Charles (Chuck) Kuhn believes in paying back. The CEO-founder-owner of JK Moving, based in Sterling, is a caring father and family man whose good deeds include the preservation of open space. In the last four years, Chuck has protected 4,400 acres in Virginia by putting them into a conservation easement. One great gallop to the rescue took place in Spring 2017 when he bought the Middleburg Training Track, saving it from being developed, then planned its restoration.

"My original interest is because of David Moyes, a friend and successful attorney in Leesburg who does a tremendous amount of conservation work and is very involved in the equine community of Fauquier and Loudoun," said Chuck. "David called and said, 'I really would like you to look at this property – we're afraid it's going to go to a developer. It's a beautiful property and it would work with your conservation easement programs.' It really was a beautiful property and I thought that it would be a shame to develop it so I bought it with the intention of putting it into a conservation easement."

But that isn't all that Chuck did. He also preserved local history in Virginia's well-known "horse country." Back in 1956, the late philanthropist and sportsman Paul Mellon (1907-1999), of Upperville, created the 149-acre facility to train his Thoroughbred racehorses. Its amenities included a 7-furlong (7/8ths of a mile) training track, 11 barns, 220 stalls, and paddocks. In 1975, Mellon sold his private training center to a group of local trainers, owners, and horsemen. One horse that put Middleburg Training Track on the map was Spectacular Bid, winner of the 1979 Kentucky Derby and Preakness, who had trained there as a juvenile.

The now late Randy Rouse was the last individual owner from 2006 until late December 2016 when he donated the Middleburg Training Track to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. The TRF inspected the property and, as much as they would have liked to keep the training track running, they decided that allocating probable millions for repairs was not in the best interests of their retired racehorses. They put the training track up for sale and, thankfully, it ended up in the hands of a thinking businessman who likes to do research and to listen.

"After I bought the Training Center, I went around and talked to all the tenants who were in good standing – there were some really nice people there – and I told them what we were doing with the conservation easement protecting the land," Chuck said. "I was telling them that we were not going to continue the training center, but after listening to them, talking with them, hearing about how important the training center was to the community, to their livelihoods, we agreed to keep it open and to begin the renovations."

Chuck is quite candid about the learning curve he experienced. "I know nothing about the equine world," he admitted. "It was funny. When I went to look at the property, I said 'we have got to fix up these barns, they're an eyesore.' I'm excited, I've got bids, I'm ready to embark on the barns. I sit down with the trainers and all the tenants and I tell them exactly what we're going to do. They said, 'Hey, forget the barns – we don't care about the barns – we care about the track surface and we want the track to be safe for our horses and our riders.' My son Steve and I regrouped and took the emphasis off the barns and put it on the track, the rails, watering the track, maintaining the track and its upkeep. Once we got all that taken care of, we went back to the tenants and said: What's next? They said: The barn roofs are leaking, it's getting our hay wet, and we're worried about our horses and the quality of our hay."

It's important to be familiar with the priorities, especially when it comes to horses. The footing is first on the list, whether it's a track or an arena; then, a tight roof on top of dry, well-ventilated stables for the horses and storage for hay and straw, to name just two and there are many.

"They humanized the situation," Chuck said. "Middleburg Training Center wasn't just a property. It was a property that had a lot of heritage, a lot of history. It was important to a lot of people and it was the livelihood of a lot of people."

The Kuhns oversaw phase 2, the replacement of the roofs on all 20 barns. They have started on the paddocks – taking down the old fencing, re-grading the paddocks, re-seeding, and building new fencing. Phase 3 also includes renovating tack rooms and wash stalls. Chuck worked up a two-year plan, and his son Steve is the on-site manager. They're looking to grow Middleburg Training Center in this horse-centric community and offer a warm welcome to new tenants involved in all equestrian sports and disciplines.

Chuck's involvement in conservation dates back to 2014 when his son Scott spotted an advertisement online for a 550-acre tract of land in Purcellville. "We had talked about looking for a farm in the Loudoun County area, and my son said, Why don't we go?" Chuck recalled. "Long story short, we wound up at the bank for the foreclosure auction of Egypt Farm in November. We got caught up in the bidding process and we were successful winners of the bid."

After the auction people from the community approached the Kuhns, leaving them with plenty to think about. "We were excited, and I really didn't know at the time what our plans were for the land," Chuck said. "One woman told us 'I don't know what your intentions are with this beautiful piece of property, but I hope you will be good stewards of the land and help to protect western Loudoun County.' A gentleman came up and said: 'What a smart move, buying this property. I'm sure you're putting it into a conservation easement. It's great to see you protecting it and I know you'll enjoy the tax benefit.' We did the paperwork and left, but those two comments stuck in my mind."

The next day Chuck began researching the comments. "I got myself up to speed on what land conservation is, why it exists, what the benefits are," he said. "I got an understanding of how easement works. That's when I became a big fan of protecting the open space, of protecting western Loudoun, and it certainly helped to know about the personal and community benefits that go with an easement."

Chuck isn't a rider, which makes his rescue of the Middleburg Training Center even more amazing. "I was always an outdoor kid. I've always enjoyed the country, the mountains, the outdoors," he said. "I used to have two Quarter Horses – I love looking at horses, I love watching the hunt, I enjoy going to the races. I enjoy being around horses. I can ride dirt bikes, not horses. My son and his girlfriend ride, but it's not for me."

Chuck also tends to listen more than he talks, especially when he's gathering information. "The response has been great for what we're doing at Middleburg Training Center," he said. "We've had people out from the Loudoun Equine Alliance, from the Virginia Equine Alliance. We've had a number of people in the community from Loudoun and Fauquier and Clarke Counties. We've had people down from Charles Town. The leadership and management teams from Fair Hill have been very supportive and helpful. They've been great mentors and given us great advice. They're always there whenever we have questions about track maintenance and equipment – they've been very helpful."

His passion for protecting open space has led him into pragmatic philanthropy. He turned a property in Loudoun into JK Community Farm, which raises organic vegetables and meats that are donated to local nonprofits that feed the needy. He stays busy. He's at the helm of the largest North American independent moving company and he's a family man. He's also hands-on when it comes to his conservation projects, and he's very enthusiastic and hopeful for Middleburg Training Center to be successful and self-sustaining.

"You've got to give a little something back, right? It's just like farming," Chuck said. "You can't just take it from the ground. You've got to put something back."

For information about Middleburg Training Center: (540) 687-3041 or email: info@middleburgtrack.com