📸: @destinationpolo via Bob Tobias Photography
Oh, hay there 🌾🐴👋 As warmer days come galloping closer and closer, we’re swiftly approaching a season filled with events all about our favorite animal: the horse, of course!
In fact, part of the reason Loudoun County has earned the reputation of “Virginia’s Horse Country” is that our equestrian community puts on the most incredible sporting events 🏇
Some of you might be thinking, “Hold your horses. What makes equestrian events so awesome, anyway?” Well! The bustling, lighthearted atmosphere… the awe-inspiring presence of the athletes and their gorgeous steeds… the hats! There are so many exciting elements to equestrian events that make them absolutely unmissable.
Today, we’ve narrowed it down to our top three reasons why you should definitely add more of these events to your social calendar. So, saddle up and trot on over to Loudoun County to cheer at every occasion from countryside steeplechases to afternoons at polo!
The Rich History
The love that Loudouners have always had for these majestic creatures goes way back. For example the Middleburg Spring Races date back to the 1911 when Middleburg Hunt’s Master of Fox Hounds, Daniel Cox Sands, organized the first Middleburg Hunt Race Meet! Not only does the history of equestrian sporting in Loudoun run deep, but also the events themselves are often held within historic settings, such as Morven Park and Oatlands Historic House and Gardens. Picture horses gracefully leaping over antique hand-stacked stone fences lining rolling hills of pasture. Picture a stately 19th-century mansion in the distance as the sun sets over a rousing polo match. Now you’ve got a vision of the historic spectacle that awaits equestrian spectators in Loudoun!
The Thrill of the Competition
Few moments generate quite the dash of elation that the shotgun start to a steeple chase or a perfectly-aimed polo goal give you! From start to finish, the close matches and tight races happening in VA’s Horse Country are — quite literally — fast paced. Whether you’re a first-timer or an old sport at equestrian events, you’ll find they’re packed with moment-to-moment excitement and bound to get your heart pounding to the beat of the dashing hooves!
Dressing The Part
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: the hat game going on at Loudoun’s equestrian events is undeniably strong 👒👗💁♀️ We like to take advantage of any horse-related occasion to dress up in our seasonal best — because, why not?! While the jockeys and polo players are busy doing their thing, we engage in the sport of dressing up. So, break out your best pastels, settle down on your picnic blankets and prepare to be dazzled by the show!
Mark your calendars for these upcoming equestrian events in Loudoun County, VA:
53rd Annual Loudoun Hunt Point to Point Races - April 14th at Oatlands Historic House and Gardens
The Middleburg Spring Races - April 20th at Glenwood Park
The Middleburg Hunt's Point-to-Point Races - April 28th at Glenwood Park
Polo in the Park - Summer 2019 at Morven Park
2019 Polo Classic - September 15th, by the National Sporting Library & Museum