NOW, JUST SO WE’RE CLEAR, WINTER RIDING DOESN’T HAVE TO MEAN BEING BUTT DEEP IN SNOW. IN FACT, WE HAVE FOUND TWO OUT OF THIS WORLD INNS, AND YOU MAY NOT SEE A SNOWFLAKE!
O
f course, when it comes to lovely inns, one is never enough! Let’s head to T e Black Horse Inn, in Warrenton, in the heart of Virginia hunt country.When you picture an iconic Virginia inn, this is what you
envision. Warrenton and the surrounding area has become
the center of point-to-point racing in America. In fact, hunting and jumping are and have traditionally been a way of life for many Virginians. You might bring your horses for training on their novice cross- country course, or use the lighted outdoor riding arena, which is available year-round.
CONTACT INFO: ◗ 8393 Meetze Road ◗ Warrenton, VA 20187 ◗ (540) 349-4020 ◗
relax@blackhorseinn.com ◗
www.blackhorseinn.com
For a challenge, experienced riders can ride at Great Meadows, located only ten minutes from the Black Horse Inn, with a wide variety of cross-country, brush and timber fences to practice on. During hunting season, you
can make arrangements through your innkeeper for foxhunting six days a week. Ride with one of ten hunts to choose from, including Casanova, Rappahannock, Blue Ridge, Warrenton, Piedmont, Orange County, Old Dominion, Loudoun, Middleburg or Fairfax. Exquisite, made hunters are avail- able for hire, or bring your own and stay at the Black Horse Inn, where eight stalls are available for guest’s horses. Surrounding the Inn are sev-
eral large pastures complete with run-in sheds. T e area is also well known for its horse shows and sporting competitions (point-to- point racing); The Black Horse Inn’s guests have won the Virginia Gold Cup races two years in a row. For avid trailblazers, this might be a whole new experience to enjoy! Likewise, you might want to dip your toe in the waters of dressage, jumping, three-day eventing or endurance riding. Even if you just
WWW.TRAILBLAZERMAGAZINE.US • November 2012 | 85
tailgate and watch others, it’s a great way to spend a day. Stately and elegant but never staid or stodgy, the
circa-1850 plantation-style inn itself is a vision straight out of a movie; it served as a hospital during the decid- edly uncivil Civil War—in fact, that’s how it got its name. T e Black Horse Cavalry frequented this locale, which is near historic Manassas Bat lefi eld. The area offers lots to do besides riding: there’s
fi shing and boating on two nearby rivers, hiking the Appalachian Trail, bat ling the ropes course, wine tast- ing, steeplechase races, polo, antiquing and perusing the specialty shops in Old Town Warrenton. T e inn has ten rooms, all with private baths, many with four-poster canopy beds, Jacuzzi tubs and fi replaces. T ey also can accommodate horses for overnight visits. A cry of “Tally ho” would be much more appropriate than “Yee haw,” but hey, I’m not judging.
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