The Army Closes The Deal on Middleburg Training Center

By Leonard Shapiro

Photo by Tracy Meyer

Thoroughbred horses are out, caisson horses are in at the Middleburg Training Center

This was the early morning at the Middleburg Training Center, a dozen hours after the U.S. Army had announced at a precisely choreographed town hall that it had closed that very same day on a contract to purchase the iconic facility to train caisson horses used in military funerals at Arlington National Cemetery.

The morning after, several tenants were still going about their business. A few sleek racehorses were galloping on the 7/8 mile track at the 149-acre facility; others were being bathed, groomed and fed. Two longtime MTC trainers were up very early and working at their respective barns, but also making plans to take their horses and their employees elsewhere by an Oct. 24 deadline.

Chris Kolb has been training at the MTC since 1990 but said he’ll now move his operation to Gordonsdale Farm in The Plains. 

“It hasn’t really hit us yet and you feel like you’d like to blame somebody,” he said. “But I don’t blame the Army; they’re trying to do the right thing for their animals, and you can’t really say anything about Chuck Kuhn (the MTC seller). He did what he felt like he had to do. Basically, you have to say, ‘the store is closed and now we’re going to open another one.’”

Middleburg trainer Neil Morris has been at MTC for eight years. Once he learned of the Army’s interest, he said he was certain a deal would be made, and prepared accordingly. He recently purchased a 220-acre farm in Delaplane and already has moved 20 of his 40 horses there.

“I was sad originally,” he said. “But things change, and you have to move forward.” 

The sale closed on Thursday, August 6, the same day the Army had already scheduled the town hall meeting at the Middleburg Community Center. A standing room crowd of about 200 attended to hear what the Army and local residents had to say about the purchase of a facility originally built in 1956 by Upperville philanthropist and Thoroughbred breeder Paul Mellon.

Sale terms were not disclosed. In negotiations for a possible sale to the Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA) earlier this year, Kuhn, a Purcellville resident and owner of JK Movers and a number of large Northern Virginia properties, was asking $9.5 million.  

VEA executive director Jeb Hannum was among a dozen audience members who directed questions to four uniformed Army representatives. Hannum said the VEA would still be interested in leasing three or four barns and the training track, which will not be used by the caisson horses. Hannum said in mid-September he has been in touch with the Army but no decision has been made. 

Major General Antoinette Grant, Commander of the Join Task Force National Capital Region/U.S. Army Military District of Washington, said further analysis will be necessary to determine if that might be possible. She indicated the Army was amenable to exploring that option.

The town hall was not at all contentious. The same could not be said for some of the social media reaction.

“Greed,” said one Facebook respondent. “Our taxpayer dollars do not need to purchase a $10m property for the Army horses. That is completely ridiculous.”

Said another, “One report said Kuhn bought the property for $1.5m and the Army paid him $10m. If he had taken a few less million in profit, the MTC could have been saved…Place the blame where it originated.”

And one more: “At least it’s not a data center.”