Tour Beautiful Virginia Farms!

The VHCF and the Equestriennes are pleased to announce the second annual Barn Tour to be held Saturday, October 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enjoy autumn in the Shenandoah Valley while touring Middlebrook and Staunton's most beautiful stables.

Tour each destination at your leisure with a detailed map, including riding schedule, beekeeping demonstration, descriptions of the farms, and other points of interest.  Boxed lunches are available at the Middlebrook General Store and several farms will provide picnic areas.

Tickets are available at the Virginia Horse Center, the Middlebrook General Store, Hamilton-Robbins in Lexington, The Emporium in Staunton, or by calling 540-464-2950. Tickets can also be purchased online through a secure payment process at www.HorseCenter.org/Events/October-2012/2013-Barn-Tour. 

Tickets are $25 for adults until Oct 4 and $10 for children 15 & under. Tickets are $30 the day of the Barn Tour. The Tour will go on, rain or shine!

Trimble's Mill Farm

Trimble’s Mill Farm is the first suggested stop on the tour. Built in 1885, it is the subject of the book, See You in a Hundred Years, written by Logan Ward, the former owner of Trimble’s Mill. The 1910 bank barn houses rescued race horses and Connemara ponies. Participants can also visit North Mountain Outfitters, which rekindles the cowboy way of life by offering day or overnight trail rides in the Blue Ridge Mountains. This offers a firsthand look at horses and the chance to book your own unique wilderness adventure.

Grey Gable's Farm

Grey Gables Farm, the next stop on the tour, spreads across 227 conserved acres and is the home of Polyface Farm cattle, the Mary Baldwin College Riding Club and Team, and a personalized riding instruction program. From there, the tour continues north to Cedar Creek Stables, a large riding facility that houses the therapeutic riding program, Ride with Pride, and unique Knabstrupper horses.

Coming down the home stretch, participants will stop by Meadow Walk Bees. Meadow Walk features a substantial bee yard, forest walk, Cabernet Franc trail vineyard, dog paddock and breathtaking pastures. As an added bonus, participants can also visit Bill Heizer Stables to watch demonstrations by a nationally recognized Saddlebred rider and trainer.

All funds raised will benefit the Virginia Horse Center’s Turn up the Lights campaign to upgrade the lighting in the Anderson Coliseum. By replacing the lighting fixtures with more energy-efficient options, the Virginia Horse Center can save over $30,000 annually in electricity costs. The Equestriennes, a dedicated group that supports the Virginia Horse Center, raised more than $4,000 from last year’s Barn Tour for the Lighting Campaign.