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Featured Article (May 2008)Ten Great Virginia Equine Events By Terri Haynie Undoubtedly, the most difficult aspect of writing this feature was deciding which events to include. Virginians are fortunate indeed—try identifying a weekend where there isn’t something horsey going on. We hope we’ve highlighted some of your favorites here—the kind of classic attractions that represent many of the characteristics Virginia is known for: historical significance, beauty, hospitality, community service, and a deep respect for and dedication to tradition. From riding the Blue Ridge to touring some of Upperville and Middleburg’s premier equine estates and facilities, we hope you discover something new, or that you make plans to return to something you enjoyed years ago. Maybe we’ll see you there! Montebello Spring Trail Ride Virginia is for trail riders. At least it is every spring and fall, when organized overnight trail rides across the state are held nearly every weekend. From the eastern shore to Fort Valley, there is a ride for every level of experience and fitness. One of the best known overnights and a favorite of many, The Montebello Ride celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2008. According to Paulette Albright, ride organizer for the last ten years, "The feedback we get from the riders is that Montebello has beautiful scenery, and the people who sponsor it are special. It’s put on by the Montebello Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad who are very friendly. It’s a casual, country atmosphere and people feel like it’s a special getaway place and a wonderful experience with their horses." About 100 riders attend the spring ride and travel
along the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Crabtree Falls.
Organizers provide five meals and a Saturday night dance for $75 per
rider. In the fall, Montebello hosts their "no frills" ride featuring
apple butter-making and the grand appearance of fall color. Riders are
responsible for their own food. For information on how to register,
visit
http://static.nelsoncounty.com/gems/nelsonEmergencysvcs/ 49th Annual Hunt Country Stable Tour Over Memorial Day weekend, some of Virginia’s most beautiful equine farms and estates will be open to the public, along with the Middleburg Training Track, the MARE Center, and the Northern Virginia Animal Swim Center, to name just a few. It is a rare opportunity to see some of the most beautiful barns not just in the state, but in the US. The tour is a fundraiser for the outreach program of Trinity Episcopal Church, which will also host a country fair on the grounds as part of the weekend festivities. According to Betsy Crenshaw of Trinity Episcopal Church, one of the organizers of this extraordinary tour, "It’s hard to overstate the uniqueness of this event. We’ve got all the church people involved, the farm owners sprucing up their farms, and all the people who come to visit….and then we give all the money away! Everyone benefits!" "It takes 150 church volunteers to man the farms," Crenshaw continued. "We change some of the farms on the tour from year to year, but there are some favorites that people really love such as Rokeby, the home of Paul and Rachel Mellon. Visitors come from as far away as California, Florida, New York, and Canada. It’s pretty amazing." Advance tickets, valid for two days, are $20 through May 16. For more information on tickets and farms on the tour, visit www.middleburgonline.com/stabletour/tour.htm or call 540-592-3408. 100-Mile Old Dominion Endurance Ride Endurance riders are some of the most enthusiastic equestrians of any discipline. They clearly love their sport and introducing it to others; in Virginia, the nonprofit organization Old Dominion Endurance Rides, Inc. cites education as one of its three main goals that also include competition and training, and trails preservation. Their Old Dominion 100 is known for its majestic scenery—and for being one of the most demanding one-day 100-mile rides in the US. According to Nancy Smart, one of the OD 100 ride managers, "The Old Dominion endurance rides are a long-standing Virginia tradition. This will be their 35th year, and the anniversary is being marked by a change in location, from our traditional base camp at the 4-H Center in Front Royal, with most trails in Fort Valley, to a new base camp in Orkney Springs, a few miles south. The new trails will still be challenging but not as rocky. As usual, we are offering 25-, 50- and 100-mile rides, which all involve strict veterinary controls and fit horses! However, if you don’t have a horse fit enough, come volunteer and learn about a great sport, whose motto is: ‘To Finish is To Win.’" If you want to volunteer, contact Bonnie Snodgrass at chicamuxen@netscape.com. For more information and entry forms, check out our website: www.olddominionrides.org. 37th Annual Roanoke Valley Horse Show The event draws competitors from across the US to compete in hunter, jumper, roadster, racking, Saddlebred, Friesan, western, barrel racing, and many other classes as well as a $50,000 Grand Prix. According to Lowell Gobble, founder of the RVHA, "We’ve given more than 50 scholarships to students attending Virginia Tech. We give thousands each year to some 10 or 15 youth horse groups, and they in turn do volunteer work during the horse show. It’s a community endeavor. Everybody works for the benefit of the community, and our sponsorship for the show comes about because those who contribute know where the profits are going. We have had wonderful people working with the horse show since its inception and it continues to this day." Visit www.roanokevalleyhorseshow.com for more information. The Virginia Derby Over the last ten years, Colonial Downs has grown the Virginia Derby for three-year-olds into an event that gets better and better. This July it will hold its third annual Derby Trackside Party and first ever Picnic on the Turn. Tickets for the trackside party are very reasonable at $25 in advance, and include admission and a race program, a barbecue lunch, three drink tickets, and live music from a variety of bands. Since its inception, this Grade II stakes race over 1 ¼ mile turf has produced eight Grade 1 winners, a turf champion, and a Breeder’s Cup Mile winner. The 2007 trackside party was relentlessly hot and the food lines were long, but it was worth the wait. The food was good, and spectators witnessed Todd Pletcher’s Red Giant set a track record of 1:59.62 with his first graded stakes win at 37-1 odds. Spectators can view this year’s race from box seats, the Turf Club, Jockey Club lounge or dining room, or grandstand. New for 2008 is the Picnic on the Turn—bring your own food, drinks and chairs to a picnic area on the first turn for $10. CBS sports will provide live coverage. Visit www.colonialdowns.com for information. Virginia 4-H State Championship Horse
and Pony Show Every September, the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington hosts hundreds of excited young people from across the Commonwealth who have invested 12 months of hard work, practice, and personal sacrifice to compete at "states." The manicured show grounds come alive with camaraderie, encouragement, sportsmanship, thrills and sometimes disappointment—but through it all the air is charged with the magic of anticipation and the feeling that anything can happen here. If you’ve ever been to a state 4-H horse show, whether as a participant or a spectator, it is a spectacle you won’t forget. It is one of the largest events for youths on the east coast and features a full slate of both western and English events. "The State 4-H Horse Show is the culminating event for 600 4-H youths and their equine partners where everyone has a fabulous time working hard and interacting with friends—old and new," said Celeste Crisman, Virginia’s Extension Equine Specialist. "There are approximately 120 additional youth competing in educational contests. This is one of the largest 4-H shows on the east coast with over 3,000 class entries in just three and a half days! 4-H’s motto is "To Make the Best Better," but as far as Virginia’s equine 4-Hers are concerned, it is hard to improve upon perfection!" Visit www.ext.vt.edu/resources/4h/horse. Virginia Equine Extravaganza This October, the Virginia Equine Extravaganza will make its fifth annual appearance at the Richmond Raceway Complex in Richmond. Plan to wear comfortable shoes, come early, bring your checkbook, and stay late. Since 2003, the event has grown into a rite of fall and provides the opportunity to view some of the best clinicians in the country such as John Lyons and Richard Shrake. Expect to find a demonstration or clinician for every discipline, and yes, it is worth sticking around for the Equus Extraordinaire show at the end of the day, even if you’re tired. There are hundreds of vendors. Hints for first timers: No kidding—wear comfortable shoes. You’ll do a lot of walking. Backpacks work well for all the freebies and samples available and leave your hands free to buy more stuff. Bring an extra layer of clothing; weather at past events has been subject to sudden drops in temperature or rain showers. If you see a good deal, grab it. They disappear fast. This is a good time to buy a new saddle at a reasonable cost, or even a trailer. Familiarize yourself with the schedule and plan ahead—some demo areas are pretty far apart. Most importantly, stop by the Virginia Horse Journal booth and say hello! Visit www.equineextravaganza.com. Montpelier Hunt Races With the presidential home of James and Dolly Madison as its backdrop, no other steeplechase in the state quite evokes the distinct feel and flavor of genteel Virginia as the Montpelier Hunt Races in "Orange, established in 1924 by legendary horsewoman Marion du Pont Scott and held every first Saturday of November. What can compare to standing on the rail with hundreds of spectators on a fine fall day, hearing hooves thunder underfoot before the field comes into view? And then—a palette of bright silks atop bays, grays, and chestnuts flashes by and is gone, streaking along the brush jump course that wraps the infield. What sets the Montpelier Races apart? According to Martha Strawther, Executive Director of the Montpelier Steeplechase and Equestrian Foundation, "The first thing is the historical setting. This is the only horse race held on the lawn of a presidential home. The race is among the oldest in Virginia and the course is unchanged since the races started. We have the only full course of natural brush fences in Virginia. Secondly, it is the wonderful feeling of homecoming at the Montpelier Hunt Races. Mrs. Scott started the races and invited everyone from Orange to come to her home to view them for free, and it has become a local tradition. Families now plan to return to Orange annually for ‘The Races.’ In fact, one Orange native told me, ‘In Orange you might miss Christmas, but you DON’T miss the Races!’ We try very hard to maintain this feeling and provide good sport and family fun" Visit www.montpelierraces.com. Blessing of the Hounds Grace Episcopal Church, along with the Keswick Hunt Club, will conduct their 79th Blessing of the Hounds on Thanksgiving Day on the church grounds in Cismont. This cherished tradition has been held every Thanksgiving since 1929. Grace Church, which was consecrated in 1855, was the first to institute such a service. Though other churches have held similar events over the years, the Grace Church Blessing of the Hounds is the longest consecutively held ceremony of its kind in the US. It is attended annually by up to 1,000 people: congregation members, members of the Keswick Hunt, and visitors. According to Rector Julie Norton, "There may be sleet or ice or rain, but we ALWAYS have the blessing." The ceremony traces its roots to St. Hubert, the patron saint of hunters, who lived in eighth century France. Formally attired foxhunters, their horses and hounds provide a vivid display of living Virginia history as not only the hounds, but also horses and foxes receive a blessing, and prayers are offered in thanksgiving of the harvest. It is a long-standing custom for foxhunters to literally pass their hats to take up a collection. Those funds then benefit local charities as well as a local animal shelter. For more information, contact Grace Episcopal Church at 434-293-3549. The 2008 ceremony will be held on November 27 from 10am – 12:30pm. Coaching Day at Stratford Hall "Hold your horses!" Literally. That 19th century American idiom referred to keeping horses at a standstill when under saddle or driving, and was almost certainly heard on the grounds of historic Stratford Hall on Sunday, April 27 during its 13th Triennial Coaching Day. The parade of grandly dressed coachmen and grooms, antique carriages and coaches and their resplendent teams of four or more horses graced the lanes of this historic plantation, continuing a tradition founded by the late Dr. E. Douglas Vere Nicoll of Charlottesville and the late Mrs. Hugh D. Auchincloss, mother of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Carriage and coach exhibitors participate by invitation only from the Coaching Club of Virginia. "Coaching Day is a unique opportunity for visitors to Stratford Hall to get a sense of travel in the 18th century," said Paul Reber, Executive Director. "For nearly 40 years Coaching Day has served not only as a major fund raising event to help further the mission of Stratford Hall, but also to bring history to life." In addition to this rare glimpse into the coaching era, which happens only once every three years, there is a tailgate competition, Jack Russell races, food, and many other demonstrations, including various equine groups. Though the 2008 Coaching Day has come and gone, its historical significance and uniqueness may prompt you to pencil it in for 2011. Visit www.stratfordhall.org. u
Max Francis says, "You are never too young to learn about horses! Read the Virginia Horse Journal." |
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