by Leonard Shapiro As a youngster growing up on the St. Louis road near Middleburg,…

by Leonard Shapiro Katie Brennen got the word from school principal David Larson on a…

They werebest pals at Loudoun Valley High School and now they are the three young partners in a fledgling, foamy craft beer business located in Leesburg that is definitely not your grandfather’s favorite watering hole.

In addition to the town of Middleburg, I visited many of the area’s inns, restaurants, equestrian events and some of the wineries. I’d been blogging about Virginia wine for some time and had been to all the local wineries except one. Leaves of Grass near Aldie seemed to be perpetually closed. So when I drove by and saw an “Open” sign, I pulled off of Route 50 and drove up the twisting, rutted gravel path that passed for a winery lane.

by Leonard Shapiro If you happen to run into Joan Symansky on a back street…

The second annual Side Saddle Chase will take place April 17 at the Loudoun Point-to-Point races at Oatlands Plantation. The brainchild of local sidesaddle rider Maggie Johnston, this year’s race is part of a three-race triple crown that is attracting international attention.

Grandale Vintner’s Table marks something of an evolution in the fine dining experience. Known as the Grandale Restaurant for the past ten years, a shift from the formal to the more casual atmosphere has left new and old patrons thrilled.

“It is very labor intensive around here in the morning,” said Blair Lear, postmaster in Marshall. Lear’s day had begun, as it often does, at 5 a.m. with a huge shipment of parcels arriving from Amazon.  “And wehaven’t even received the UPS shipment yet.” 

Lear has served as Marshall’s postmaster since 2005.

“I had been in Amissville,” he said. “And in 2004, my boss asked if I would help out briefly in Marshall as officer in charge.”

Middleburg’s Jim Wofford won a team silver medal at the Mexico City Olympics aboard Kilkenny in 1968. Over his illustrious career, Jim won team silver at the 1972 Munich Olympics, individual silver at the 1980 Fontainebleau Alternate Olympics, individual bronze at the 1970 World Championships and team bronze at the 1978 World Championships. He’s also served as president of the American Horse Shows Association and vice president of the USET and been inducted into the U.S. Eventing Hall of Fame. Today, he travels the country as a highly sought after clinician and coach. This article first appeared in The Practical Horseman.