Morven Park International, in OctoberMorven Park, Leesburg, Loudoun County
Artist’s renderings inspired by real Northern Virginia settings, not listings.
The race days and hunts that set the calendar in Loudoun, the 2027 dates already posted, and what each county asks of a buyer who wants horses at home.
Updated October 14, 2026Race and hunt organizers, Morven Park, US Equestrian, county codes and Bright MLSAbout a 12-minute read
Written byAhmed MakkiyahREALTOR®, Douglas Realty of Virginia · English and ArabicMobile 734.383.6945 · Direct 703.957.0060 Quick answer
Loudoun County is the heart of Northern Virginia’s horse country. Glenwood Park, just north of Middleburg, runs the Middleburg Spring Races, which bill themselves as Virginia’s oldest steeplechase (since 1911); the next is April 17, 2027. Morven Park in Leesburg holds one of five CCI4*-L eventing competitions in the United States each October. To keep a horse at home, Loudoun asks for 5 acres unless you file a Conservation Farm Plan; Fairfax and Prince William start at 2 acres, with limits on how many horses.
Checked October 14, 2026. ★ Bright MLS closed sales, October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026, detached single-family homes on 5 acres or more; compiled by Ahmed Makkiyah.1
The lay of the land
In the four counties I cover, horse country means western Loudoun first. Glenwood Park, just north of the Town of Middleburg, holds the spring and fall steeplechase races; Morven Park, on the edge of Leesburg, holds international eventing; and the Middleburg Hunt and the Loudoun Fairfax Hunt ride the country between them.5,6
Visit Loudoun, the county’s tourism board, says Loudoun is “home to more than 15,000 horses” and calls Middleburg “America’s Horse and Hunt Country Capital,” in its own words.18 The last formal count I found is older: a 2015 University of Virginia study estimated 14,452 horses and 2,738 horse-industry jobs in Loudoun, from 2013 survey data.19
Fairfax and Prince William have their own horse pockets, in the large-lot country around Great Falls and Clifton and in the farmland around Nokesville. A note on county lines: The Plains, Upperville and Great Meadow, which many people picture as Virginia hunt country, are in Fauquier County, which this guide does not cover. I checked the county of every venue on this page. Arlington has no land for keeping horses that I found.
Race days and polo
Every one is in Loudoun County. Dates that have passed are marked as 2026; the 2027 dates are given only where the organizer has posted them.
Glenwood Park · Loudoun County
The races bill themselves as Virginia’s oldest steeplechase; the first meet was organized in 1911 by Master of Foxhounds Daniel Cox Sands.2,3
Glenwood Park · Loudoun County
The organizer calls Glenwood “the oldest continuous race course in Virginia.”4 Glenwood Park is outside the town limits, just north of Middleburg.5
Morven Park, Leesburg · Loudoun County
Morven Park is a 1,000-acre historic estate, open to the public since 1967, with recognized horse trials since 1973.6,7
Morven Park and Glenwood Park · Loudoun
Point-to-points are the hunts’ own race days. The Loudoun Hunt’s was traditionally run at Oatlands and now runs at Morven Park; 2026 parking ran from $40 a car to $350 for a terrace box.11,12
Morven Park, Leesburg · Loudoun County
Arena polo on summer Saturday evenings at Morven Park.9
Near Middleburg · Loudoun County
Arena and grass polo about five minutes from downtown Middleburg, by the club’s description. It does not post a full season list; in 2026 it appears to have run from about late May to early September.16,5
Outside the four counties, and not covered here: Great Meadow’s polo and the Virginia Gold Cup at The Plains, and the Upperville Colt & Horse Show, all in Fauquier County.
The hunts
Two hunts ride the Loudoun country this guide covers. Guests ride by invitation and pay a cap.
The Middleburg Hunt was founded in 1906 and recognized in 1908; its hounds meet on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Guests hunt by the Masters’ permission, with a limit of four caps: $150 for adults and $50 for juniors 14 to 21, and free for children under 14 with an adult.13
The Loudoun Fairfax Hunt lists caps of $100 in the cubbing season, the early fall season of training young hounds, and $150 in the formal season.14 A cap is the fee a non-member pays to hunt for one day; members pay yearly dues instead.15
Christmas in Middleburg is Saturday, December 5, 2026. The Middleburg Hunt lists its Christmas Hunt Parade from 11 a.m. to noon: the Masters, the huntsman and hounds, mounted members and cappers riding through town.12 The organizer calls the day “a 40 year local tradition”; its latest posted timetable puts the Christmas parade at 2 p.m. on Washington Street, and parking must be bought in advance, with shuttles from fields on Route 50.17
If you buy in hunt country, ask the seller whether a hunt crosses the land and on what terms. Riding with a hunt comes from the Masters’ permission, not from owning land nearby.
At a glance
All in Loudoun County, in calendar order. A date shows as “Not yet announced” until the organizer posts it.
| Event | Where | When it runs | Next date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morven Park Spring Horse Trials8 | Morven Park, Leesburg | Late March | March 27 and 28, 2027 |
| Loudoun Hunt Point-to-Point11 | Morven Park, Leesburg | April (April 19 in 2026) | Not yet announced |
| Middleburg Spring Races2,3 | Glenwood Park, near Middleburg | Third Saturday of April | Saturday, April 17, 2027 |
| Middleburg Hunt Point-to-Point12 | Glenwood Park, near Middleburg | Late April (April 26 in 2026) | Not yet announced |
| Morven Park Summer Show Series10 | Morven Park, Leesburg | May and August (May 16–17 and August 8–9 in 2026) | Not yet announced |
| Polo in the Park9 | Morven Park, Leesburg | Saturday evenings, June to early August | Not yet announced |
| Twilight Polo16 | Near Middleburg | Saturday evenings, about late May to early September | Not yet announced |
| Loudoun Hunt Pony Club Summer Horse Trials29 | Oatlands, Leesburg | June (June 20–21 in 2026) | Not yet announced |
| Virginia Fall Races4 | Glenwood Park, near Middleburg | Second Saturday of October (October 10 in 2026) | Not yet announced |
| Morven Park International (CCI4*-L)6,8 | Morven Park, Leesburg | October (October 7–11 in 2026) | Not yet announced |
| Christmas in Middleburg, with the hunt parade17,12 | Town of Middleburg | Early December | Saturday, December 5, 2026 |
Keeping horses at home
These are the zoning rules for keeping your own horses at home, not for boarding other people’s. They apply lot by lot, so confirm the district of any parcel with the county before you rely on them.
| County | Minimum land | How many horses | Barns and sheds | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loudoun20 | 5 acres, or less with an approved Conservation Farm Plan filed with the Zoning Administrator | No per-acre count in the rule; on a farm plan, no animals can be added without amending it | 60 feet from a lot line next to a lot with a house | No horses or private stables on Residential Cluster Lots; a boarding stable needs 15 acres and an event facility 25 |
| Fairfax21 | 2 acres | One animal unit per acre; 3 horses make one unit | 40 feet from a front or side lot line, 20 feet from the rear | For your own horses only, not boarding or breeding; a special permit can allow more |
| Prince William22 | 2 acres, in the A-1 and SR districts | One per acre over the first: 1 on 2 acres, 2 on 3, 4 on 5 | – | Not allowed on other residential lots |
Zoning sets the floor; the grass sets the real limit. Virginia Cooperative Extension says “two to three acres of well-managed pasture should provide adequate grazing and exercise for a mature horse.”23 So Fairfax’s zoning may allow six horses on 2 acres, but the pasture guidance supports one.
My own rule of thumb, from that guidance: once the house, the drive and the septic field take their share, a 5-acre lot keeps one or two horses on grass. More horses mean buying hay and setting aside a dry lot.
Many newer homes in western Loudoun sit in rural cluster subdivisions. There, the Residential Cluster Lots cannot keep horses or a private stable, while the larger Preservation Farm Lots can.20 Two neighboring lots in the same subdivision can fall on different sides of that line.
Where horse land sells
434 detached homes on 5 acres or more sold in the three counties from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026. Here are the towns with at least 10 of those sales, by the listing’s mailing address, so a Middleburg or Purcellville address can sit well outside the town.1
| Nokesville | Prince William County | 62 | $1,210,000 | 10 acres | $1,950,000 | 18 |
| Fairfax Station | Fairfax County | 40 | $1,622,500 | 5 acres | $2,650,000 | 12 |
| Leesburg | Loudoun County | 39 | $1,250,000 | 10.1 acres | $3,711,250 | 24 |
| Clifton | Fairfax County | 38 | $1,300,000 | 5 acres | $3,900,000 | 8 |
| Purcellville | Loudoun County | 29 | $1,610,000 | 12.6 acres | $3,250,000 | 16 |
| Great Falls | Fairfax County | 28 | $2,312,500 | 5 acres | $12,000,000 | 8 |
| Lovettsville | Loudoun County | 25 | $1,079,000 | 10 acres | $2,400,000 | 22 |
| Haymarket | Prince William County | 21 | $1,500,000 | 10 acres | $2,219,725 | 7 |
| Manassas | Prince William County | 18 | $1,105,000 | 6.2 acres | $2,400,000 | 13 |
| Middleburg | Loudoun County | 15 | $2,300,000 | 14 acres | $5,500,000 | 41 |
| Round Hill | Loudoun County | 14 | $1,300,000 | 10 acres | $4,600,000 | 8 |
| Hillsboro | Loudoun County | 14 | $1,094,135 | 10 acres | $1,965,000 | 32 |
| Bluemont | Loudoun County | 13 | $1,450,000 | 10.1 acres | $3,100,000 | 62 |
| Waterford | Loudoun County | 13 | $1,695,000 | 11.2 acres | $3,100,000 | 26 |
| Aldie | Loudoun County | 10 | $1,970,000 | 11.9 acres | $4,750,000 | 26 |
★ Bright MLS closed sales, October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026, detached single-family homes on 5 acres or more; compiled by Ahmed Makkiyah. Medians: the middle sale, half sold for more and half for less. Lot sizes are as listed.
Glenwood Park, the Middleburg Hunt and the sporting library.
Open the guide pageLeesburg · LoudounMorven Park’s eventing, polo and point-to-point.
Open the guide pagePurcellville · LoudounFarm country toward the Blue Ridge.
Open the guide pageAldie · LoudounOn Route 50, between Middleburg and the suburbs.
Open the guide pageWaterford · LoudounA historic village in open country.
Open the guide pageClifton · FairfaxFive-acre zoning and the Clifton Horse Society.
Open the guide pageGreat Falls · FairfaxTurner Farm Park and the Difficult Run trail.
Open the guide pageFairfax Station · FairfaxLarge lots in the Occoquan watershed.
Open the guide pageNokesville · Prince WilliamThe most 5-acre sales of any town.
Open the guide pageHaymarket · Prince WilliamFarmland at the foot of the Bull Run Mountains.
Open the guide pagePlaces to ride and visit
Open to the public, from a museum of horse art in Middleburg to fields in Great Falls where you can ride your own horse for free.
Founded in 1954, with about 20,000 volumes on horsemanship, racing and hunting, and a museum of sporting art. Thursday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; “Spiritus Equus” runs through February 21, 2027.24,5
A full-size indoor arena, two outdoor rings and a cross-country rally field, with schooling shows. Bring your own horse; the park does not rent horses.25,5
Almost 40 acres of fenced fields for riding, with no reservation needed.26
Mostly natural-surface trail from Miller Heights Road to Georgetown Pike. The county warns that many bridle trails are not well marked and become overgrown, and a washed-out stretch of the Difficult Run Trail in Great Falls Park cannot be ridden.26,27
Mounted events, clinics and trail rides, open to members and nonmembers; it reports more than 300 members.28
Beyond the races and polo above, its horse trials in March and October and summer hunter-jumper shows are open to spectators.8,10
The National Sporting Library & Museum is the easiest first visit. It sits on The Plains Road inside the Town of Middleburg, and its collection covers horsemanship, steeplechasing, foxhunting, flat racing and polo, with rare titles back to 1523.24 Pair it with a race day at Glenwood Park, a few minutes north.
Closer in, Fairfax County’s parks give riders who keep a horse nearby somewhere to work in any weather. Frying Pan Farm Park has a full-size indoor arena and two outdoor rings, with schooling shows, and Turner Farm Park’s fenced fields in Great Falls are free from dawn to dusk.25,26
What could change
Loudoun County · 2027
As of October 14, 2026, only two 2027 dates were posted: the Middleburg Spring Races on April 17 and the Morven Park Spring Horse Trials on March 27 and 28.3,8 The Virginia Fall Races, Morven Park International, both point-to-points and both polo series had not posted theirs. I will add them here as they appear.
Virginia · Pending
The newest county count of horses I found uses 2013 data. In September 2025 the Virginia Horse Industry Board was reported to be working toward updated results of its statewide economic study by 2026.19,30 When it is published, I will update the figures above.
Questions
Loudoun’s zoning ordinance does not allow keeping horses on a parcel under 5 acres unless the owner gets a Conservation Farm Plan, with a waste management plan, through the Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District and Virginia Cooperative Extension, and files it with the Zoning Administrator. Horses and private stables are not allowed on Residential Cluster Lots in rural cluster subdivisions. Virginia Cooperative Extension suggests two to three acres of well-managed pasture for each mature horse.
On a lot of at least 2 acres, Fairfax allows one animal unit per acre, and three horses count as one animal unit, so zoning allows up to three horses per acre for your own use, not for boarding or breeding. Barns for horses must be 40 feet from a front or side lot line and 20 feet from a rear one. The pasture guidance is tighter: two to three acres per mature horse.
In the A-1 agricultural and SR semi-rural districts, on a lot of 2 acres or more, the county code allows one horse per acre over the first: 1 horse on 2 acres, 2 on 3 acres and 4 on 5 acres. Horses are otherwise not allowed as an accessory use on residential lots.
The Middleburg Spring Races call themselves Virginia’s oldest steeplechase. The first Middleburg Hunt race meet was organized in 1911, and the races run on the third Saturday of April at Glenwood Park, just north of Middleburg in Loudoun County. The next is Saturday, April 17, 2027.
Saturday, December 5, 2026. The Middleburg Hunt lists its Christmas Hunt Parade from 11 a.m. to noon, with the Masters, the huntsman and hounds riding through town, and the organizer’s most recent timetable puts the Christmas parade at 2 p.m. on Washington Street. Parking must be bought in advance.
Yes, by the Masters’ permission. A guest pays a cap, a fee for one day’s hunting. The Middleburg Hunt lists caps of $150 for adults and $50 for juniors 14 to 21, with a limit of four caps per guest, and the Loudoun Fairfax Hunt lists $100 in the cubbing season and $150 in the formal season. Ask the hunt secretary before you go.
In Loudoun County, Morven Park in Leesburg runs Polo in the Park on summer Saturday evenings (eight dates from June 6 to August 8 in 2026), and Twilight Polo, near Middleburg, plays Saturday evenings in summer with free admission. Neither has posted its 2027 dates. Great Meadow’s polo is in Fauquier County, outside the area this guide covers.
How the details are verified
I have been a real estate agent since 2014, first in Michigan, and licensed in Virginia since 2019. The Northern Virginia Association of REALTORS (NVAR) named me a Top Producer every year from 2020 to 2025.
For this page I read each race, hunt and venue’s own website, US Equestrian’s calendar and the county codes, and checked the county of each venue address with the U.S. Census Bureau’s address lookup, on October 12 and 14, 2026. The sales figures are my own Bright MLS search, reported as town totals and medians only, never an address. Where a fact could not be confirmed, the page says so or leaves it out.
On a specific property, I confirm the zoning district and lot type on the county’s records, read any recorded easement, and go through the farm plan, well, septic and fencing with you before you commit. Showings are private and by appointment, in English or Arabic.
Your next step
Name the town, the acreage or the number of horses you have in mind. I will reply personally with the properties, the zoning behind each and the closed sales behind their prices, in English or Arabic.
Further reading
Golf, wine, estates, dining and more.
Back to the series Luxury seriesWhere the $2 million and acreage homes sell.
Read the estate guide Luxury seriesLoudoun’s wineries and the homes near the vineyards.
Read the wine guide Luxury seriesThe private clubs and the homes beside them.
Read the golf guide County guideFrom Ashburn to the western villages.
Open the county guide County guideEvery town: prices, taxes and commute.
Open the county guide County guideThe towns and the Rural Area.
Open the county guide Home valuationComparable closed sales near you, matched on land as well as house.
Get a valuation
