The Virginia Fall Races and the Middleburg Horse Trials—both held at Glenwood Park in The Plains—continue to offer a feast for the horse-crazy. Winners of Middleburg Horse Trials, a one-day event, included Skye's Limit and Kate Gilhool for Elkridge-Harford Hunt (Md.), and several area riders made it into the top ten finalists. Judges rode to hounds, armed with scorecards to rate contestants in many areas encompassing safety, etiquette, performance—how the horse and rider handle all the intricate elements from walk to cavalry charge back to a standstill, and sportsmanship. After the mock hunt, judges narrowed the 52 horse-rider combinations to 10 finalists for the final individual test: jumping a prescribed course in the middle of the Glenwood racecourse—easier said than done.

Judges are longtime enthusiasts: Kim Ackerman, ex-MFH, Beverly Bosselman, ex-MFH, Joy Crompton, MFH, Becky Harris, Cameron Sadler, MFH, and Jennifer Webster, ex-MFH. Leslie Hazel judged Best Turned Out.

The Champions were Skye's Limit and Kate Gilhool for Elkridge-Harford Hunt (Md.); reserve champion honors and Best Turned Out went to Clifden and Anson Taylor of Radnor Hunt (Pa.). Third-placed Thunderville and Linden Ryan of Blue Ridge Hunt took home Top Thoroughbred Owner-Rider, a new award created in memory of Dr. Matthew Mackay-Smith, outstanding veterinarian, competitive endurance rider, lifelong foxhunting enthusiast, and more.

The reserve champion honors for Best Turned Out stayed in Virginia with Athena's Secret and Hannah Rogers Tucker of Loudoun Fairfax Hunt. Most Suitable Pair, Miss Molly and Cathy Sweezy, hail from Live Oak Hounds (Fl.). Local honors went to Jennifer Nesbitt of Thornton Hill Hounds who earned the Sportsmanship Award and Bull Run Hunt earned distinction with the Most Competitors—four of their riders made the finals, in itself a form of winning.

The Virginia Fall Races got underway at 1 p.m., offering the usual battle of titans as trainers, owners, jockeys and horses competed for top honors under the rules of the National Steeplechase Association. There's nothing like the sheer spectacle of beautiful Thoroughbred horses racing over timber or National brush fences against the most glorious backdrop.

Trainer Leslie Young isn't exactly local, nor is her husband, Paddy Young, five-time champion jockey now retired, yet they continue to win the hearts of enthusiasts who flock to both Glenwood Park and to Great Meadow for NSA racing. Leslie Young saddled Ballybristol Farm LLC's Andi'amu (FR) who, with Jack Doyle in the irons, recorded an easy win in the $40,000 National Sporting Library & Museum Cup Timber Stakes.

Andi'amu, winner of two Virginia Gold Cups, 2018 and 2019, among other triumphs, more or less cruised to the win, 7¼ lengths in front of second-placed Super Saturday, owned by Irvin Naylor, and Blair Wyatt's Witor (GER). Andi'amu sits at the top of a field of eight nominees for the $75,000 International Gold Cup Timber Stakes at Great Meadow, October 26.

Local trainer Neil Morris saddled three winners, two for Kinross Farm: Big Ben prevailed in the Theodora A. Randolph Cup Virginia Equine Alliance Sport of King Maiden Hurdles and Junonia posted a 3¼ length victory in the Daniel C. Sands Maiden Claiming Hurdle over a field of 10. Morris also trained Flying Elvis Stable's Vincent Van Gogo, winner by 1½-lengths in the James P. Mills Memorial Training Flat. Graham Watters piloted all three winners for Morris.

Watters also finished third aboard Magalen O. Bryant's Paddy's Crown, trained by Richard Valentine, in the Bon Nouvel Ratings Handicap, and second in the James P McCormick Memorial Maiden Timber with Irvin Naylor's On My Wish List (IRE).

Virginia Fall Races, featuring vendors (fun for shopaholics), a Family Fun Fair, and artists working plein-air, benefits Inova Loudoun Hospital Foundation, supporting their Greatest Impact Fund which offers critical programs like Music Therapy and Child Life. The Fall Races also benefit the Glenwood Park Trust to help preserve the 112-acre bequeathed to the community by Daniel C. Sands for agricultural and equestrian pursuits. Community support of Glenwood Park is greatly appreciated.

The racing season is winding down, but you can catch the action with Video Archives on the home page of: www.nationalsteeplechase.com