Fall is in the Air

Story and photos by Sienna Turecamo

A tree represents a remarkable collision of moments. Its roots, sturdy trunk, rising branches touch the present and hold to the past. Its trunk unites the historical with the modern- an intersection of the past and present, much like the fashion of our region’s fox hunting fields.

Jo Motion, owner of the thriving emblem of equestrian culture and a favorite outfitter for fox hunters, Middleburg Tack Exchange, remarked on the proper etiquette for dressing in the fox-hunting field recently in her store while choosing the outfits to represent fall fashion in the field. “It’s not a fashion statement, it’s about history,” stated Motion emphatically.

Motion, one of the first women jockeys to ride regularly in the the National Hunt Flat and Over-Fences Races in England, is herself a representative of an integral facet of global horsemanship and maintains the integrity of long-standing tradition in the horse world. She and her staff work with more than 13,000 consigners in order to provide quality products to customers.

Just eight miles northwest of Middleburg, down a winding road and an expansive driveway, guarded by two stone geese, sits Welbourne Farm. It welcomes one back in time, to a place where there is history dripping from every drop of air. Foxhunters and their trusty equine companions often make their way to the gorgeous grounds of this historic locale which was the backdrop for our fall shoot.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Virginia landmark boasts a gorgeous yellow mansion, dating back to 1775, that has homed eight generations of the Dulany Family and today operates as a thriving bed and breakfast and retired horse boarding operation. It was home to Col. Richard H. Dulany who founded the nation’s oldest fox hunting club, Piedmont, as well as the nation’s oldest horse show, Upperville Horse Show.

The fashion of the fall hunt allows us to step back to a time in history, into a world, that built and continues to build, the horse-culture that runs through Middleburg’s veins, and to honor the businesses and people who are fighting to keep it alive. It is places like Middleburg Tack Exchange and Welbourne Farm that insure our roots are not forgotten. If the roots dissolve, so to will the branches, and we will lose the culture we hold so dearly to our hearts. ML

Photography and Set Design: Sienna Turecamo Photography
www.siennaturecamophotography.com
Styling: Jo Motion and staff
www.middleburgtack.com
Location: Welbourne Farm
www.welbourneinn.com
Models: Shannon Venezia & Grant Baker

This article first appeared in the September 2019 issue of Middleburg Life.