A 435-Acre Equestrian Estate in Virginia’s Scenic Hunt Country Region Is Headed to Auction
A sprawling Virginia equestrian ranch long owned by the late philanthropist and conservationist Mary Sayles Booker Braga is slated for the auction block this month, complete with plenty of room to spread out among multiple structures surrounded by a wealth of horse-centric amenities and more. Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the prestigious Hunt Country region, about 50 miles outside of Washington, D.C., the 435-acre spread is currently listed for $19.6 million, with bids expected to start between $5 million to $9 million.
Tucked away behind gates off a secluded road just minutes from the historic town of Middleburg, the main Colonial Revival-style home on the site was originally crafted in the late 1930s by noted architect William Lawrence Bottomley and master builder W.J. Hanback for racehorse owner and breeder Howell E. Jackson and his wife Dorothy. Last sold to its current owners in 2018 for $8.8 million, the stone-clad structure has six bedrooms and seven baths in roughly 8,000 square feet of living space adorned throughout with wide-plank walnut floors and four marble fireplaces.
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An entry foyer displaying a curving staircase introduces the house, with a wide set of steps emptying out at a vestibule that flows to an elegant living room spotlighted by a walk-in bay window and French doors spilling outside. Other highlights include a banquet-sized dining room and a garden room for afternoon tea, as well as a kitchen outfitted with stainless Viking appliances, a butler’s pantry, and an accompanying breakfast room. A wood-paneled library has a cozy reading nook, while an upstairs primary suite comes with a private balcony, a sitting area, an exercise/dressing room, and dual baths.
Outdoors, the landscaped grounds are laced with manicured gardens and multiple courtyards and host a 60-foot pool nestled alongside a pool house with a covered terrace, a grill, a wet bar, changing rooms, and showers. There’s also a two-story office, a three-bedroom guesthouse, a farm manager’s house, a custom greenhouse, a five-bay garage sporting an upper-level entertainment room, and an eight-stall barn with a one-bedroom apartment.
Rounding out the property’s amenities are plenty of fenced pastures with viewing platforms, spring-fed ponds, and a historic log cabin. An added bonus: The estate consists of two tax parcels—one 333 acres and the other 102 acres—that are both protected by an easement with the Virginia Outdoors Foundation.
The compound is jointly offered by John Coles of Thomas & Talbot Estate Properties and Laura Farrell of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty. Concierge Auctions is handling the sale, which runs from Jan. 16 to Jan. 29.
Click here for more photos of the Virginia equestrian estate.
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