56 SIDELINESMAY 2014
FORHORSEPEOPLE • ABOUTHORSEPEOPLE
open space for equestrian and
community service. By buying
Fleming Farm, we could preserve
more open space, but at the time
Great Meadow didn’t have the
money for the purchase. Then
we started thinking about three-
day eventing—that we could host
international-level
competition.
That’s when I contacted David. I
didn’t know it at the time, but he
had been looking for a site to host
that level.”
Supporters
of
eventing,
steeplechasing and the Great
Meadow Foundation donated
enough for Great Meadow to
close on Fleming Farm. The
major donors included Magalen
O. Bryant, Jacqueline B. Mars,
Bill Ballhaus and Darrin Mollett
and their Beverly Equestrian
Center, Mr. and Mrs. Naj Husain
and their Morningside Training
Center, Sheila Johnson and her
Salamander Resort, Mr. and Mrs.
Irv Naylor, Mr. andMrs. Charles Akre, Mrs. George LOhrstrom
Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Michael T. Hall, and Mr. and Mrs. Michael
Crane.
Thepiecesstartedcoming together.Davidwantedafirst-class
facilitywithall theamenitieswithinaneasydrive.GreatMeadowfit
thebill withWashingtonD.C. less thananhour away, 30minutes
to Dulles airport, the choice of two equine veterinary hospitals,
and lodging fromB&Bs to the newly openedSalamander Resort
in Middleburg. The picturesque Piedmont Valley endows Great
Meadow with breathtaking views year-round and the extensive
spectator-base includesanequestriancommunitywho isalready
The 2013VirginiaGoldCupwith a view of densely packed spectators: GrindingSpeedwon,
(gray on right), riddenby amateur steeplechase jockeyMarkBeecher.
Photoby LaurenR. Giannini
Continued on page 58
Great
Meadow
polo
fieldand
racecourse,
taken at
dawn,
summer
2009, from
Hall’sBluff
onWildcat
Mountain:
no special
effects, no
Photoshop
- pure and
natural open
land, kissed
by the
rising sun.
Photoby
RobBanner/
Great Meadow
Foundation
“We’re talkingabout
futureplans that are
going tobegreat for
eventing”
–DavidO’Connor, U.S. eventing chef d’equipe
