United States Eventing Association

This weekend is the annual Middleburg (Virginia) Christmas parade…always a popular event in the eventing-mecca of northern Virginia. If you’re in the area, be sure to swing by and check it out – the local hunt will be there (along with the hounds, of course), crowds of horsey folks, and herds of corgis and Jack Russells underfoot.

Check out this page for more info on the Christmas parade. While you’re in Middleburg, grab a cup of coffee at Giddy Up (the local “hole in the wall” café), head across the street to the bookstore (gotta support those local book shops!), and get most of your holiday shopping for your horses done at any of the three tack shops:

• The Tack Box: Name brand tack and supplies—tons of great clothing, helmets, and boots, too. Don’t forget to check out the blanket selection upstairs, browse the classifieds ads by the door (no, you don’t need to buy that adorable Jack Russell puppy…just walk away…), and beware the stalker kitty.
• Saddlery Liquidators (Can’t find the website – it’s behind the Safeway): The Target of Middleburg – lots of super deals at this massive warehouse. One of the best places to stock up on essentials. And there’s always some sort of great sale going on, as well.
• Middleburg Tack Exchange: Ah, the gem of Middleburg. The used saddle selection downstairs is fantastic (hundreds of boots, too!). Plus, there’s all sorts of fantastic “gently used” (read = vintage!) stuff here… including name brand tack and clothing, hunting attire, and blankets and coolers. Oh, and don't forget to check out the bit selection…and the clippers!

And if you’re in northern Virginia, you might as well swing by Tri-County Feeds…it’s just down the road (a very gorgeous, picturesque road—you’ll enjoy the drive). The name is a bit misleading--Tri-County offers more than just horse feed…it’s a gorgeous, giant store that has really nice tack (all prices), gifts, jewelry, blankets, pet stuff, barn supplies, etc. Not your average tack shop or feed store!

On another note, Max Corcoran (who normally resides in northern Virginia, minutes from Middleburg—she’s currently enjoying the Ocala sunshine) has published her latest blog entry for Equisearch. We all know Max as Karen O’Connor’s long-time groom, and one of the key people in Team O’Connor. Be sure to check out her blog – Max is a fun writer, and it’s neat to hear about all the “behind the scenes” bits from top eventing barns sometimes. Max has given back to the sport for many years, and is well-known for her popular “Cross-Country Leg Care” talks that she volunteers yearly at the Waredaca Training Three-Day and frequently at the USEA Annual Meeting (photo at left from last year). I’ll never forget when she gave the one at Waredaca T3D in 2007 – she brought the O’Connor’s stud kit with her…it was really fascinating to see all the different types of studs and where they were used.

One final thought! The WEG store has their “official posters” on sale for 50% off! I just ordered mine today: http://weg2010store.com/