Last year: no Upperville Colt & Horse Show because of the pandemic. No worries! North America's oldest horse show came back better than ever and also bigger to boot.

That's because of the community of "good hands" dedicated to keep this unique rural sporting tradition alive and well. Punkin Lee, Tommy Lee Jones, and Joe Fargis contribute greatly to the show's success although they insist that the lion's share of credit belongs to all the people who roll up their sleeves and pitch in.

"What makes this show special are the volunteers and the countless hours they put in, the volunteers who come to help during the show – everybody ready to help and participate," Punkin said. "A lot are repeat people and others who just want to help. Joe Fargis has been a calm and conscientious leader all through it. As president of the board, Joe kept things together. If people want a participating role, he finds a good job for them."

Everybody works hard for Upperville, undoubtedly inspired by the indefatigable work ethics of people in leadership roles. Tommy Lee Jones has been a vital element at Upperville since the early 1980s when Theodora Randolph asked him to run the show in her "front yard."

Tommy Lee wears many hats as Show Manager with Facilities & Operations. When it comes to people, he's like the Pied Piper, getting them to hop on board and make the entire Upperville complex, every inch of it, both sides of Route 50, even nicer than Disneyland. The grounds are pristine morning, noon and night. The volunteers and workers offer old-fashioned southern courtesy.

"Tommy is all "Let's get the job done – let's all move along, get the job done, everybody work together and present a positive experience for exhibitors and spectators," Punkin said. "Tommy gives massive amounts of heart, soul, and hard work always for the show."

Punkin, the show's VIP Community Liaison, is committed to strengthening local businesses and promoting the area as a tourist destination. In 1977, she established Journeymen Saddlers Ltd, which has a huge clientele and sterling reputation for quality work. [Joe, being a chap person, still wears his custom Journeymen chaps.] She knows what it takes for a business or a horse show to succeed: people, not just locals, but also out-of-towners, tourists, sightseers, and visitors even if they're passing by and curious.

"It was a great show," affirmed Tommy Lee. "We had more stalls than we ever had before, we had several top international competitors in the world, more than we had any other time. The show ran as smoothly as it could. It was a Joe-influenced horse show. There was a calmer atmosphere, and everyone was really happy to be out."

Tommy Lee witnessed what makes every show manager's heart jump for joy: a multitude of arriving spectators.

"The whole community turned out for this show," he said. "On Saturday, after all the rain on Friday, people were getting stuck by the general admission gate. They left their cars and were walking up the hill, carrying chairs. It looked like Woodstock. We had over 800 people on Saturday from general admission, and on Sunday, almost a thousand people attended through general admission."

Add in the numbers of those who enjoyed the show all week long from the big hospitality tent that overlooks the main jumper ring. When people have an enjoyable, positive experience. In 2016, Upperville achieved four-star FEI status for three grand prix jumping classes (CSI 4*) with prize money that attracts riders from around the world. This adds to Upperville's appeal. Historically, it's an attractive, major event for only one week of the year, picturesquely situated on an extraordinary venue in an area renowned for superlative scenics—with shopping like you wouldn't believe, food vendors, hospitality, multiple rings and action on both sides of the road. It's like a village festival.

"Most horse shows are 12-week-long extravaganzas, cookie-cutter shows," Joe said. "Upperville is very special. It's run by the community and the people all love it. One of the biggest changes was the complimentary parking. I think that really helped us. People were wandering all around the grounds, enjoying the horse show. There were a few news outlets – on channel 4 one morning, Upperville was something interesting to do on the weekend."

Great teamwork can result when supporters rally around central figures like Joe, Punkin and Tommy Lee. They're very different individuals but they share a great passion for Upperville.

"Punkin is a hard worker who expects no credit, but who should get more," Joe pointed out. "When she's on a mission, she's on a mission. Tommy Lee never stops working. He loves the horse show and he knows the place like the palm of his hand."

Everyone agrees that this was probably the best Upperville yet.

"Lord knows we had spectators from Monday to Sunday," Punkin recalled. "The diversity of the spectators was, I thought, amazing. They were great. People were having a good time—you can attribute a lot to the opening of doors after the Covid shutdown. They were glad to be there and they appreciated what they were seeing. Many of us were there from sunup to sundown, every day. I know I saw a lot of repeat people. It was great. We are all very pleased with the renewal of Upperville."

With five thousand or more moving parts to a show like Upperville, there's an amazing amount to do behind the scenes to keep it all going smoothly. "I had people coming into the shop all week after the show and they all said that the Upperville Horse Show was like a well-oiled machine," Punkin said. "There are going to be some blips, but they got addressed quickly and we had a drama-less week because everybody remained calm.

One small blip on Saturday resulted in priceless memories for 24 proud youngsters when the judge arrived late for Leadline (1-3 years). Rather than delay the class, Olympic gold medalist Joe Fargis stepped in and judged the class, then posed for a photo with each young entry. That's just one of the things adding to Upperville's magic. Those images will become cherished memories to share, perhaps encourage future Upperville enthusiasts.

Alison Firestone Robitaille inherited horsey genes from her parents, Bertram and Diana Firestone, well before 1991 when they moved from Waterford, VA to Newstead Farm in Upperville. Alison showed as a junior and, as an adult, focused on show jumping. After the birth of her two daughters, she took five-year break from international competition, but realized that balance in life is just as important as balance in the saddle. Alison staged a successful comeback and continues to divide her time between her children and international competition.

"Upperville is always a special show for me, but after missing it in 2020, I think I appreciated it even more this year," Alison said. "Being first and second in the 1.40 meter jumpers the first day with Happiness and Cocobelle was a great way to start the week. To finish the week being second in the Grand Prix on Sunday with Lima 47 was so exciting, because it was his first FEI four-star. It was even more special that my daughters were there to cheer me on."

Wherever you look, there are gorgeous horses and ponies. On the Jumper side, judging is objective, based on fault-free rounds—no rails down, no refusals, no time penalties… just you and your equine against the course and the clock, unless there are clear rounds and a jump-off to determine the winner. On the Hunter side, the pace is slower, more cadenced. Judging can be more subjective in terms of manners, way of going, and type, although faults like dropping a rail, refusals, chipping in or finding a long spot to the jump, taking a wrong lead or breaking gait, can all affect the results.

People come from near and far for Upperville. Breah Mortenson (Chicago) started riding with Joe Fargis two years ago. Her goal is to do well in the High Amateur/Owner Jumpers, and this was her second time to show at Upperville.

There isn't room for all the nice things she said about Joe as a coach, that he's gifted, how he always puts the horse's well-being first, and the calm way he sorted out confidence issues between Breah and her mare, Farina.

"The footing! It's unreal in the jumper rings," Breah said. "And I love having the endless fields to flat [ride] and graze in. It's also a special show because of the feeling of camaraderie among the barns. I feel as if it's a much more positive environment at Upperville than most other shows, especially the FEI 5-star shows."

Planning has already begun for 2021. Upperville is a community event that welcomes your support. To get involved, to sponsor a class or to volunteer, visit Upperville.com and contact the show secretary or stop in at Journeymen Saddlers.

"Upperville is already big enough," Joe emphasized. "We just want to keep making the show better."