Cotta Tile Floors sFireplace sFormal Gardens sCourtyard sPool sPergola sGuesthouse. $2,975,000

Exquisite Georgian Manor home built in 2005. Approx.

7300 sq. ft. of finished living space on upper two levels.

Luxurious owner’s suite. Lower level with 9’ ceilings & windows ready to be finished. Elevator to all three levels. Beautiful formal gardens and guest house. 101 $2,950,000 Acre estate in the Warrenton Hunt.

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Beautifully renovated Historic Unison Schoolhouse, circa 1870. s Pine flooring, high ceilings, mouldings and perennial gardens s The horse facilities include a recently built 4 stall barn w/excellent tack room & feed storageopen to 4 paddocks with automatic waterers. Great rideout in prime Piedmont Hunt $955,000

www.ThoMAS-TALboT.com

Our listings receive over 35,000 visits world wide per month.

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.

HALFWAY ROAD - Orange County Hunt. Beautiful 13.38 parcel of land on Halfway Road in The Plains, Virginia.

Fenced field, pond and run-in shed. Approx. half of the property is in mature trees in land use with Fauquier County. $550,000

A beautiful 1919 Virginia farmhouse. 3 Bedrooms, 3 Baths, 2 Fireplaces, 1 Woodstove, Master on the first floor, Vibrant Gardens, Board Fencing, and Great Views sSituated on 105 acres s5 Stall Barn with Tack Room, and Machine Shop, 4 Bays for Equipment sOrange County Hunt Territory. $1,600,000

50 mostly open and elevated acres with fantastic views to the south and to the east toward Great Meadow with several home sites on a quiet country road just outside of the quaint village of The Plains. Orange County Hunt Territory. $1,160,000

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Charming 1740 brick and stone home sited on .5 ac. adjacent and including the 3 acre parcel containing the original Mill on Pantherskin Creek. Pool within the ruins of the Mill. Beautiful, year round pavilion is connected to the summer kitchen by a bougainvillea covered pergola. $770,000

Quaint English style 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath Stucco Cottage sited among towering trees on 10 beautiful acres s Ideally located between Middleburg and The Plains sFlagstone Terrace s Flowering window boxes s Very Private s Fantastic western views s Great locations Mostly wooded sPerfect for weekend retreat. $660,000

ThoMAs AnD TAlBoT ReAl esTATe A STAUNCH ADVOCATE OF LAND EASEMENTS LAND AND ESTATE AGENTS SINCE 1967 (540) 687-6500 Middleburg, Virginia 20118

18

OCTOBER 2011 Middleburg Life

Hunting’s Season Of Renewal Fall hunting evokes a palette of sensory cues for Master and his fellow hunters: the hazy coolness of an early-morning meet; heightened anxiety about the initiation of a young mount; the genuine exhilaration of a primal venture reopened; a rekindling of sporting sociality.

Fall hunting is that delicate time of venery when impressionable young foxTHE MASTER’S VOICE Musings on the Meynellian Science

hounds are asked to sort out the nuances of the chase while simultaneously avoiding the iron-shod feet of half-ton behemoths. In addition, we demand they ignore any loud noises emanating from their keen human consorts, except, of course, those coming from their appointed tutors—the hunt staff.

We require this physical and mental agility of our pre-pubescent canine charges simply because they have reached the equivalent age of 11 human years and now must hunt “in company.”

Fall hunting (Master implores cogent foxhunters to eschew the old term—“cubbing”) is vital to the enduring success of any pack of hounds, and thus it is inexorably

bound only to the laws of Nature and of Master. It is the sine qua non of successful training and entry of young hounds into the pack.

“Hold hard!” (stand quietly) and “Hark to ‘em” (Quiet Please) are ubiquitous phrases issued from the mouth of Master during the September hunting season, and too often, the least heeded. Please forgive the plaintiveness of Master’s tone, but few foxhunters, even some with considerable longevity in the hunting field, fully regard the import of those words when trying to prepare both young hounds and foxes in the preliminary phases of their training.

Then there is the introduction of young horses to the hunting field. Contrary to many a dealer’s claim, there are no horses “to the hunting field born.” They, like young hounds, gradually must be acquainted with the active sights and sounds of being ridden amongst a cavalry of other horses to the music of a canine chorus over open pasture and woodland.

Usually this means they are kept far in the back of the field, in the company of an older, steadier companion. Master gently reminds his field that this exercise requires some diligence upon the rider to ensure that they are not so “far back” as to become

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“the front,” should hounds swing round in a tight circle.

In short, fall hunting should be the training of young foxes and young hounds unencumbered by the vices of old riders.

(Master has an uninitiated acquaintance who finds it incomprehensible that we must TRAIN young foxes to be chased properly.

Master forgives him; He thinks a Jack Russell is someone once married to Elizabeth Taylor. ) Autumn hunting is foxhunting in mufti: smart linen or plaid jackets, forerunners of winter wool, are accented by colored stocks, lustrous brown field boots and khaki or light twill breeches. Sunburned horses still sport their glossy summer coats, yet to submit to their winter clipping. It is, oddly, a time of renewal—a hunting renascence, a counter-point to spring’s rite of rebirth. It provides us strength to welcome the short cold days of winter.

Though Master waxes poetical, let him implore those denizens of the hunting field to remember our purpose: the QUIET, systematic instruction of fox cubs and young

hounds in the proper pursuit of their natural vocations. The full enjoyment of OUR personal avocation commences with opening meet.

The sheen is off the summer grass, The clover’s bruised and brown The autumn winds that stoop and pass Have bent the hemlock down Long, long the weeks of ease you’ve had, But now the year grows late The idle days must end, my lad – The halter’s at the gate!

So, once more round your kingdom swing Full speed with reaching stride, Till cream upon your shoulders cling And sweat marks dull your side; Then, scoring hoof-slides on the turn Wheel up at face your fate; The cubs are waiting in the fern — The halter’s at the gate “The Halter at the Gate” By Will Ogilivie Your Obedient Servant, Thady Sponge, M.F.H.

A New Beginning A new beginning for a season of fox hunting is such an exciting time of year.

It brings with it some reminders that we and our horses are not as fit as the last time we hunted in March. For me it is also a time to reflect on the fact that I am not getting any younger and maybe a few weeks in the second field would be a wise choice. Depending on how the horses are after a summer off, MARCIA we may stay in WOOLMAN the non-jumping field for Outdoors awhile.

Remember also, this early, less formal season, is a training time for young horses but especially for young hounds. Treat them gently. An older hound may know to stay out from under your horse, but a puppy may need your help to stay safe.

Pull your horse up if one cuts onto the trail in front of you. Be patient. You can catch up later, but frightening a puppy may cost the hunt dearly if it becomes afraid of horses.

There are many rules of the hunt, which most of us know, but the most important one is that we are guests of the landowners. Put on your best manners when encountering farm workers or owners. Even though silence is golden in the hunt field few masters would mind if

you broke the rule to address and thank a landowner.

There are other things to consider too and among them are a little patience might be in order as new subscribers and young riders come out to try this sport.

They may need a helping hand, a gentle reminder of protocol and of course a friendly “hello” and introduction when they first arrive. I will long remember my first time out capping with Orange County many years ago. The highlight of my day was hacking in at day’s end, when a strikingly debonair gentleman, struck up a conversation, asking how I enjoyed my day, and in general making me feel very welcome. I never forgot and to this day I often remind him of how wonderful he made me feel. Now that I have been a subscriber of OCH for nearly 10 years, that one kindness might have been the reason I joined the Hunt.

A final thought as we begin our new season, have fun, enjoy yourself, relish the gift of being able to ride over this beautiful covertside, with some of the finest friends you will ever have. And that includes your horse as well as your neighbors.

(Marcia Woolman is a freelance writer from The Plains and a member of the Board of Stewards of the Orange County Hunt.)

19

Middleburg Life OCTOBER 2011

Upperville - Mountain Top Retreat with magnificent valley & mtn views! 4BR/3.5BA w/117 acres in conservation easement. Approved septic sites, 3 wells installed, 4 dwellings permitted.

Easy access to Route 50 & Route 7. Home w/22 acres for $750K - 95 acres land only for $815K $1,500,000 Joyce Gates 540.771.7544

Upperville - French provincial on 8+ acres in the heart of hunt country. Long drive and boxwoodstudded courtyard, expansive gardens & lawns.

Stunning entry, beautiful rooms, 3 finished lvls, spectacular gourmet kitchen. Stunning patio & pool. Perfect venue for in/outdoor entertaining. $1,300,000 Kimberly Hurst 703.932.9651

Middleburg - Unique opportunity to buy this bank owned, custom designed home sited on 24+ acres offering pastoral and mountain views!

Featuring 1st floor MBR suite, 6BR, 5FBA/2HBA, 5 FPs, Fin walk-out lower level, 3 car detached garage. 95% financing avail for qualified buyers. $1,275,000 Emily Henry 540.341.3528

Hardy, WV - Willow Wall, c1804, a meticulously restored mansion sited on 12 park-like acres.

8,300sf of grand formal rooms. 7BR/6.5BA, 2 Kitchens, 16 FPs w/original mantles, 3 steam showers, heart pine floors, Geo-Thermal 14zone heat/cool and wiring for 50 phone lines. $890,000 Bobby Kirk 703.728.8602

Delaplane - New listing! Petalwood, traditional colonial on 25 acres, 4BR/2FBA/2FBA. Walkout lower level. Beautiful grounds in a very private setting, yet only 10 min to Route 66. 2 bay runin, approximately 10 ac cleared, ride out. Wonderful opp to buy into estate neighborhood! $850,000 Jackie Hagenston 540.454.1452

Waterford - Exquisite restoration and expansion w/no detail overlooked. Chef's kitchen, 4 working FPs, radiant floors, geothermal HVAC, large flagstone patio overlooks protected views, private parking. 2800 sq ft, 2/3BR, 2.5BA. Convenient to Greenway, Leesburg, & MARC Train! $850,000 Jackie Hagenston 540.454.1452

Middleburg - Totally renovated Cape Cod on 3 ac. Gourmet Kit, breakfast area, ss appliances, granite. DR w/built-in shlvs, marble FP, bay win.

Huge LR w/FP. Patio & pool. MBR suite w/FP, walk-ins, Jacuzzi. LL w/kitchenette, guest room, fBA, rec rm. New HVAC, 3CG, home warranty. $799,999 Kathleen Chovnick 703.340.5716

Millwood - Charm & character! This well est business in renovated barn has 3Ksf of climate controlled showroom space. Multi-users have private entrances. Can be sold w/out inventory.

Plenty of parking! Exc location in historic village.

Low taxes. Near major Rts. 60 miles from D.C. $750,000 Bobby Kirk 703.728.8602

Middleburg - Family Compound or Investment opportunity. 12 acres w/3 dwellings off Foxcroft Rd. One mile from town 3BR stone cottage, 2BR stucco cottage w/studio, 2BR shingle cottage w/ garage. Possible to build another home. Short sale. 3rd party approval required. Sold As-Is. $700,000 Michele Stevens 703-568-0721

Purcellville - Gorgeous estate home on 4+ acres w/multiple upgrades, backs to a scenic lake.

5BR/4.5BA, gourmet kitchen w/granite & stainless steel, 2 dishwashers, FR w/stone FP & tall windows, sunroom, office with built-ins, HW floors. Finished basement/apt efficiency w/FP. $739,000 Joy Thompson 540.729.3428

Purcellville - 3879 sq ft home on 7+ pvt acres.

Incredible views, no HOA. $165K+ in upgrades.

Gourmet kit w/SS & granite. New HW flrs, stone FP. MBR on main lvl w/new MBA, tile & granite.

Lrg BRs, rec room, basement w/BR, office/shop, 3CG. Well fenced with barn/run-in & paddocks. $674,900 Joy Thompson 540.729.3428

Purcellville - Custom stone and stucco home w/ incredible views of Potomac River and Blue Ridge Mtns. Backs to Harpers Ferry Historic Park. Great room w/stone FP, beautiful wood floors. 3 finished levels, family room w/vaulted ceilings and built in bookcases. Private setting. $529,000 Amy Adams 703.851.2051

20

OCTOBER 2011 Middleburg Life

Virginia Fall Races At Glenwood Park

The Thrill of Victory in the National Sporting Library/Chronicle Cup : At the last fence watching the finish: (from left) Gray Carr Bridgers; Alfred C. Griffin, Jr. owner of winning horse Aero’; Doug Fout, Clerk of the course and trainer of Aero and second place finish G’Day G’Day.

Virginia Fall Races celebrated its 57th running in blustery, chilly, rainy fall Oct. 1-2 at Glenwood Park. The crowd was ready with waxed jackets, all-weather boots, golf umbrellas and plastic to drape over the tailgate food, demonstrating a cheerful atmosphere despite of the deteriorating weather, which was perfect for the racing.

In the National Sporting Library Chronicle Cup Timber Stakes, purse $35,000, locals packed a one-two punch— both trained by Doug Fout: the winner, Aero, owned by Al Griffin Jr., ridden by Jeff Murphy, and second, Mrs. Magalen O. Bryant’s G’day G’day, ridden by Paddy Young. The event featured a doubleheader weekend of steeplechasing with good friends, good food, great racing: the rural sporting tradition at its best. You can find the complete results online at: www.centralentryoffice.com.

— Lauren R. Giannini

Gary Shook, president of the Middleburg Bank which sponsored the Daniel C. Sands Cup.

Jacqueline Mars, Beth Fout

PHOTOS BY DOUGLAS LEES

Dr. Willie McCormick

Bon Nouvel Hurdle Races: From this crowded fence, #9-Rainiero (Matt McCarron up) went on to take first place. #10-Mischief (Paddy Young up) took fourth. Covered up behind these horses Fogcutter went down with Jeff Murphy up­—neither horse nor rider was hurt. Humdinger (Chris Read up) also fell.

Sarah French Fleming and Martin Fleming

James P. McCormick Memorial Timber race winner: Irvin S. Naylor’s Elusive Prince (Roddy MacKenzie up); trainer Kathy McKenna greets and congratulates the winning horse and rider.

Susan Corning, Betsy Manierre

21

Middleburg Life OCTOBER 2011

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Made for easy living & entertaining

Beacon Hill

Was $5,250,000. Now $3,900,000. 8 bedrooms, 10 baths, 2 kitchens, elevator, generator, theater, pool, hot tub, sport court, video surveillance, safe room, and home theater. 5 acres backs to parkland.

90 acre parcel in Clarke County with 3 DURs and beautiful views of Ashby Gap and the Blue Ridge mountains. The land is rolling with wonderful building sites. Blue Ridge Hunt.

Pristine, 5+ bedroom, 7 bath house. Ten-foot ceilings, spacious, bright rooms. Many details and extras. Tennis court. Golf green and tea boxes.

Pool with spa. Apartment. 6.7 landscaped acres.

Exquisite estate. 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths. Three finished levels and one of the best views in the county. Three-car garage, and beautiful grounds boast two pavilions, large deck, and basketball court.

Patricia Burns

linden Ryan Bob Vantrease

Mary owen chatfield-Taylor

Paula clagett

MlS ID# FX7465788

MlS ID# cl7584938

MlS ID# lo7558062

540.454.6723 www.patriciaburnsinmiddleburg.com HayMaRkeT

$1,399,000

Piedmont Riding club

703.408.4696 540.514.9295 www.lindenandbob.com

leeSBuRg

$1,199,000

longue Vue

540.454.6500 www.mcenearney.com

WIncHeSTeR

703.738.8284 www.paulaclagett.com MlS ID# lo7526646

$749,000

Dreamy 360° Views

aSHBuRn

$697,750

Belmont country club

Elegant Tuscany inspired home on ten acres with three-car garage and guest house/studio.

Media, wine, rec room and second kitchen. Horses permitted.

Scenic views! Master craftsman quality! A treelined drive leads to this 4,500-SF home overlooking the valley. Main-level master. Main-level apartment for au pair/home office. 11.8 acres. NO HOA!

Custom, luxury, privacy on 8.5 acres. Main-level master, designer kitchen…too much to list. Lower media, kitchen, bedroom/bath, second garage, workshop. Geo-thermal and radiant.

This exquisite single family residence exudes charm and beauty, including a two-story family room with floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace. Sited on a wooded lot and backing to the 18th fairway.

Rachael Remuzzi

cecelia Mahan

Mary Dionisio Roberge

June crisan

MlS ID# lo7653741

MlS ID# FV7630104

703.609.8462 www.rachaelremuzzi.com

703.675.8008 www.ceceliamahan.com

MlS ID# PW7670822

PaeonIan SPRIngS

$339,000

Boyce

$320,000

$225,000

LA

LA Relaxing Retreat

WaTeRFoRD

ND

$585,000

703.402.8424 www.junecrisan.com MlS ID# lo7696452

ND

PaeonIan SPRIngS

703.738.8270 www.maryroberge.com

This lovely, cleared, 3-acre lot is a must-see to build your custom home. Set back from the road, the lot affords privacy and a beautiful country setting convenient to Leesburg and the Greenway.

Beautifully upgraded

Beautiful lot outside of Waterford Village

Custom cottage-style home in a private, serene setting on 3.41 acres only five minutes from Leesburg. Enjoy the vistas and sunsets from the large sun-room and expansive deck. Must see!

Newer, stone-front, three-bedroom, three-bath home on three finished levels. Ten-foot ceilings and huge gourmet kitchen. Extended breakfast/ family room. Master with coffee bar!

This beautiful five-acre wooded lot is ready to build your dream house. Gorgeous setting this lot is approved for well and septic. Must see to appreciate, call for appointment to walk the lot.

The Marshall Home Team

christy Hertel

ani McDougall

christy Hertel

Tom & Barbi Marshall 703.727.2269 www.themarshallhometeam.com MlS ID# lo7692585

Desirable Hurley lane

703.624.6283 www.christyhertel.com MlS ID# lo7632564

703.856.0784 www.animcd.com

MlS ID# cl7688159

Experience the DIFFERENCE as a McEnearney Associate!

To learn more about all the services that McEnearney Associates provides, please contact us for a confidential interview. Candice Bower, Managing Broker - 703.623.6605

703.624.6283 www.christyhertel.com MlS ID# lo7625752 ®

®

22

OCTOBER 2011 Middleburg Life

Nutrition Confusion: Eating Well Isn’t That Difficult There is so much confusion surrounding nutrition. Everyone’s diet seems to be the best plan. Eliminating certain foods to progress weight loss is the call of the day. No one diet is right for everyone. Carnivores need meat and vegetarians need vegetable protein.

Is there one style of eating that is best, or are we starving ourselves of vital nutrients that we need for healthy cellular function?

The debate continues and millions of weight loss are KAY COLGAN books sold each Healthy Living year. Online diet programs have seen a substantial increase in participants. What are we all looking for? Maybe structure for some so they are able not to think about it and the weight will just come off. Others are measuring: counting and adding points up so they know what they can and can’t eat. But is it really that difficult? Or have we been sold an illusion of what a diet should be? I even recently saw a commercial where you buy a product and sprinkle it on your food and the weight just drops off. Nothing is off limits with that program, even junk food; just sprinkle away the pounds. Is it that simple?

Are carbs bad, or have they gotten a bad rap?

Is sugar the main culprit in our success with weight loss? Are we starving for real food?

I would have to say yes, we are starving for real food. Our bodies are magnificent machines. They require high-density foods.

Rich colorful vegetables that provide so many nutrients that fight off free radicals and help us age with grace. It is not complicated at all. What we need does not come prepackaged and processed where all the nutrients have been taken out. Rice is good for us, just not the stripped down version of white rice. Brown rice that is left how it was intended to be consumed provides us energy in the form of carbohydrates. Lean protein, especially wild Alaskan salmon with its rich color, provides us with the building blocks of healthy brain function. Even cookies made with honey and whole wheat flour and dark chocolate chips provide us with B vitamins and antioxidants that will enliven our spirits and boost our cells.

White cane sugar is overused in our country. From salad dressings to sauces for your spaghetti, it shows up in just about every processed food. Sometimes they replace it with sugar substitutes. These substitutes such as aspartame have been shown in clini-

cal studies to increase insulin levels in the body. While there might not be any calories associated with aspartame the rising insulin levels play havoc with your metabolism and hence allow the body to store fat. Having sugar once in a while is not a bad thing. But if sugar is an ingredient in everything you eat it begins to interfere with your body’s system. Be an informed consumer and read labels and if the product has sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or similar, leave it on the shelf. Consuming high quality foods every day will encourage weight loss. It is not rocket science. You have always had the power, now use it.

Bring home the goodness of whole

Relinquish And Expand Recently I came across this quote attributed to a Zen Master: “When we relinquish we expand.” The implications are utterly clear. Let Go! Let go of grudges, of expectations, of toxic relationships, of being right, of staying comfortable, whatever it is we need to let go of in order to expand our lives.

But how do we relinquish? To relinquish is to believe in possibilities and to be open to seeing and experiencing them, not controlling them. To relinquish often means going against the grain and choosing the unknown over known.

Life Coaching the Last month, I wrote about doing something that scares you in order to create change and live a dynamic life. Relinquishing is scary. We hold on to that which serves us, or that which we think serves us, but what if we’re wrong? What if our relationships could be so much deeper, our moments more passionate, our life more fulfilling?

The act of relinquishing also impacts our cellular system much in the way that positive thinking impacts our cells and helps us combat stress. One definition of the word stress states: “To subject to physical or mental pressure, tension, or strain.” When we are holding tightly onto something we create tension around it and subject ourselves and our cells to stress.

Then those stress cells beget more stress cells who in turn invite all their friends: illness,

KIM TAPPER

SUMMER RENTAL

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foods and energize your body. Try to eat in season and find new recipes. Make it fun and get the whole family involved. Isn’t your body worth more than a package that has ingredients you can’t even pronounce?

Why not cook a real turkey and have turkey sandwiches for the week? It is so much better than the processed over-salted package turkey. Turkey is a super food and it will build your body up, not tear it down.

For more information about fitness or nutrition, contact Kay Colgan at K’s Pilates, 14 S. Madison St. in Middleburg or call 540-687-6995.

fatigue, depression and anger into the party.

How much energy do you think you are expending holding on to something that is actually causing you stress? Just think what you could do with all that extra energy if you let go right now.

Relinquishing is not the same as letting go of all our values, cares and desires.

Rather, relinquishing can help us expand and create movement in our life in the places we feel stuck. For example, if you are seeking a mate yet are holding tight to your list of criteria because you are sure this person must have these qualities to be with you, consider if your desire for a mate is larger than your desire to hold onto the criteria. If you are holding on to a rigid limiting belief of yourself that you are shy or boring, consider opening up to even the possibility that you are actually interesting and desirable. If you are really comfortable where you are, but the yearnings of your soul whisper that there are other things for you on the horizon, consider relinquishing your well-earned comfort to go in search of more fulfilling and challenging experiences.

So now it’s time to get honest. Where are you holding on to something in your life that might not actually be serving the purpose you hoped for (or any purpose at all)? What can you relinquish? As the season passes into autumn, allow your unnecessary holds to fall away creating the space in your life for what you truly want to expand.

[Kim Tapper, ACC, CPCC, 540-253-5843; www.kimtappercoaching.com, www.aplacetobefoundation.org ]

23

Middleburg Life OCTOBER 2011

Patrickswell

Longview Lane

Mistral

Middleburg, Virginia • $10,500,000

Delaplane, Virginia • $4,950,000

Upperville, Virginia • $1,950,000

264 acres in Orange County Hunt • Main house of stone construction • 4 bedrooms plus an in-law suite • Pool • Tennis court • 20 stall center aisle stable • Farm office • 1/16 mile indoor track • Guest house • Also available on 164 acres for $7,500,000 Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905

Circa 1889 manor home • Completely redesigned and reconstructed • Exposed beams, solid mahogany doors and windows • Antique fireplaces • Reclaimed choice hardwoods and limestone foyer • Incomparable views • 15 manicured acres Ann MacMahon (540) 687-5588

28 acres • First floor living includes master suite with office • Large formal living room • Mature gardens • Pond • 3 additional bedrooms • Great views • Tree lined driveway Helen MacMahon (540) 454-1930

Harborvale

Lions Lane

Conde Road

Middleburg, Virginia • $1,950,000

Boyce, Virginia • $1,390,000

Marshall, Virginia • $797,000

51 acres in Orange County Hunt • Minutes from town • Stone cottage is now a shell ready for construction • 3 car stone garage • Stable • Tenant house • Large pond • 2 parcels Helen MacMahon (540) 454-1930

109 mountain top acres • Unbelievable western views • Hunters’ paradise • 3 bedrooms • 2 fireplaces • Gourmet kitchen • 3 car garage • Energy efficient Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905

8 acres near Warrenton • First floor master • Stately pool • 2 additional private guest suites • 4 fireplaces • 3 car garage • Located in Warrenton Hunt Territory Walter Woodson (703) 499-4961

Rectortown Road

Old Yowell Farm

J. Patrick House

Rectortown, Virginia • $775,000

Boyce, Virginia • $699,000

Philomont, Virginia • $685,000

Quaint village setting • First floor master suite • 2 additional bedrooms • Charming guest home • 3 stall barn • 3 acres Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905

C. 1900 farmhouse on 18 acres • Recent addition includes kitchen with family room, master suite, mud room • Original pine floors • 2 parcels • 2 stall barn with feed/tack room, run-in shed • Storage building Helen MacMahon (540) 454-1930

Charming, spacious 1840’s Victorian in village of Philomont • 5 BRs, 4 BAs • Separate carriage house with 1BR, 1 bath and loft • Hardwood floors • Pressed tin ceiling • Wrap-around porch • Lovely yard Alix Coolidge (703) 625-1724

Lime Kiln Road

Little River Lane

Mrs. Beaver’s Cottage

Leesburg, Virginia • $575,000

The Plains, Virginia • $550,000

Middleburg, Virginia • $395,000

Wonderfully maintained; open floor plan; first-floor master suite • 4BRs, 3.5BAs, fireplace, well-appointed kitchen • Perfect full-time or weekend home across from historic Goose Greek • Minutes from Leesburg, Middleburg, major DC routes Walter Woodson (703) 499-4961

10 acres • Excellent Fauquier County location • Brick garage with apartment(needs to be finished) • Septic & well installed • All utilities to building • Winding driveway by 2 ponds leads to house site • Private yet easy access to Middleburg & The Plains Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905

Excellent location • 2 bedrooms • Fireplace • Hardwood floors under carpet • Fabulous views • 7.12 mostly wooded acres • Great rehab potential Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905

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

www.sheridanmacmahon.com info@sheridanmacmahon.com

24

OCTOBER 2011 Middleburg Life

Stephens Exhibit: River Song The Byrne Gallery is pleased to announce “River Song,” a special exhibition of atmospheric landscape oil paintings by artist Christopher Stephens. This exciting October exhibition offers dramatic vistas of northwestern Virginia near Skyline Drive. It is our sixth show for this Virginia painter, continuing his love for the river that is a local legend and national treasure. While songs and stories are rich in its history, the daily beauty is here for all of us to enjoy perennially changing as water bodies do—flowing, ebbing, drying, flooding, a ceaseless delight for the spirit that lifts us out of our day-today cares.

Stephens likens his longtime body of work surrounding the Shenandoah and its valleys to that of music and so his show title reflects this message. The artist states, “I have been pondering what it means to paint, to be a painter, to make paintings. Where is the art, the creativity? Is it in the finished work, or maybe in a body of related works? How does what I do relate to historical precedent?

Increasingly, for me, it is in the process, the sheer, direct doing.” This is similar to a meditation and what could be more centering and peaceful than a study that becomes a

transformation of the spirit.

Stephens goes on to say, “It seems that with classical music that the notes are set and the musician has just to play them as written.

The creation is the composer’s. And yet to hear musicians talk, the creative possibilities are open-ended with each performance. To experience the work, it has to be played; music has to unfold in time, and it is in that unfolding that the possibilities emerge.

Visual art seems the opposite; we view the finished work, and ‘get it’ all at once initially, then have different, hopefully deeper, experiences as we look and live with the art.”

“I paint the same subjects over and over, so in some strange way that might be like notes on a page, and my palette is always the same, my approach is essentially the same, and I have a personal, particular, limited range of marks. And I paint landscape, of which millions of examples already exist. The many givens, oil paint, flat white surface, subject, types of marks made in response to subject, are similar to a musical score in the

SUSAN BYRNE

On the Arts

way they give shape and direction to the artwork. I like what happens in the early stages of pure paint applied with big brushes with expressive energy. I like looking at the developing paintings and learning from them. I love bringing them forward towards completion, seeing them framed and hanging on the white walls of a gallery.”

“And yet, I continue to paint most of all for the time spent in the process of painting.

I get excited about the doing, every time. I take my time, like it’s a ritual, setting up, looking, absorbing the experience of the day, waiting and watching. Today’s painting is practice for tomorrow’s. But once I begin, it is the performance-like experience of being

fully present in the moment that makes painting the life-enhancing thing that I do.

To paint almost always makes me feel better, feel deeper, see the world as a supportive, magical, beautiful place. The same essential impulse that motivates a musician, to open oneself to the endless possibilities for creativity within the limits of human expression, is reason and the reward.”

Please come to see Christopher Stephens’ work at Salamander Touch, to glimpse the warm and luxurious environment in store for you when the resort opens in early spring 2013. This delightful spa and gift shop is located in the heart of Middleburg at 100 West Washington Street, right on the corner next to Safeway. And, while you are in the neighborhood, come to see Chris’ new show River Song at The Byrne Gallery. The show opens on Oct. 5 and there will be a reception for the artist on Saturday, Oct. 8, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. This reception is free and everyone is cordially invited to attend. The paintings will be on display through Nov. 2.

The Byrne Gallery is located at 7 West Washington Street in Middleburg, Virginia.

Gallery hours are Monday and Tuesday by appointment only, Wednesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Contact The Byrne Gallery for more information at 540-687-6986.

You Are Cordially

Invited to Experience

Join Us for a Pre-K through Grade Twelve Open House Event On Sunday afternoon November 13 at 1:30 p.m Highland Center for the Arts Five Ninety-Seven Broadview Avenue

R.S.V.P. to: 540-878-2741

www.highlandschool.org Children are welcome to attend.

MADAds:Layout 1 9/29/11 4:04 PM Page 3

25

Middleburg Life OCTOBER 2011

“By advancing the technology we use in health care, there’s no telling the kinds of impact we could have on the quality of people’s lives.

All of my teachers are incredibly supportive of me and my goal to pursue a career in medicine.

I not only have access to a variety of high-level science and math courses, but I am given the tools I need to succeed in college and beyond.” ~ Alex ‘13

To get to know Middleburg Academy better and what our high school can do for students like Alex, go to our website and click on Meet Our Community.

MIDDLEBURG ACADEMY Discover our close­knit learning community w w w. m i d d l e b u r g a c a d e m y. o r g Photograph by Mona Botwick

26

OCTOBER 2011 Middleburg Life

The 41st showing of Art at the Mill, the Shenandoah Valley’s largest art show and sale, runs Oct. 1-16 at the Burwell Morgan Mill in Millwood. The Clarke County Historical Association received submissions from more than 250 artists from 11 states and the jury has selected more than 1,000 diverse pieces of original art to be displayed and sold. Over the years, Art at the Mill has garnered a large following of both artists and patrons. Sculpture, oils, watercolors, woodworking, and pottery fill an 18th century operating gristmill for two weeks every spring and fall. Artists keep 70 percent of their sales and the CCHA receives 30 percent to use for ongoing operation of the mill, its new museum and the funding of an annual art scholarship. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for seniors. Students are admitted free. For more information and a full list of the show’s artists, go online to www.clarkehistory. org and click on Art at the Mill. Email ccha@ visuallink.com or call 540-955-2600 with questions or comments.

The Windy Hill Foundation will hold its 10th annual benefit fashion show starting at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, at Hillmount in The Plains. The foundation is a nonprofit affordable housing organization located in

Middleburg and the fashion show is its largest annual fundraiser. Clothes for the show will come from some of Middleburg, Virginia’s top retailers: Betsey, Duchessa, Highcliffe Clothiers, Lou Lou, Lou Lou Too, The Magic Wardrobe, Timmie Jane and Tully Rector.

And Wendy Pepper, famous Project Runway designer and owner of Wendy Pepper Designs, will show some of her latest creations. Food will be provided by area restaurants, including Back Street Café and Catering, Blackthorn Inn & Restaurant, The Fox’s Den Tavern, The French Hound, The Goodstone Inn & Estate Restaurant, Home Farm Store, Julien’s Café & Restaurant, and The Red Fox Inn & Tavern.

The event also will feature an auction that will include a seven-day, six-night stay at a Jamaican villa at the Round Hill Hotel resort Montego Bay, which has served as a home-away-fromhome for such well-known icons as President and Mrs. Kennedy, Princess Grace of Monaco, and Bing Crosby, among many others. The house sleeps six people and has a staff of three. Tickets for the benefit fashion show are $100, $75 of which is tax deductible. To purchase tickets, please go to www.windyhillfoundation.org and click on the fashion show tab. For additional information, visit the web-

U S I N G E V E R Y D AY T O I T S F U L L E S T

Making the most of every opportunity

WAK EFIELD SCHO OL 4 439 O L D TAV E R N R OA D T H E PL A I N S, VA 20198

Open House

Contact us for appointment and tour

SUNDAY, OC T 16TH, 2:00pm

admissions@wakefieldschool.org

RSVP to www.wakefieldschool.org/openhouse

Independent Day School for Pre-S through Grade 12

or (540)253-7600

WAK_07_MiddleburgLife_ad_post_092711r2.indd 1

9/28/2011 11:47:35 AM

The Middleburg Tennis Club was the victor at the fourth annual Leesburg Cup Tennis Tournament, held at the A.V. Symington Tennis Center at Ida Lee Park Sept. 16-18. The Leesburg Cup is an invitational team tournament for senior players age 50 and over from the Middleburg Tennis Club, Chestnut Forks Athletic Club and the A.V. Symington Tennis Center. The event came down to the wire, with the final result determined only in the last match, resulting in the Middleburg Tennis Club taking three out of the five matches that day to claim victory. It was a heady day for the Middleburg team since it was the first time the Middleburg players had won the event since the tournament returned to Leesburg in 2008. Pictured with the winning cup are Scott Andrews, Middleburg’s head pro Matt Day, Elaine Burden, Page Dimos, John Mascatello and Ida Lee head pro Moses Gittens.

site or contact the Windy Hill Foundation at 540-687-3997.

The Warrenton Antiquarian Society will present a celebration of the Civil War Sesquicentennial from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 15 and from noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 16. The event will be presented at Weston, the authentically restored farmstead in Casanova. Volunteers will re-enact events that occurred at Weston during the Civil War, as told in the diary of Margaret Nourse, who lived there at the time. Guests will be offered food and games common in that period. A working blacksmith shop will be in operation. There will also be prizes, music and farm animals. The cost is $10 per family or $5 for individuals. Proceeds will be used by the Society to support the restoration. Weston is located at 4476 Weston Road. For more information, go online to www.historicweston.org.

The fourth annual Fall Festival will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, on the front lawn of Piedmont Child Care Center in Upperville. Admission is free and tickets will be available for purchase for special games and activities. There will be two moon bounces, hay and pony rides, a petting zoo, games, book fair, cakewalk, silent auction, a 50/50 raffle, a fire truck to explore, and free child identification cards issued by a Fauquier County deputy. In addition to all of the activities, food will be available for purchase. All proceeds from ticket and food sales will benefit PCCC, which provides early childhood care

and education for approximately 87 children from diverse, multi-cultural backgrounds. For more information, call 540-592-3908 or visit www.piedmontchildcare.org.

Colleen McGovern Gustavson, a licensed Virginia Realtor since 2002, has joined Atoka Properties in Purcellville and Middleburg Real Estate in Middleburg. She has nearly 10 years of experience in sales, leasing, and property management in the Loudoun County real estate market, having represented individual as well as corporate buyers, sellers, and property owners.

She is a native of Loudoun County and delights her clients with her in-depth knowledge of Loudoun’s neighborhoods, schools, amenities, people, and history. She also is a volunteer Cub Scout leader and a Keep Loudoun Beautiful volunteer. She graduated with honors from the College of William and Mary. She also received an associate’s degree from the Univeriste Paul Valery in Montpellier, France. For more information contact Gustavson at 703-296-2347 (Mobile), 540-338-7770 (Office) or email Colleen@ middleburgrealestate.com.

The Loudoun Symphony opens its 2011-2012 Concert Season at 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 8 at the Virginia Academy-Community Church in Ashburn. Opening Night at the

27

Middleburg Life OCTOBER 2011 Symphony will be directed by Mark Allen McCoy, music director and conductor, and will feature Phil Munds, principal horn at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. The concert includes Rossini’s William Tell Overture, Strauss’ Horn Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat Major, op. 11, Milhaund’s, Le Boeuf sur le Toit, op.58 and Hindermith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber. The Loudoun Symphony will present four full orchestra concerts in the concert hall and will present chamber concerts at the Franklin Park Arts Center in Purcellville. Tickets may be purchased at 703-771-8287 or online at www.loudounsymphony.org. Adults are $22, seniors are $18, and students are $10. At the door adults are $25, seniors are $20, and students are $15.

All children under age 12 are admitted free.

Subscriptions offering savings of 45 percent over the single ticket door price are available by telephone or on the website. Group discounts are available for blocks of 10 tickets or more.

The Loudoun Symphony is supported by funding from Virginia Commission for the Arts, Loudoun Arts Council, OMNILERT, Robey Foundation, NOVEC, AOL, Orbital Sciences, Middleburg Bank, Wegmans, and individuals from the Loudoun community.

The Middleburg United Methodist Women will hold a bingo and spaghetti dinner night beginning at 6 p.m. Oct. 29 at the church. Cost is $10 for adults, $5 for children under 10. Bingo cards are $1. RSVP to the Church office at 540-687-6492.

Ayrshire Farm on Trappe Road near Upperville will be open to the public for a fun-filled family day as part of the Loudoun County Fall Farm Color Tour Saturday, Oct. 15 and Sunday, Oct. 16. The farm will open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. each day, and there is no charge for admission. All are welcome, but pets should be left at home and will not be admitted. Ayrshire Farm is a certified organic, certified humane producer of heritage breed livestock, including Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, Scottish Highland and White Park cattle, and Bourbon Red, Standard Bronze, and Midget White turkeys, many of which will be on display. Ayrshire Farm’s antique carriage collection will also be on view. The famous Ayrshire Farm Shire horses will be providing the “horsepower” for a rare, antique stone cider press as well as pulling the wagons for hayrides around the farm. Children will find plenty to see and do, with a variety of children’s activities and games, including face painting and pumpkin decorating. There will be lots of farm animals to see. Farm food will be available for sale and will include turkey burgers, grilled Italian sausages, and salads—all featuring Ayrshire Farm’s organic, humanely raised meats and other produce. Ayrshire meats, eggs, and other products will be available for purchase. Ayrshire Farm’s

mission is to farm sustainably and profitably, promoting the benefits of locally produced, humanely raised meats and organic produce to the local consumer community through education, outreach and example. For more information on Ayrshire Farm and its sister companies, go online to www.ayrshirefarm.com.

Among the activities planned in October as the National Sporting Library and Museum celebrates the opening of its new art museum will be a Coaching Weekend Oct. 7-9. It will be one of the largest gatherings in the country with more than 25 participating coaches. There will be a Presentation of the Coaches at 10 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Upperville Colt & Horse Show Grounds.

The event is open to the public. There also will be a Coaching Horn Contest. The script for the presentation has been written by Douglas Kemmerer who designed drives for the participating coaches through the historic Middleburg countryside. Several NSLM members are major participants in the sport of coaching, including Hector Alcalde, Jacqueline L. Ohrstrom and George “Frolic” Weymouth. They will be joined by other coaching enthusiasts from around the country for this historic gathering. For more information visit www.nsl.org.

Beginning Saturday, Oct. 8, and running through Oct. 30 a wide variety of Civil War relics from 11 collectors will be on display in the former mansion of Virginia Gov. Westmoreland Davis at Morven Park in Leesburg. For many of the artifacts, this will be the first time they have been on public display.

These particular collectors were inspired by the Sesquicentennial Commemoration of the Civil War that began in spring 2011 and will continue throughout the nation for the next four years. But they were further motivated to collaborate on this exhibit because it coincides with the 150th anniversary of one of the most significant battles fought in Loudoun County, the Oct. 21, 1861, Battle of Ball’s Bluff. The exhibit, “Remembering Ball’s Bluff,” will be open seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission is free. While many items are from the battle itself, other pieces in the exhibit will demonstrate the impact of the War on life in Virginia. “Literally, this is the first time all these items have been together since the battle 150 years ago,” said one of the exhibitors, Ken Fleming of Purcellville. “This is a rare opportunity to see something that was part of not just Loudoun County history, but U.S. history. To me that’s really special.” Items on display will include letters, uniforms, items used in daily life, and weapons, as well as letters, newspapers, and photographs. Two swords hold particular interest to local history buffs, even though neither one was used in actual battle. “Both were given separately to officers for their conduct at Ball’s Bluff,” Fleming said. “Each is one-of-akind and this is the first time they’ve been seen

together since they were awarded to the officers in 1865. In fact, one of them has never been in public view.” Morven Park, under the operation of the Westmoreland Davis Memorial Foundation, was once the home of Virginia’s 55th governor. It will be the site of the Oct. 22-23 commemoration of the Battle of Ball’s Bluff, hosting an encampment of about 1,000 reenactors who will march to the Ball’s Bluff battlefield for the first reenactment ever to take place there. For more information, go online to www.morvenpark.com.

Dustin Pari from television’s “Ghost Hunters” and “Ghost Hunters International” seen on The SyFy Channel, will be attending a special paranormal investigation event at The Wayside Inn in Middletown Nov. 5. Pari, who has traveled the world conducting investigations into the paranormal, will be participating in a special lecture/investigation event at the inn. The event will consist of a meet-and-greet session starting at 3 p.m. as followed by a lecture by Pari and presentation of audio and visual evidence gathered by Spirit Watch, an area paranormal research group, from investigations conducted at the inn.

Built in 1797, The Wayside Inn is the oldest continuous operating inn in the United States.

Pari also will participate in group investigations, which will be conducted on the night of the event. For more information, contact Spirit Watch at 540-336-4530 or spiritwatchva@

Gary Carroll portrayed Col. John Singleton Mosby during the Mosby Ranger Descendant Reunion at the Inn at Kelly’s Ford, Remington Sept. 10.

Photo by Douglas Lees

Get ready for our Holiday Guide, starting next month Ad Deadline Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Call Tom Flint 571-333-6273

or email tflint@acnpapers.com

28

OCTOBER 2011 Middleburg Life

‘Chasing Between The Rain Storms OK, we’re into autumn now, and Mother Nature has seen fit to answer the rain dancers with daily showers and occasional deluges so that we have mud up to our ears. Stinkbugs are knocking at windows and doors, trying to find a cozy place to hibernate for the winter. Ragweed has sinuses everywhere in an uproar, and leaf mold is making its allergic presence known. On the positive side of the spectrum, there are lots of happenings, horse-wise, so let’s jump into the news.

Competition Highlights

Warrenton Horse Show and Hunt Night: The traditional place to be during Labor Day weekend saw some familiar folks picking up tri-colors. Mrs. Braga’s Never Say Never, Patty Heuckeroth in the irons, earned the Local Hunter (other than owner-rider) championship and also the PreG r e e n Hunters 3’ division title. Sue E. Bopp and Chawton cleaned up, winning championships in Local Hunter Owner-Rider and the 3’3” division of the Amateur/Owners, earning the Grand Hunter Championship.

Penny Denegre, Jt-MFH Middleburg Hunt, scored another Ladies Side Saddle championship. Denice DeRisio-Perry of Skyland Farm LLC partnered with Placido to best the competition in the $5,000 Warrenton Hunter Classic.

Betty Oare and Fine Kiss finished third in the Hunter Classic. Betty and Cocoa Cheval won the Foxhunters Over Fences (46+) class during Hunt Night, which was dominated by Keswick aboard Sally Lamb’s horses (in case you’re ever down that way and want to rent a horse to hunt). In fact, Keswick swept the top three places in Hunt Teams of Three and won the Hunt Night title for heaven-knows how many years now.

Middleburg Classic: The event took place

LAUREN R. GIANNINI

Horsing Around

at Morven Park, Sept. 21-25. Lysa Burke Horkan and On The Air claimed the Adult Amateur 35+ championship. Dr. Betsee Parker’s Liseter Clever Star, ridden by David Pawlak, earned the top tri-color in Local Pony Hunter (2’6” division). Music Street, owned by Alexa and Krista Wesiman, ridden by Sandy Ferrell, scored the big prize money in the $10,000 Middleburg Classic Amateur Derby and also won the $2,500 Middleburg Classic Adult Amateur Derby with a reserve championship in the Adult Amateur Hunter 35+.

Middleburg-Orange County Pony Club Horse Trials: Sept. 24-25 at Glenwood Park we watched some great video of the cross-country on YouTube, but alas, missed this great event again this year. Local riders, some of them Olympic veterans, included Karen O’Connor, Nina Fout, Lynn Symansky, Phyllis Dawson, Jan Byyny, Stephen Bradley, Sharon White, Lauren Kieffer, Hannah Sue Burnett, and quite a few more. For complete results and more information, please visit: www.mocponyclub.org.

What You Missed

Racing between the flags: the Thornton Hill Fort Valley Point-to-Point took place on Sept. 10, Sperryville. The Blue Ridge Fall Races ran at Woodley Farm, Berryville, Sept. 17. The action moved on Sept. 25 to Charlottesville for the Foxfield Fall Races. Check out the results tab at Will O’Keefe’s www.centralentryoffice.com where you’ll find photos and even stories—you can access a wealth of chasing information at a click of your mouse.

Great Meadow’s season finales for Twilight Jumpers (Sept. 16) and Twilight Polo (Sept. 17): good crowds at both events, but how wow, the polo was packed—wall-to-wall people, probably set a record for attendance that night.

News Bits

Kris Gali, Halfway, sent a lovely email about her daughters. Miranda is president of her sophomore class at Foxcroft and riding on the IEA (Interscholastic Equestrian Association)

Elliott

Elliott is a housebroken 3yr old Lab/Hound mix. He is a very sweet boy that has lots of energy. His new family will need to exercise him daily. He would be a great running partner or an agility or Frisbee dog. He gets along well with other dogs & children but would prefer a home without cats.

MHF also has many wonderful cats, kittens, & horses looking for forever homes. We would love to work with you to find the perfect family HUMANE FOUNDATION friend. Visit our website for available animals.

(540) 364-­3272 www.middleburghumane.com

MIDDLEBURG

Trainer Neil Morris won two races at the Blue Ridge Fall Races, including saddling the top two placers in the Maiden Timber for owner Kinross Farm: winner Sur La Tete and Jacob Roberts land going away, while just behind them and still landing, are second-placed I Hear Banjos with Chris Read in the irons.

Photo By Lauren R. Giannini team and competing in outside shows when time allows. Miranda had a great first year in Junior Hunters on Pacifico, winning a class at Upperville and placing in two out of three classes at Devon.

Sophie, who’s in eighth grade at the Hill School, has claimed a fair number of tri-colors on the AA level with her new mount, Jordy, having moved up to Children’s Jumpers in June.

Sophie and Jordy were champion at Upperville, Loudoun Benefit Horse Show where they won the combined Children/Adult Jumper Classic, reserve champion at Swan Lake (PA) and champion at both the Constitution Classic and Winston National at Culpeper. Sophie and Jordy qualified for Washington International Horse Show, to boot.

What’s Happening

Back by popular demand, because more people want to know what their pets are saying or thinking, June “Sananjaleen” Hughes has scheduled another Animal Communication Playday at Sananda in Rectortown from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23. Bring photos of your beloved furred, finned and feathered friends, pen and paper, and a picnic lunch. Be prepared to laugh and perhaps to cry as you increase your awareness and ability for interspecies communication with kindred spirits and some very helpful animal schoolmasters. For information: sananda@erols.com or 540-364-1282.

If you’re planning to snowbird to Florida for the winter, make plans to be in Wellington on Jan. 27 to attend the USET Foundation’s Olympic Games Benefit. “An English Country Evening” features honorary chairs NBC Today Show host Matt Lauer and his wife Annette, an avid equestrian, who pledged to help raise funds for the USET Foundation to support the United States Equestrian Team riders as they prepare to compete at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

The celebratory evening will include the USET Foundation’s awarding of its most coveted awards, the prestigious Lionel Guerrand-Hermes Trophy and the Whitney Stone Cup. The evening will also recognize Gold Medal Club members who have supported the USET Foundation for 10 to 30 years. Guests will enjoy cocktails, dinner and a Live Auction that will include a few very special items. Invitations go out at the beginning of November. For further information please contact: Nancy Little, USET Foundation 908-234-1251 or nlittle@uset.org Middleburg Hunt members Marcia and George de Garmo earned the MFHA Conservation Award. For now suffice it to say that the de Garmos picked up the baton after Marcia’s parents bought a derelict farm, refurbished and reenergized it, then in 1978 became one of the first families in the area to put their farm in easement.

They fought a successful court battle when the IRS challenged the easement, thereby smoothing the way for others to follow suit. After Marcia’s

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Middleburg Life OCTOBER 2011 father passed away and her mother’s health declined, Marcia and George took over the farm and continued to create habitats for wildlife and buffer zones along the streams, in keeping with the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act initiative.

“Marcia and George de Garmo have demonstrated unwavering dedication to land conservation in one of the most beautiful areas of Virginia,” MFHA First Vice President Jack van Nagell said. They received their award during the Virginia Fall Races at Glenwood Park between the running of the two timber races. Look for the complete story next month.

The Morven Park Fall Horse Trials Oct. 1-2, at Morven Park boasts an impressive rider list with an all-star roster of our best riders and rising three-day stars on every level. This event served as the final mandatory outing the U.S. Eventing Team, which is headed to Guadalajara for the Pan Am Games. The team has two local connections: on the first team, Hannah Sue Burnett, who works for Karen & David O’Connor, and Harbour Pilot, owned by Mrs. Jacqueline Mars. Lynn Symansky and Donner are on the list of alternates. You can get great coverage of the Pan Ams from the Chronicle of the Horse (www. chronofhorse.com) and also be sure to check out Eventing Nation, one of my all-time favorites which embeds great videos, some with helmetcams, interviews, and all sorts of entertaining stuff at www.eventingnation.com. There’s no excuse for missing out on the action, be it eventing, dressage or show jumping, at the 2012 Pan Am Equestrian Games, Oct. 16-29.

Fox Hunter’s Challenge Hunter Pace, Morven Park, Oct. 16: proceeds will benefit Morven Park and Loudoun Therapeutic Riding Foundation. Divisions include: First Field Opti-

mum Time, Second Field Optimum Time, Hilltopper, Masters & Staff, Juniors, Trail Rider.

Adding to the fun, each hunt can compete for all sorts of prizes: Best Horn, Best Flask, Best Tailgate, Crack A Whip, Best Halloa. For information: Sheryl Williams 703-777-2890 or visit www.morvenpark.org and click the calendar date.

Orange County Team Chase, Oct. 30, at Old Whitewood: this fun cross-country competition for horses and ponies that have been fairly hunted began in 1987 and continues to grow in popularity every year. Divisons include Hilltoppers, Limit Hunters, and Genuine Hunters, plus the Junior Hunter Championship. Note that entries close Monday, Oct. 24, by 6 p.m. For prize lists, call 540-253-5356.

Washington International Horse Show, Oct. 25-30: it takes place in the Verizon Center, Washington, DC, blocking a few streets near the center for stabling, farriers, van loads that ship in daily. It’s a great family and friend outing, convenient to Metro. Hunters, Jumpers, terrier races, Equitation Finals, you name it, and great shopping, to boot. A few highlights: Barn Night Thursday features the Gamblers Choice Costume Class: $25,000 Puissance (high jump) on Friday; $100,000 President’s Cup Grand Prix on Saturday; Pony Hunters, Pony Equitation, Regional Finals on Sunday. Get the scoop by visiting www.wihs.org Please send your news bits to: LaurenG. HorseInk@gmail.com. We don’t like to leave out anybody, but we admit that we don’t and can’t know everyone who’s local (would be so nice if hometowns were included!). So, if you don’t send your good news, and you get left out by mistake, tough oats! Have fun horsing around.

Keswick Hunt father-daughter duo: Sandy Rives (Technician) and Lizzie Rives (Care Bear) lead the victory gallop in the Hunting Pairs. They won and pinned in a lot of classes, contributing greatly to Keswick earning top honors overall for Hunt Night.

Photo By Lauren R. Giannini

What To Wear For Your Special Occasion There is nothing more exciting than going out for a really special evening.

Whether it’s to celebrate a very special birthday or anniversary, wedding, charity fundraiser, or if you are attending an oh-so-fabulous black tie event (such as the National Sporting Library’s black tie gala celebrating the opening of the new National Sporting Museum), you will want to pull out all of the stops and look your very best.

Deciding what to wear on your special occasion may seem overwhelming. If you do find JUDY SHEEHAN yourself in a dilemma, Personal style and don’t have a clue as to what to wear, follow my simple tips to ensure you will be the bestdressed fashionista ever.

Knowing how formal to dress for any event is key. You don’t want to be undressed or overdressed, it all depends on the occasion. A good clue to the formality of an occasion and what to wear will depend greatly on the time of the event. The general rule of thumb is the later in the day the event is held (after 6 p.m.) the dressier the event will be. Unless of course the event is black tie which mandates men wear a tux, and women may wear a long gown, the traditional choice, or a luxurious cocktail dress.

No matter what the event, the best and most important advice I can give you in determining what to wear is to always pick a dress that flatters your figure.

Know your body shape and make sure your outfit accentuates your best features and helps hide your flaws. And always, always, always, make sure it fits perfectly.

The color of your outfit also comes into play. Remember that darker colors recede and tend to make you look thinner (one reason for the popularity of the “little black dress”) and most shades of deep pinks, blues, and whites tend to look good on most people...white especially if you are tan. Knowing what colors look great on you is critically important. Deep jewel tones are very “in” this season, as are metallics. Remember, you can never go wrong with choosing black for a formal event.

The style of the dress you pick is important, too. If you are heavier on the bottom, a flattering option to choose would be an A-line style. If you have a great upper body, think about picking a halter style dress or gown. Halter dresses will highlight

your face, shoulders and bust line and draw attention away from your hips and legs. A dress with a stand up collar that has a moderate or low neckline will also frame your face and draw the eye upward. If you have wide hips think about a strapless or cap sleeve cocktail dress that is fitted at the waist to help balance and give you an hourglass figure. If you want a dress that has embellishment or heavy beading, make sure the beading on the dress is accentuating your best features (on the bodice, waist, etc.) and not too overpowering. If you’d like more coverage for your arms, think about a jacket style dress. If you have great legs, show them off with a smashing cocktail length dress or gown with a slit up the side or front.

The fabric of your outfit also is very important and will dictate its formality.

Fabrics such as silk, organza or satin are upscale and a “must have” for more formal events. Dressy velvet fabrics look gorgeous but save them for the winter months. Gowns that have beading, embroidery, or embellishment also work well for more formal events.

Remember that accessories play a big role in looking glamorous! If you are wearing simple lines, great jewelry is key to polishing off an outfit. Usually, the more special the occasion, the more opulent your jewelry. On the other hand, if your dress is heavily embellished, keep your jewelry to a minimum.

Also, don’t forget about wearing a great pair of shoes with your outfit. High, strappy sandals or sling backs, in either the same color palate as your dress or darker, will look fantastic with any formal outfit.

Shoes that have beads, glitter, or jewels on them will add a touch of glamour. Metallic colored shoes, such as gold or silver, will really “pop” your outfit. To help make your legs look long and lean, make sure to always wear at least one-inch heels.

Your legs: if you are wearing a short dress or one with a slit that shows off your legs, please wear leg makeup, stockings, or get a great spray tan. Celebrities may not be wearing hose these day, but they always wear leg makeup or have a spray tan, so their legs look bronzed, silky and fabulous (and yours can, too).

Finally, if you can’t find an outfit that flatters your figure, feel free to contact me at 703-732-7732 and I’ll be happy to help you find that oh-so-fabulous-and-perfect outfit that makes your heart sing and will help you to look and feel your very best whatever your special occasion.

30

OCTOBER 2011 Middleburg Life

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31

Middleburg Life OCTOBER 2011 In the Capital Region

In the Virginia Countryside

WASHINGTON F I N E P RO P E RT I E S , L L C

INTERNATIONAL OFFERING

INTERNATIONAL OFFERING

INTERNATIONAL OFFERING

THE OAKS, MILLWOOD, VA

HOLLY HILL, MIDDLEBURG, VA

PAN D’OR, MARSHALL, VA

Spectacular turn key horse property on 32+- acres in perfect Clarke County location. Recently renovated 3 bedroom, 4 bath house featuring fabulous great room, spacious rooms and heart pine flooring through out. 8 stall barn with large apartment and 4 car garage. $1,950,000. With additional 98 acres and 4 Durs $3,100,000.

Jim Thompson 540-687-3216

Minutes to Middleburg, on a quiet country road, surrounded by 2 picturesque ponds, flowing stream, and beautiful serene views.

Holly Hill, an historic stone manor estate (c1790) is perfectly situated on 37+ ac in 3 parcels. Main house offers 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths accompanied by a guest house, swimming pool, stable, 2 separate apartments, paddocks and outbuildings. $3,300,000.

Gloria Armfield 540-687-2223

Located in the Orange County Hunt territory near Middleburg.

54+ acres. Stunning European style residence offering 4 bedrooms, 4 full baths, 1 half bath, apartment and tenant house.

The property is fabulous with views of the Blue Ridge and Bull Run Mountains, bordered by Cromwells Run and protected by VOF easements. Excellent ride out. $2,850,000.

Gloria Armfield 540-687-2223

INTERNATIONAL OFFERING

INTERNATIONAL OFFERING

GRACEWOOD, DELAPLANE, VA

FOX VALLEY FARM, MIDDLEBURG, VA

LAUREL HILL, HAYMARKET, VA

Gracewood, 28 acres, Piedmont Hunt. Stunning, brick, Federal 4 bedroom residence with 12' ceilings on first floor. Beautifully landscaped pool and grounds. 7 stall stable with tack, wash and feed rooms. Riding arena, dimensions of regulation dressage ring.

All in immaculate condition. $2,750,000.

Carole Miller 540-687-2233

Very complete, very charming hunt country property. 32 acres in prime Orange County Hunt. Just south of Middleburg in Fauquier County. Main house c. 1845 with 3 bedrooms, one on 1st floor, large living room with huge windows, dining room with stone walls, pool, guest house, separate garage, 7 stall barn, 2 BR cottage, large pond. Excellent location for riding, privacy and peaceful country living. Priced to sell. $2,500,000.

Ruth Ripley 540-687-2222

Beautiful stone and frame 5 bedroom and 4 1/2 bath home with over 4,500 square feet of living space on 24+ private acres. Fully renovated gourmet kitchen. Lovely screened porch with stone walls, flagstone floors and fireplace. Large rec room over garage with full bath. Charming den with fireplace, large family room with fireplace. Beautiful grounds, new pool and hot tub. $1,395,000.

Jim Thompson 540-687-3216

200 STONEWALL AVENUE, MIDDLEBURG, VA

HUNTSMANS RIDGE, WARRENTON, VA

SUNNYSIDE, MARSHALL, VA

Beautiful, fully renovated, high-end office building with approximately 2,600 SF of exceptional space on 3 levels. Lovely open atrium for reception, conference rooms, private offices, wired for Ethernet & handicap accessible. Beautiful large lot with 5+ private parking spaces with room for expansion. Zoned C-1 can also be enjoyed as a residence. $765,000.

Carole Miller 540-687-2233 Anita Sisney 540-687-2214

A wonderful custom built Wetherburne home in Huntsman’s Ridge just minutes from historic Warrenton on an acre lot. Lovely light filled home, large front and rear covered porches, 4/5 BR, 4.5 BA, in-law suite on lower level with kitchen.

Fabulous sunroom with 11' high coffered ceiling, 2 FP, hardwood floors, window transoms and wainscoting. Great commuter location. A must see. $597,000.

Anita Sisney 540-687-2214 Carol Fochtman 540-687-2219

Charming brick rambler in terrific location! Just minutes to I-66.

Hardwood floors throughout and large basement. This lovely home is on a large lot (.46 acres) filled with beautiful mature trees and large fenced back yard. $230,000.

Jim Thompson 540-687-3216

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PROPERTIES IN HUNT COUNTRY HIGHFIELDS

FOALSFIELD

Upperville- Spectacular custom built home on 50 acres with gorgeous mountain views. Home has a European Country feel with traditional VA architectual details. Open floor plan includes 1st Floor Master Bedroom, Den, Living room, Chef ’s Kitchen, Sunroom, 3 Fireplaces, 3 bedrooms on 2nd level, full walk-out basement designed for Rec Room, bedroom & more. Heated pool, lovely terraces and enclosed courtyard. Two-car garage with one bedroom apartment above. $3,250,000

Elegant 4 Bedroom, 4 Full and 2 Half Baths Stone and Stucco home on 12+ acres Old Pine Floors Antique Chandeliers Master Bedroom on Main Level Granite Countertops 4 Marble and Stone Fireplaces Covered Stone Terrace Screened-In Porch Stunning Pool Detached Garage Storage Shed Stone Walls Board Fencing Orange County Hunt Fabulous Views. $2,250,000

Rectortown - Charming c.1909 stucco farm house privately located on 37+ acres overlooking Goose Creek  4 Bedrooms, 2.5 baths with full basement and walk-up attic. Includes 1800’s stone and frame 3 story grist mill  5 Stall Barn Fenced paddocks  Two large spring fed ponds  Surrounded by over 500+ acres of protected farm land. One of a kind location in the Piedmont Hunt territory. Priced below appraised value. $1,695,000

PARIS LAND

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LANDMARK SCHOOL ROAD

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MILAN MILL

Cricket Bedford (540) 229-3201

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Southern charm in a great family home 5 min from Middleburg. Open, spacious, light-filled rooms; family room with stone fireplace; country kitchen with island and dining space; living room with bookcases and fireplace; 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths; office; screened porch; wisteria covered porch/patio; swimming pool, 2-stall horse stable, turn-out paddock, gardens. All on 3 acres in Middleburg Downs. $797,500

105 + acres on the east side of Blue Ridge Mountain Road near the village of Paris. Possibly up to 4 parcels; 3 in Clarke County, 1 in Loudoun. Land is in an Appalachian Trail Conservancy Easement. Nice elevation, gently sloping, all wooded, great investment potential. Great access to Rt. 50 or Rt. 7.

Forestry Management Plan in hand. $948,600

Sheryl Heckler (540) 272-4300

Barrington Hall (540)454-6601

Charming brick home filled with character and ideally situated at the edge of the village of Middleburg backing up to Hill School walking trail with views of the surrounding countryside. 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths. Features include newer addition with Main floor Master Bedroom and Family Room with Fpl., Galley Kitchen, Separate Dining Room, Living Room with fpl, office, wood floors, new furnace and workshop. Well maintained inside and out. $485,000

Cathy Bernache (540)424-7066

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E Just 2  miles west of the village of Middleburg, and on a quiet lane in the Aspen Hill neighborhood  Lovely 3 Bedroom 2 Full Bath, 2  Bath home on just over 2 acres  Master Bedroom on main level  Crown Molding  Vaulted ceilings  Tray ceiling  Extensive Landscaping  Storage Shed  Private Deck  Attached 2 Car Garage  Full Basement $550,000

Barrington Hall (540)454-6601

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PARADISE FARM - 120 acres of beautiful farmland in the midst of Virginia hunt country. The mostly open property boasts spectacular mountain and valley views, rolling hay fields and Goose Creek frontage. A classic two story farmhouse and two barns await renovation. Numerous desirable building sites are available. Conservation tax opportunities available. Orange County Hunt. $3,750,000 EDGECLIFF-146 acres with excellent road frontage along both Rectortown & Crenshaw Roads. Ideally situated in heart of Piedmont Fox Hounds hunt country.Lush open fields, stone walls, pond.Sweeping views of both the Blue Ridge & Cobbler Mountains. One house may be built on a pre-selected site near pond, 5 Bedroom conventional perc. Land in VOF Conservation easement $2,400,000 MYERS MILL-45 acres along the Rappahannock River just west of Warrenton. Lovely views to the Blue Ridge and rolling hay fields. Trails down thru 10 acres of hardwoods to the swimming hole. $495,000 CARRINGTON ROAD - Delaplane - Rare opportunity to own land nestled amongst larger, protected land in Delaplane. Rolling and partially cleared. The elevated house sites offer gorgeous South Easterly views. 11+ acres in two parcels. Convenient to I-66. $349,000

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Cricket Bedford (540) 229-3201

Bee Lefferts (540) 454-5555

Move in ready. Charming remodeled Middleburg property. Offering 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths, new Kitchen and hardwood floors  Fully finished walk-out basement with Family Room and Office or Guest Bedroom  Large deck off the kitchen, spacious fenced side yard and plenty of storage space all in a convenient in-town location. $359,000

Cathy Bernache (540) 424-7066

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

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THOMAS AND TALBOT REAL ESTATE A STAUNCH ADVOCATE OF LAND EASEMENTS LAND AND ESTATE AGENTS SINCE 1967 Middleburg, Virginia 20118 (540) 687-6500

* Washington, Virginia 22747 (540) 675-3999

Phillip S. Thomas, Sr.

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