Horse Illustrated Magazine

There is a farm in off the beaten path in Virginia’s beautiful horse country that I have been driving past since I was about 12 years old. Picture miles of well-kept black fencing that follows the ups and downs of a winding country road. There’s the main driveway for Wind Fields Farm and then the farm entrance with a cute cottage at the road (of course, I’m partial to the farm entrance) and endless tree-lined stone walls that border the fields.

Green pastures roll away from the road, racing to the edge of a distant, dense forest that hides Goose Creek and wildlife like bald eagles, fox and black bear. After a while the fencing changes to the style of the next farm. The road (when I was a kid it was referred to just a “734” now as the suburbs creep ever closer, it has a name: Snickersville Pike) curves to the right, drops down an incline and abruptly dumps you out on a much less appealing and busier road. A left turn on Route 50 puts you on a fast track to Washington, DC about 40 miles away. A right turn takes you straight into the historic and horsey town of Middleburg.

I grew up in the area, and detour by that farm any chance I get. I found these nice pictures from when the farm was last for sale. Last weekend, my friend Eliza and I took a tour of the incredible 463-acre farm during the annual Hunt Country Farm Tour hosted for the past 56 years by Trinity Church in Upperville. It was a thrill to turn down the long driveway, poke around on the beautiful grounds, walk through the barn and experience the farm. Now if I could only live there. I realized after the fact that I hardly took any pictures while we were there. I was too awestruck!

That day, we happily drove, drove, drove around the countryside, stopping at some other choice places on the self-guided tour and lingered over beautiful barns, beautiful horses. Here are some images from the day.

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