Last Sunday I attended the National Sporting Library & Museum (NSLM) 2019 Polo Classic. Held at the beautiful Sheila C. Johnson polo field at Great Meadow Foundation in The Plains, Virginia, the weather was absolutely perfect for some fun on the field. The polo classic is a great event for the entire family.

The National Sporting Library & Museum in Middleburg, Virginia, is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and sharing the literature, art, and culture of equestrian, angling, and field sports.

Founded as the National Sporting Library in 1954, by George L. Ohrstrom, Sr. and Alexander Mackay-Smith, the institution has expanded to become a library, research facility and art museum with over 20,000 books and works of art in the collections.

The Library and Museum are located in the beautiful historic village of Middleburg, Virginia. The NSLM consists of two buildings on the same campus. The Library, built in 1999, was designed to provide facilities for book stewardship and research.

National Sporting Library & Museum 2019 Polo Classic Schedule of Events

10:00 a.m. Gates Open

10:45 a.m. Parade of St. Andrew’s Society Pipes & Drums and Founders Cup Players

10:55 a.m. America the Beautiful performed by Danielle Westphal and Ken Giese

11:00 a.m. Founders Cup Match

12:10 p.m. Founders Cup Awards Ceremony

1:30 p.m. Parade of the Orange County Hounds

1:45 p.m. Parade of St. Andrew’s Society Pipes & Drums and Mars Cup Players

1:55 p.m. The Star-Spangled Banner performed by Danielle Westphal and Ken Giese

2:00 p.m. Mars Cup Match

3:15 p.m. Mars Cup Awards Ceremony

5:00 p.m. Gates Close

Nestled in the heart of Virginia’s Piedmont countryside, Great Meadow is a 380-acre field events center and steeplechase course operated under stewardship of the Great Meadow Foundation.

The Great Meadow Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to preserving open space for public enjoyment, non-profit events, community service and equestrian sports. Great Meadow is home to the Virginia Gold Cup, Team America Rocketry Challenge, Twilight Polo presented by Blue Valley Vineyard and Winery, MARS Great Meadow International, Independence Celebration, Twilight Jumpers, Virginia Scottish Games, National Sporting Library & Museum Benefit Polo Match, VHSL State Championship Cross Country Meet, seasonal trail rides, weddings, and other community events.

A 45 minutes drive from Loudoun County to Fauquier, Great Meadow Foundation was the perfect backdrop with its lush greens and open field. I started my day by exploring the field, picnic setups, tailgate tents, and the NetJets Cessna Citation Longitude, which is recognized for having the quietest cabin in its class.

NSLM is dedicated to preserving, promoting and sharing the literature, art and culture of equestrian, angling and field sports. Each year, the Polo Classic event is the sole fundraising event for the organization. The Polo Classic supports everything its multidisciplinary programs from exhibitions to educational programs to preservation of our collections and more. For more information about the National Sporting Library & Museum, visit http://www.nationalsporting.org/nslm.