ALL THE RIGHT MOOOOVESBY VICKY MOON
NACHO MACHO MAN Hang on to your hats and mark your calendars ladies…the polo season is upon us. And one of the hottest players to ever swing a mallet, 29-year-old seven-goaler Nacho Figueras of Argentina will be playing in a charity match at Great Meadow on June 17. Nacho is not just another handsome man in the saddle; he's currently the face of Ralph Lauren, both the clothing line and the new fragrance, Polo Black. He'll be playing with Salvatore Ferragamo, Mathais Hermes and Tim Gannon (a founder and director emeritus of Outback Steakhouse - the other last names need no explanation.) As the fox-hunting season drew to a close, Malcolm Matheson III, a joint-master of the Orange County Hunt, made an announcement. After many triumphant years riding to hounds, Washington hostess Lucy Morehead and her adorable brown and white horse, Bingo, will be hanging up the tack. OVER THE MOUNTAIN Traveling west from Middleburg 20 miles to Clarke County, one must pass over the Paris Mountain to visit the rural communities of Millwood, Boyce or Berryville. The town of Boyce dates to 1880, and much of its history revolves around its large, privately subsidized railroad station. Many well-to-do early settlers brought horses to Virginia by rail in order to pursue the sport of fox hunting; the horses were off loaded directly from the train. Through the years, the Gilpin family endowed the train station, which is now home to the Railway Mail Service Library. Kenneth Newcomer Gilpin and his wife, Knoxville socialite Isabella Tyson, settled here after they married in 1918. The family owned two of many magnificent estates in the area: Kentmere and Scaleby. Their heirs continue to live in the area. Ellen Carroll, an attractive petite red-head now owns Kentmere. She's a decorator and in her spare time also paints. Not far from the train station, jewelry designer Elizabeth Locke has her "flagship" boutique in an elegantly restored 100-yearold general store on Main Street. The lavish Italianate interiors have been embellished with faux marble, Corinthian columns and other trompe l'oeil touches. "It's part of the weekend tour," says retail manager Susan Mathews, who tells the fable of a phantom twin sister to about 40 weekend visitors. She'll also show and sell any of the brilliant Byzantine-style 19-carat gold earrings, brooches and necklaces in stunning settings of pearls, aquamarine, citrine, diamonds and more. When Elizabeth is not in her Madison Avenue shop or doing a show at one of the 34 Neiman Marcus stores, she joins her husband John Staelin at home in Millwood, where they've also renovated a farm house. He's a former master of the Blue Ridge Hunt, and now chairman of the Clarke County Board of Supervisors. "Since I travel so much each day I spend in Clarke County is a treat. It's truly a community and a richly varied one. I wouldn't live anywhere else, well maybe Paris..." Elizabeth says via Blackberry. IN THE HUNT Linda Armbrust and Doris Stimpson are now joint-masters of the circa 1888 Blue Ridge Hunt. Linda lived in England for several years and rode to hounds. With the pending ban on the sport, she wanted to return to Virginia. She and husband Wayne Armbrust now live at The Pines. Other interesting people in the area include Joe and Lucia Henderson, who bought Chapel Hill Farm and moved out here full-time from Washington after Bill and Hillary Clinton bought their house. They raise a rare breed of endangered American Randall cattle. Sandy Johnston raises those endearing Belted Galloway cattle at Mansfield Farm in Berryville. His wife, Laurie Volk, an attorney, keeps busy in her home office specializing in immigration law. "When you ask me how long I've been here, I say ‘My ancestors first came from North Carolina in 1861 and four years later after Appomattox they went home' and then we moved here in 1983," Sandy says. Ted and Anjela Guariello live at Fox Spring Woods in Millwood and both foxhunt. Tim Harvey and Rick Wallace recently opened their Twin Gates for a gala to benefit Winchester Musica Viva.
John P. Howe III, president and CEO of Project Hope, located at the historic 1792 Carter Hall estate, lives in the area with his wife Tyrell. Nathaniel Burwell, a great-grandson of Robert "King" Carter originally built the stately stone manor house and it remained in the family for many years. In the 1930's Gerard Lambert of pharmaceutical fame (whose daughter Bunny Mellon was featured in this space last month) renovated the entire estate. One of the best-kept secrets in this area is that there are numerous dependencies, cabins and cottages available for overnight stays at Carter Hall as part of a package for retreats, meetings and seminars. The majestic entrance hall complete with marble fireplace and "flying" stairway provides a drop dead gorgeous setting. Other glam Washingtonians here on weekends: Michael and Cleo Gewirz. She grew up in the area and chaired the Corcoran Ball in April. Locke's Store is a must see on any tour of the area. It is right across the way from the 1785 Burwell Morgan Mill, the oldest operable mill in the Shenandoah Valley. Juliet Mackay-Smith, whose father, equine vet Matthew Mackay- Smith from time to time makes "house calls" to all the lovely farms in the area, owns the delightful deli/shop. One might even run into Kitty Kelley and her husband, Jonathan Zucker, who spend weekends here. WORD ON THE STREET Part of the charm of the Hunt Country is the ease in which members of the community go from riding horses and shoveling out the barn to a cocktail party and then a ball. Here are joint masters of the Middleburg Hunt, Penny Denegre and Jeff Blue at the annual Hunt Ball. And below, a proud Mathew Mullins, shows off his prize hogs Dairy Queen and Squeaky at the Fauquier County 4-H Livestock Show and Sale.
HUNT COUNTRY DATES June 1-21-The Spirit of Spring, the paintings and jewelry of Louise Mellon, Minna Marston and Wendy Cortesi at The Byrne Gallery in Middleburg (540) 687- 6986, www.brynegallery.com. June 10-International Polo Classic- Argentina vs. USA to benefit the National Rehabilitation Hospital at Chetwood Park, The Plains. (202) 877-1781, Leslie.Concha@medstar.net. June 17-Ambassadors' Cup and Courage Cup Polo Matches followed by "Dancing Under The Stars" to benefit inner city children and breast cancer at Great Meadow Polo Club, The Plains (540) 253- 9844, www.greatmeadowpoloclub.com, www.couragecup.org, eahedlery@aol.com. June 19-28-Blue Ridge Hunt Pony Club at Historic Long Branch in Millwood. historic@historiclongbranch.com , (540) 837-2443, www.historiclongbranch.com.
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