Nydrie’s “Day in May” was Amazing

Virginia truly is for horse lovers. Two people who love history, horses, and renovation projects made a commitment to bring back the glory of a famous racing stable – Nydrie – that had been empty and unkempt for over 20 years. On Sunday, May 24, 2026, four years after purchasing the ivy-covered, dilapidated stable and 600 acres of Virginia land, the newly renovated Nydrie hosted its grand opening event, “A Day in May.”

EDUCATION & HORSEMANSHIP

Welcoming sixteen horses, thirteen riders, three clinicians, and hosting two barn tours and receptions for numerous guests on one glorious day, “A Day in May” was packed full of education, information, friends, food, and great weather.

Head clinician Walter “Jimmy” Lee, assisted by Paul Mathews and Steven Rivetts, worked with riders over three sessions, imparting the knowledge and words of wisdom gained from decades of experience in the barn, the show ring, and the judge’s seat.

Along with time in the tack, riders received parting gifts from the supportive Virginia community, including saddle pads from Shawnee Baker, manager of the beloved Charlottesville Dover Saddlery, and treats for both horse and rider from Blue Ridge Farmers Co-op, Purina, and Equine Elixirs.

Local equestrians of all ages came to enjoy the splendor of the new Nydrie.

“We had a wonderful day and everyone was so helpful with my friend, Ginger Ashcom,” noted Donna Martin, owner of Blue Ridge Trailer Sales & Service, LLC. “When Ginger was much much younger, she rode horses for Jimmy Lee. Paul Matthews helped her and her husband, David, with their wonderful homebred Hunters and Jumpers. It is a very small horse world here in Central Virginia. Thank you again, and by the way, the farm looks AMAZING.”

A REBIRTH
In the autumn of 2022, Phoebe Weseley and David King, the “farm doctors,” decided to take on a patient who was falling apart at the seams, the once famous and vibrant Nydrie Stud in Esmont, Virginia. With the expertise of Blackburn Architects drawing up the plans, the vision of a new Nydrie seemed possible. Peeling away the layers of decay, the project of renovating Nydrie was an extensive but worthwhile operation of removing the old and recreating the new.

Once again home to gorgeous equine athletes, Nydrie is now a boutique hunter/jumper stable. At lunch and after the final riding session, King took guests on a tour that honored the past and the future of these “hallowed grounds.”

“Thank you so much for hosting us and neighbors at Nydrie’s Grand Opening. I understand that while DG and Court’s [Van Clief] parents were alive, the grounds and barns were showcase immaculate. During the more than 30 years we have lived nearby, we have been saddened to watch the decline of such a unique and interesting stable and outbuildings with such a rich equestrian history,” a neighbor commented. “It is a joy to see your restoration efforts and the fabulous work you have done and will do for Nydrie. Thank you again for sharing it with us. Best of luck with your equestrian endeavors.”

King and Weseley are honored to have restored this historical horse heaven and look forward to being a part of the Virginia equestrian community. Cheers to more amazing days of horsemanship and camaraderie in central Virginia and beyond.

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River Run Farm LLC, a boutique H/J facility, now offers boarding & training at Nydrie in Esmont, VA and at their 15-acre farm in Wellington, FL. See more at RRFHorseHeaven.com