Jackie Kennedy in the Virginia Hunt Country

Middleburg, Virginia is an old historic town in the middle of Virginia's famed "hunt country" about an hour west of Washington, DC on Route 50.  Some nearby towns include Aldie, Atoka, Millwood, Upperville, Delaplane and The Plains. Today the pricey area is home to prestiguous horse farms, the "upper crust" of the fox hunting world, and people who just love horses.

No one fit better into this world than Jackie Kennedy and when JFK was in the White House, they leased a lovely 400-acre farm called Glen Ora.



The lease began on February 1, 1961 and Jackie made frequent visits.  She spent over $10,000 to redecorate it (and had to return the house to its original state when she vacated it) and asked Sister Parish to help out.  That's FDR, Jr. and Jackie's sister Lee in the living room below.



Jackie and JFK spent many weekends here and sophisticated communications equipment had to be installed to enable the President to work here.  Some have said that he and Bobby plotted to kill Castro from Glen Ora.



Press Coverage of the lease (Collection of Steve Brawley)


Glen Ora was owned by Mrs. Gladys Raymond Tartiere and did not agree to sell it to the Kennedys.  Clark Clifford negotiated the lease (I used to ride the elevator with him when I worked in Washington and went to see him one day to ask him to autograph is memoirs when they came out in the early 90's a few years before he died).  William Walton, a mutual friend and former Time-Life war correspondent, convinced Mrs. Tartiere to lease the property.



Jackie would cancel White House engagements to go to Glen Ora.  She hosted the King of Pakistan Ayub Kahn at Glen Ora in September 1962 and he presented her with a horse. She hunted with the Orange County Hunt, likely the most prestiguous hunt in the entire country. 

(JFK Library)



For JFK's 40th birthday, Jackie and Paul Fout (a very good friend and Middleburg landmark in himself) to create a 3-hole golf course at Glen Ora.  She amused Jack by placing Confederate flags on the holes "that would not be visible from the road."  JFK and Ben Bradlee (of the Washington Post) inaugurated the course.



Press Coverage of the Lease (Steve Brawley Collection)

The Kennedys decided to build their own home in Middleburg and they bought 39 acres for $26K from a local farmer.  Regretfully they only spent two weekends together there before JFK died and old home movies exist today (they are on the Internet) from one of those weekends.  "Wexford" is in the Atoka area just west of Middleburg.  It is the only home designed from scratch by the pair.  It is the only known retreat used by two President (Regan leased Wexford in 1980 during the election) other than Camp David.



The house was done by the spring of 1963 and the Kennedy's rented it out since they were not moving out of Glen Ora til fall. Their first visit (Jackie and the President) to Wexford would not be until Oct. 25. They visited again on Nov. 10.











Jackie sold Wexford in 1964.

Jackie never lost her love for fox hunting and she came to Middleburg a lot in her later years and often stayed at The Red Fox Inn. 

By the 1980's she began spending more time in Virginia and she rented a small cottage about a mile from Wexford.  The house was sparse, nothing nearly as fancy as Glen Ora and Wexford and it was furnished with country antiques and French toile wallpaper.  No known photos of the interior exist when she used the house. 

Several items at the sale of her possessions at Sotheby's were in the house.









These must have been some of Jackie's happiest years.  Middleburg is indeed beautiful, sophisticated and horsey.  Jackie would always fit in.  Even Jack, who was not the horse and animal lover that Jackie was, must have enjoyed the quiet and solitude that a place like Middleburg can provide, even today, after the hustle and bustle of White House life.



Of Washington and Horses (Our Nation's Capital That Is!)

I spent the day in Washington, DC visiting a very dear friend that I have not seen in 10 years and began thinking about our nation's capitol, a place I called home for 5 wonderful years, and horses (of course).  Believe it or not, horses were once a big part of the landscape, even at the White House (yes, Caroline had a pony there) and Macaroni was allowed to graze on the White House lawn (and he loved to eat the roses).  Don't you just love it! 



While Jackie grew up surrounded by horses, she would retreat to her rented estate in Middleburg (about 25 miles west) as Jack was allergic to animal fur.  There were stables at one time at the White House (torn down by President Taft to make way for his cars!).  Stombeck's Fine Riding Apparel on M Street in Georgetown supplied Jackie's riding apparel during Camelot.  And bet you did not know that her connection to the designer Oleg Cassini was an equestrian one - he was a former instructor in the U.S. Army Cavalry Unit, was a former polo player and hunted. 

Regan also rode in Rock Creek as did Teddy Roosevelt.  Today you can still ride in Rock Creek Park even if you are not a President or married to one. 



Meadowbrook Stables is a wonderful place and has a great lesson program. Trainer Miranda Scott does a great job and her students win a lot! That's her on the left below in the photo.  It is a fun place.  They also offer clinics with well-known equestrians and their Washington Bridle Trails Show Series is wonderful for horsemen at all levels. 



While we are talking about Washington, D.C. and horses, bet you did not know that once, a very long time ago (not that long ago really), there was a stables that was a part of the grand design of Reston, VA.

If you aren't familiar with Reston, it was one of the very first large "planned communities" in the U.S., way ahead of its time. Today, it is right in the middle of things (you go through it on the way to Dulles Airport out the toll road, beyond Tyson's Corner).  The photo above is from an early brochure touted for "horse enthusiasts" with a "community stable" surrounded by townhouses.  (Probably from the mid 1960's).

But even more amazing is that these stables were actually built.  These were built but early on they collapsed.  The story tells us that the treated lumber corroded the nail/bolts that held everything together.  (And we think we have shoddy construction today!).  All we have left in Reston is "Hunter's Woods Shopping Center" and "Paddock Lane", "Trotter Lane" and "Colts Neck Way" - but these exist now in almost every suburban development that wants to think that at one time, they were "really equestrian."  At least in Reston, there really were horses, once.



Horse & Style Magazine

Stay tuned for the newest equine publication, Horse & Style Magazine.  I hear it's being launched this month.  They have a good Facebook site.  Very excited!



I Heart Hadfield's

Hadfield's is one of my favorite horse show vendors.  They have a large mobile unit and make it to the big horse shows (Pennsylvania National later this month, WEF in Wellington, Washington, and a few others).  They have a web site but you have to call them directly to order (1-800-854-RIDE).



If Brooks Brothers was into real equestrian wear, they would be Hadfield's.  Their clothes are not inexpensive but are well tailored, made of the finest fabrics and really don't go out of style.



They have a small logo on many of their items but it is tasteful and stylish.



Their shirts can be worn on a horse and off. They would look great with a pair of jeans.



I am not into "bling" but these are very tasteful.



Love these belts................



Nothing is better than a good rain jacket.



Happy shopping! 

Wow Baby! ZouBaby!

You have to love these boots from Zoubaby (http://www.zoubaby.com/) and at $98 they won't break the bank.  Fun for rain and mud, for horse shows, to wear in the city and country.   Preppy chic is indeed alive and well!  Enjoy your Wednesday. It's raining here in Virginia, these would be very useful today.



Mirror Mirror



We went to a great antiques show here in Virginia (got there at 3 pm and it closed at 4 pm!) and it was one of the better shows I've been to in a long time.  

Saw this mirror as we were leaving with our two new pieces of furniture (like we need more).  Wish I had somewhere to put this lovely mirror.  This is not a fine piece of furniture but for less than $400 it is very cute.  It is not big and it looked great over a box that was rectangular shaped that would go well in cozy nook in a hall. If you want the information on the dealer let me know. She is in Front Royal, VA, just outside of Winchester about 1 1/2 hours from Washington, D.C.  Isn't it fun to find really good antiques?

"Old Keswick" - A Virginia Landmark

Old Keswick is a Virginia landmark and this 547 acre estate of prime Virginia real estate, on the market for the first time since 1952, can be yours for a cool $13.5M.  The farm boasts yearling, broodmare and racing barns, board fencing and a house with 11 1/2 foot ceilings.  And the property is under conservation easement, so it luckily cannot be subdivided.

The property is the home of renowned horse woman, Peggy Augustus, who grew up outside of Cleveland, OH.  She is a true horsewoman.  As a teenager, she was heavily involved in horse showing and between 1950 and 1965, she won every major championship including the National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden, Devon, the Royal Winter Fair, and Pennsylvania National. 



The Augustus family bought Old Keswick in 1952 but continued to live outside of Cleveland where Elizabeth Augustus Knight (Peggy's mother) was involved in raising Thoroughbreds.  When her father died in 1963, Peggy moved to Old Keswick and carried on the breeding business under the name of Keswick Stables. 

By the late 1990's Augustus had bred 48 stakes winners.  In 1977 she sold Johnny D, a yearling that would later go on to win the 1977 Eclipse Award championship turf male for $4 million.  She also bred a filly that sold for a world record $2.1 million.  Crown Silver was the Champion Virgnia 2-Year Old Filly.  There are many others.  It's safe to say that Ms. Augustus has a golden touch when it comes to horses. 

The house is lovely and has been for sale for a long time.  But eventually the right new owner will come along and utilize this wonderful historic farm that clearly has a place in "horse history."