National Sporting Library & Museum Day Trip

If you’re looking for a great equestrian destination near the nation’s capitol, make time for a jaunt to the historic town of Middleburg, Virginia. The National Sporting Library and Museum located on the edge of Washington Street will delight your inner bookworm/history nerd/art aficionado/horse-loving self.

The National Sporting Library and Museum preserves, promotes and shares “the literature, art and culture of equestrian, angling and field sports.” The library is not a lending library. However it’s open to the public for on-site perusal of books, art and historic archives. Fox hunting paintings, horse sculptures and artifacts such as fishing poles and lures adorn the walls. Desks with built-in outlets for laptops, and cozy chairs nestled in strategic corners invite both researchers and readers alike.

First Trip to The National Sporting Library

In 2019, a horse pal and I visited Middleburg to ride as guests in a nearby fox hunt. We dropped in at the museum and fell in love with the decor and vibe. That’s when I learned the library is home to Teddy Roosevelt’s fox hunting diaries. I made a mental note to someday go back to read them. (Still on my to-do list!) They also house archives related to fox hunts, including Chicagoland’s Mill Creek Hunt, one I have ridden to hounds with as a guest twice.

During my first trip I donated a copy of my memoir Horses Adored and Men Endured to their collection. My friend and I also attended a reception where we listened to a an Irish horseman speak. We snacked on fancy appetizers and met a Middleburg woman who preferred riding sidesaddle.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Susan Friedland (@saddleseekshorse)

Art & Artifacts

This time around, two exhibits beckoned me. The first was A Decade Afield, an art exhibit showcasing the range of mostly equestrian art from the museum’s collections. The second Storied Friends, a tribute to the 20-year collaboration and friendship between author Marguerite Henry and illustrator Wesley Dennis. Both shows were excellent.

Highlights from A Decade Afield were paintings by Munnings, a sculpture by Haseltine (see above Thoroughbred) and a silver Four-in-hand model. This exhibition celebrates ten years of the museum and its fabulous permanent collection.

This 1921 sidesaddle painting by Franklin Brooke Voss captured my attention. Mrs. Elida Bonnell Langely, a Middleburg resident atop this gorgeous bay, rode with the Meadow Brook Hunt, Orange County Hounds, Cedar Creek and Piping Rock clubs on Long Island. She also hunted in England and Ireland!

Hightlights from the Henry-Dennis exhibit were two illustrations thought to be “deleted scenes” from Justin Morgan Had a Horse. I also enjoyed seeing postcards Dennis used to send in response to his mountains of fan mail. The team that brought Misty of Chincoteague and King of the Wind to Life still thrill me.

A beautiful and sad monument graces a roundabout in front of the parking area. A life-size battle horse honors the 1.5 million equines who lost their lives or were wounded during the Civil War. An inscription states during June of 1863 “many perished within twenty miles of Middleburg.”

Other Impressions

The museum staff were incredibly friendly. I asked which pieces of A Decade Afield were notable, prior to my walk through. The curator gave me a quick overview of what she found most interesting. A curious collection of dog collars was on the list.

I saw a small barrel worn by working St. Bernards, a World War I collar with tubular message containers and a metal collar rimmed with pointy teeth (meant to keep a dog safe from a predator), a sampling of a larger collection. A future exhibit with over 100 dog collars will be coming up next!

Through casual conversation, one of the employees found out I used to teach ancient history. She enthusiastically showed me Ann Hyland’s Equus: The Horse in the Roman World. We talked about the Roman chariot races and she mentioned she wrote this piece for the National Sporting Library and Museum’s blog.

My morning diving into horses and history rocked! I hope to make it back to Middleburg soon. After all, Teddy Roosevelt’s diaries await me and shelves upon shelves, row upon row of horse and rider books.

Thanks for reading and tally ho! 

Leave a Comment: Are you an equestrian traveler or more of an armchair adventurer? What type of horse-related trips appeal to you most? When you are on holiday, do you read horse books?

Join my list for horse-centric people like us. Click here for product reviews, horse stories and equestrian travel via twice-a-month emails. No spam, I promise.

Trot along with my OTTB Knight and me over on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.