Hunt Country Stable Tour: Virginia Horse Country May 23
A self-guided look inside private equestrian estates in Upperville, Middleburg, and The Plains
Behind the Gates: Hunt Country Stable Tour Returns May 23, 2026
Every spring, a stretch of rolling Piedmont countryside between Upperville, Middleburg, and The Plains briefly opens its paddock gates to the public. The Hunt Country Stable Tour — organized by Trinity Episcopal Church in Upperville — returns on Saturday, May 23, 2026, offering a self-driven itinerary through private equestrian facilities that are otherwise closed to visitors.
This is not a ticketed performance or a fairground event. It's something rarer: an invitation into working farms, historic stables, and championship-level training facilities in one of the most concentrated pockets of horse culture in the eastern United States. For DC-area visitors, it's a 60-to-90-minute drive that delivers a full afternoon in Virginia's true hunt country.
What the Tour Offers
The self-driven format means you move at your own pace between participating properties. Past tours have included breeding farms, private riding academies, foxhunting stables, and multi-generational estates — the kind of places that rarely appear on any public map. Expect manicured cross-country courses, immaculate barn aisles, and horses whose bloodlines read like a Thoroughbred registry.
The Upperville-Middleburg corridor is home to some of the country's oldest equestrian traditions. The Upperville Colt & Horse Show, the oldest horse show in America, runs just a few weeks after this tour, making late May a particularly rich time to explore the region. The landscape itself — stone walls, hedgerows, Blue Ridge views — is worth the drive regardless of how many stalls you peek into.
Pair the Tour with a Rappahannock County Stop
Upperville sits on the Fauquier County side of the Blue Ridge, which makes this tour a natural anchor for a longer weekend that spills into neighboring Rappahannock County. From Upperville, it's roughly 20–30 minutes west through Flint Hill or Washington, VA — the village known as "Little Washington" and home to Patrick O'Connell's Inn at Little Washington.
Consider bookending your stable tour day with stops in Sperryville or Washington, VA. The region's farms, wineries, and artisan studios make for an easy afternoon extension after the morning tour circuit.
A Note on Planning
Ticket and registration details for the 2026 Hunt Country Stable Tour are managed by Trinity Episcopal Church Upperville. If you're planning to attend, check directly with the organizer for ticket availability, the full list of participating properties, and the self-drive map — details that typically release in the weeks leading up to the event.
The tour is held rain or shine. Wear layers and comfortable shoes; barn visits mean gravel, grass, and occasionally mud. Dogs and strollers are generally not permitted on participating properties.
Planning Your Visit
- Event: Hunt Country Stable Tour
- Date: Saturday, May 23, 2026
- Location: Upperville, Middleburg, and The Plains, Virginia (Fauquier County)
- Format: Self-driven tour of private equestrian properties
- Organizer: Trinity Episcopal Church, Upperville
- Tickets/Info: Contact Trinity Episcopal Church Upperville directly for 2026 registration details
- Getting There: Approximately 60–75 minutes from Washington, DC via US-50 West; 20–30 minutes from Washington, VA (Rappahannock County)
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