Preserving, sharing and promoting the literature, art and culture of equestrian and field sports.

James Wofford Book Signing, Library, May 16, 2013, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Introduction by Olympian Karen O’Connor and lecture by James Wofford Read Wofford's Fox Covert blog

National Sporting Library & Museum Book Fair, Library, May 25, 2013, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
This event is part of the 54th Hunt Country Stable Tour.
On Saturday from 10:00-5:00, the NSLM will host a Book Fair offering book signings and scheduled brief lectures by four authors in the Library’s lecture hall, the Founders’ Room. This event is free and open to the public.
The authors are as follows:
12:00 Rita Mae Brown – New York Times Bestselling author, Murder Unleashed (2012).
1:00 Dorothy Ours – John H. Daniels Fellow, Battleship: A Daring Heiress, A Teenage Jockey, and America’s Horse (2013).
2:00 Jan Neuharth – Popular Middleburg author, The Kill: A Hunt Country Suspense Novel (2010).
3:00 Jill Deiss -book conservationist on the restoration of Thomas Jefferson's set of the works of Aeschylus

An NSLM duplicate book sale will be in progress on the second floor of the Library with horsemanship, horseracing, foxhunting, angling, hunting and dogs books. Sale proceeds benefit the NSLM Book Fund. Posters and DVDs will also be for sale. Jill Deiss, of Cat Tail Run Book Binding, will give book binding and conservation demonstrations throughout the day. Second Chapter Booksof Middleburg will sell author books and other selections. To pre-order books, call 540-687-7016.

Reception and Open House, June 6, 2013, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Battle of Middleburg 150th Commemoration, June 16, 2013, 9:00 a.m.
Introduction to the Forbes exhibition in the Museum and a talk by Childs Burden, "Horses of the Civil War."

NSLM polo fundraiser, VIPolo site, September 15, 2013

Reception and Open House, October 18, 2013 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Symposium: Perspectives on Teaming with Nature, Founders’ Room, Library, November 16, 2013
The symposium features highly influential people who are deeply engaged with the natural world in their respective fields. Participants will be able to learn about how these leaders have creatively "teamed" with nature in art history, science, historic preservation, education and the visual arts. Panelists: Thomas E. Lovejoy, Eleanor Jones Harvey, Gerald Adelmann and James Prosek. Lisa Roberts, arts, science and technological media educator will talk about ways to build awareness in museums and other educational settings.
See James Prosek's PBS Nature program on eels "The Mystery of Eels"

See artist-naturalist James Prosek making art with eels Prosek Studio

Recent Events

"Summer in February,” Private Movie Preview, Sunday, April 21, 2013
“SUMMER IN FEBRUARY” is based on a true story and stars DOMINIC COOPER, EMILY BROWNING and DAN STEVENS. The film revolves around the larger-than-life and controversial painter Sir Alfred Munnings, now regarded as one of Britain’s most sought-after artists. Join us for an exciting dinner and movie at the National Sporting Library and Museum. Read more  Read Country Life
FOR SPONSORSHIP AND TICKETS CONTACT  Holly@webstergroupinc.com 202.741.1294

Read about "Summer in February" Event Leadership and Sponsors; Bloomberg News ; Washington Life ; The Georgetowner ; The Middleburg Eccentric ; TWG blog ; Washington Life

Middleburg Arts Council, Art in the Burg Art Walk, April 27, 2013
In support of the MAC event, the NSLM Museum will remain open until 7 p.m.
A curator led tour of the Museum will be at 4 p.m. Read more.

Kentucky Derby Party for Ivy Circle and Chairman’s Council, May 4, 2013 Canceled

Reception and Open House, Saturday, March 16, 2013, 4:30-7:30
Stroll through the Museum, hear a lecture and enjoy a winetasting in the Library. 4:30-5:30 p.m. Lecture, Founders’ Room, Library, “Abbott Thayer and the Uncloaking of Camouflage” by Roy R. Behrens, Professor of Art and Distinguished Scholar at the University of Northern Iowa. *This lecture is a part of the NSLM Public Lecture Series provided by an anonymous donor. 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Reception, Library Winetasting provided by The Boxwood Winery

Celebration and Lecture for Ivy Circle and Chairman’s Council
Celebration of the exhibition Intersection: Field Sports and the Evolution of Conservation, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. Exhibit Hall.
Intersection is on view through March 1, 2013.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013, Library
Reception 5:30 p.m.
Lecture 6:15 p.m., Founders' Room
Speaker Thomas E. Lovejoy, acclaimed conservationist and originator of the term “biodiversity”
Ivy Circle and Chairman's Council members rsvp jsheehan@nsl,org, 540-687-6542,ext 10 by January 25, 2013

Read about Intersection in Middleburg Eccentric, December 2012

About NSLM Events

The National Sporting Library and Museum holds special events such as symposia, lectures, tours, open houses for the communuity and museum exhibition previews. There is an annual Duplicate Book Sale in the fall and a Book Fair during Hunt Country Stable Tour weekend. The annual NSLM/Chronicle Cup Timber Stakes Trophy award is given in the fall.There is a Benefit Polo Match and Luncheon.

One of the benefits of Ivy Circle and Chairman's Council membership is the opportunity to participate in "Treasures from the Rare Book Room" and Celebration lectures which feature major speakers such as Lord Charles Cecil,Vice Chairman of the R. S. Surtees Society, England; Animal Kingdom trainer Graham Motion, andTerry Belanger, 2005 MacArthur Fellow and Founder, Rare Book School at University of Virginia.

For more information about membership, contact Diana Kingsbury-Smith.

Partial List of Past Events 2012

An event highlight is the NSLM Polo Cup:

POLO SYMPOSIUM and BENEFIT POLO MATCH & LUNCHEON September 22 - 23, 2012 Honorary Committee and Sponsors Read more in: Washington Life, Tony Powell; The Georgetowner Newsletter, Elite Equestrian, Middleburg Eccentric article, photos; The Webster Group blog;  Middleburg Life Check out photos on our Facebook Page

NSLM Book Fair
The second annual Book Fair was held during the 53rd Hunt Country Stable Tour, on May 26, 2012, Library Founders’ Room, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Read more. See photos on Facebook

Treasures from the Rare Book Room
Lord Charles Cecil, Vice Chairman of the R. S. Surtees Society, England, spoke to Ivy Circle and Chairman's Council donors, April 19.

Museum Preview
A preview night at the Museum for the exhibition Scraps: British Sporting Drawings from the Paul Mellon Collection at the VMFA, Richmond, held for Ivy Circle and Chairman’s Council donors on April 6. See photos on Facebook

Museum Preview and Guided Tours
Curator Adam Harris, National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming , who organized the traveling retrospective Bob Kuhn: Drawing on Instinct, gave guided tours as well as presented a lecture at the exhibition preview. See photos on Facebook Read more in Middleburg Eccentric

Community Open House
An open house was held for the community on March 15, May 16, July 12, and October 19. 

Frame Day
A conversation with frame conservator and historian William Adair. See photos on Facebook 

Tour
A conversation with artist Kay Jackson, Endangered Species exhibit. See photos on Facebook

Museum Preview
A preview night at the Museum for the exhibition Wildlife Paintings of Bruno Liljefors was held for Ivy Circle and Chairman’s Council donors on February 3. See photos on Facebook

Events 2011

Graham Motion
Graham Motion, highly-respected trainer of Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, spoke to Ivy Circle and Chairman’s Council donors. See photos on Facebook

Virginia Fall Races
2011 NSLM/Chronicle Cup was awarded at the Virginia Fall Races and the NSLM hosted a reception tent. Middleburg Life, Facebook

Community Open House
Three hundred people attended an open house in November. Read more

Historic Coach Event
The NSLM celebrated the Museum opening with a three-day historic coach event which included a public presentation of the twenty-two coaches at the Upperville Colt and Horse Show grounds. Middleburg Eccentric, Washington Life,

Celebration Gala
Over 400 people gathered to celebrate the opening of the National Sporting Library and Museum’s new Sporting Art Museum on Saturday, October 8th. The Gala was held on the grounds of the NSLM campus in Middleburg, Virginia, the heart of Hunt Country. Beauty, glamour and brilliance were found everywhere – from the dynamic drama of the gala tent filled with radiant guests to the quiet power of art gracing the walls of the elegant museum building. Gala. Washington Post, New York/Washington DC Social Diary, Roaming the Planet, Apollo Magazine, Middleburg Eccentric, Middleburg Life, The Georgetowner

Inaugural Exhbition
Special events surrounding the October 7-9, 2011 celebration of the opening of the new Museum included a presentation of historic carriages at the Upperville Colt and Horse Show Grounds at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, a Gala Saturday night and the inaugural exhibit Afield in America: 400 Years of Animal and Sporting Art, 1585-1985.

Book Fair
The NSLM holds a much-anticipated annual Duplicate Book Sale which raises money for the Book Acquisition fund. A new venture, the Book Fair, held during Hunt Country Stable Tour Weekend, featured five authors who spoke and signed books: Tim Rice, Broke in a Tangle: Legends and Losers, A Lifetime of Turf Memories; Bill Woods, Dressage Unscrambled; Rita Mae Brown, Hounded to Death; Norman Fine, Foxhunting Adventures: Chasing the Story; and Leeanne Ladin, Secretariat’s Meadow: The Land, the Family and the Legend. The Fair drew a capacity crowd. Read more.