Lynchburg Living

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By Haley Pinder

Fifty-nine horses, eight dogs, two donkeys, two miniature horses, a mule, hundreds of acres of land, a 200+ year old main house with six bedrooms, a pool with stone waterfall and large hot tub, two guest houses with a large game room, four children and two grandchildren would be a lot to take on for just about anyone. But for busy married couple and business partners, Kathleen Donovan and Ron Gore, it’s just another day in the life of their American dream. These two Northern Virginians traded in their busy professional lives for a different life together; one amongst the beauty of the mountains in Bedford County with the animals they love and the room to share it with as many people as they can … up to 22 people, to be exact.

Ron was a contractor with lots of experience in commercial and residential building and Kathleen’s background is in interior design. Together, the two literally formed a beautiful marriage, professionally and personally, more than 15 years ago to take on a new project with their blended family of four children (JD, Mitchell, Kristen, and Justin). After finding their “gem” at the base of the Peaks of Otter in December of 1996, the renovations began. They concentrated their efforts on the main house and pool and in October of 1997, they were officially open to accommodate guests at their inn, named Reba Farms. They later renovated the carriage house and cottage, making them available for guests in 2001.

The farm has a rich lineage, from the Euwings from Scotland, to WWII hero, William Boatright and the more recent owners in the 1960s, the Overstreet family. Through Ron’s love of history and Kathleen’s appreciation for beautiful interiors, the two made appropriate changes to the home to modernize it without gutting it beyond recognition. They even named some of the guests’ rooms after the previous owners to preserve the home’s authenticity.

“We wanted the house to tell its own story,” Ron said.

Why Bedford County? Ron and Kathleen say they searched high and low for a beautiful place to call home and a place to pour themselves into what they loved most–horses and home. This farm is just minutes off the Blue Ridge Parkway, making it convenient for travel and abundant in striking views. Living life on a farm isn’t easy, but for Kathleen and Ron, it is a dream come true.

So, how do just two people manage it all? Ron recalls his dad’s advice: “How do you eat a dinosaur? One bite at a time.” With both of their backgrounds in small business, these two are masters of time management and efficiency.

“The key is loving what you do,” Ron explained.

They are very early risers (between 4 and 5 a.m.); both are up and cooking breakfast before the sun rises on most days. They love to prepare poached pears with lemon sauce, fresh pumpkin bread, and eggs mornay souffle. After their chores are completed and the house is clean, by 8:30 a.m. they are at the barn rounding up horses and taking care of their needs. Of their 59 horses, there are 25 different breeds.

“This is a real herd,” Ron remarked.

A herd is a group of horses that naturally and instinctively live together. There are many reasons for horses to herd; safety, wisdom of the group, reproduction, pleasure and companionship. All of these factors benefit Ron and Kathleen’s horses; 20 of which are rescues from all over the southeast part of the country, most from the Virginia Wild Horse Rescue of Virginia Beach. The couple says they love taking in wild, abused or neglected horses and giving them a chance at rehabilitation and a better life. Starting with only a few horses, Ron smiles when thinking about taking in as many as 100 horses on their farm in the future.

The most unique horse in the herd is the Rocky Mountain. This breed originated in the United States in the late 1800s, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Kentucky and has become the foundation of a special breed of horse. Other breeds include the Percheron, which are draft horses that originated in France. They are well-muscled, and known for their intelligence and willingness to work. The most common breeds on this Bedford County farm, however, are the quarter horses, a great all-around horse that performs and works well.

By 11 a.m., Ron and Kathleen are out riding some of these beautiful animals; sometimes four groups in the same day.

“We have passengers and we have riders,” Ron explained, and says that they welcome both.

Among their visitors are families or couples who come to stay for a weekend getaway, to experienced horsemen who come for competitive trail rides as part of the American Competitive Trail Horse Association and young people coming for a week or two in the summer as interns, wanting to learn about life with the horses.

“Horses know a lot; they have to teach the humans,” Ron said with a smile. “They are team players.”

After a long day riding, the couple heads back to the house preparing dinner for themselves or guests, something they relish. The kitchen is the heartbeat of their home, with wise renovations to make it more accommodating to prepare meals in. They kept the layout quite simple, utilizing all available space, including space above head with a pot rack that doubles as lighting. Natural materials, such as slate, are used in the backsplash; fitting with the theme of the house.

Everywhere you look in Ron and Kathleen’s home, there are intentional touches to revive instead of revamp; the idea is to improve instead of destroy. For example, in the dining room, the original handmade cabinetry has been restored. The back bedrooms, which were once “summer bedrooms” comprised of screened-in space, are now enclosed so that they are useable throughout the year. Central air conditioning was also added to the house, but that was no simple task as they had to work with the original horse hair plaster. Throughout the home, the decor is a beautiful mix of southern traditional patterns, country accents, whimsical collections, folk art, soothing colors and varieties of textiles, solid wood furniture showcased in all rooms and, of course, books about history and horses are everywhere.

When they aren’t riding, the family is taking care of many other things; Kathleen is sewing draperies, bed coverings, pillows or fine tuning the traditional furnishings in their country farm house.

“I like to mix family antiques with eclectic and traditional pieces,” she said.

Sometimes, getting those pieces up to the house is a challenge though.

“Just the other day we were having a sofa delivered and the truck was too large to make it over the bridge, so we had to move it to our truck and then unload it again at the house,” Kathleen explained. “We often work together to get our projects done, but we don’t make lists.”

Ron is also busy with projects throughout the day, playing the roles.

“We do everything ourselves. We haven’t had someone out here to work in almost five years, other than the AC man. We even rebuilt the furnace together last year when the heat went out,” he explained with pride.

Ron also works the land. He grows and bales hay, and just recently planted corn and pumpkin seeds for a corn maze and pumpkin patch for the fall.

“We are constantly re-creating ourselves out here, evaluating what we want and what isn’t working for us,” he said.

Anyone who meets Ron and Kathleen quickly comes to see that these two are resourceful, thankful, well-rounded and hard-working, to say the least. Although their home is lovely, it is easy to leave there with a true sense of the dedicated people who live there–ones who love one another, their environment and their animals. And perhaps it’s these admirable qualities that make their home a truly beautiful thing to behold.

TAKE HOME TIPS:

See the beauty around you. Not everyone has a beautiful mountain view from a wrap-around porch, but there is always something you can focus on close to your home that is beautiful. For Ron and Kathleen, it is without a doubt the natural beauty of the land and animals that they pour their lives into daily. For those of us in the city, we might have to get creative. Try placing flowering plants in your yard that you can easily see from a window or deck, add a water feature or make a bird house or planter with your children and place it in a convenient line of sight. Or take your dog out for a walk in a nearby park and note the beautiful butterflies jumping from one flower to the next. We live in a beautiful part of the country; train your eyes to look for it and your heart to appreciate it.

“We are doers, not talkers.” Over the years, Ron and Kathleen have learned that there is power in action. It is easy to disengage from our homes and get busy with other things, but it is important to want to come home and to create an environment that feels like your own, one in which you take pride. Set aside time to work on those things that need the attention and designate time to spend with those that you love in your space. At the end of the day, focus on what you accomplished and the people you can share it with.

Live Your Own Dream. This might take some time, but it something to consider more often than not. Ron and Kathleen weighed the cost and took the plunge; not just the financial cost, but the amount of work to make their dream happen daily. Now, they are loving it. Ron asked me, “Are you a rider or a passenger?” This question forced me to answer that question, not just from atop of a horse, but in my life. How about you?