Sale of Middleburg Training Center increasingly likely
Recent talks did not produce agreement
The Biz
April 29, 2026
The impending sale of the Middleburg Training Center to the U.S. Army marks a turning point for Virginia’s Thoroughbred industry, raising concerns about the future of training infrastructure in the region.
In an April 30 update posted to Facebook, the Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA) said that it had been unable to reach an agreement with owner Chuck Kuhn to purchase the Middleburg facility, despite extensive efforts to secure funding and keep the property in industry hands. Instead, Kuhn has accepted an offer from the United States Army, which seeks to house its Caisson horses at the facility, with the United States Army Corps of Engineers finalizing details of the acquisition.
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“Mr. Kuhn has accepted the U.S. Army’s offer to purchase the training center,” wrote VEA President Debbie Easter and Executive Director Jeb Hannum, adding, “There will be approximately a one-year lag time before any Caisson horses are relocated to the facility.”
Horsemen’s representatives had met with Kuhn April 8 but were unable to reach agreement with him on purchase terms.
While the VEA emphasized its support for the Army’s mission, it also warned of the broader implications for the state’s racing industry. The Middleburg Training Center has long served as a cornerstone for Thoroughbred development in Northern Virginia, offering a regulation track and capacity for more than 200 horses.
“The acquisition of the Middleburg Training Center by the Army will have a significant negative impact on Virginia’s Thoroughbred racing and training industry,” Hannum and Easter wrote.
Without a comparable facility in the region, many trainers may be forced to relocate or alter the focus of their business, a shift that could stall recent industry growth.
The numbers underscore the facility’s importance. Since 2018, more than 15 percent of horses in the Virginia Certified program, about 1,000 runners in all, have trained at Middleburg, contributing an estimated $2 million annually to the local economy, according to the VEA.
VEA officials also pointed out that the Army’s intended use would not fully utilize the property’s capabilities, as the Caisson program is expected to stable roughly 80 horses, far fewer than the center’s capacity, and not have need of a racetrack.
Dialogue between the industry and military officials remains ongoing, with a possibility being some joint use of the property. Still, industry leaders believe the best outcome would be identifying “an alternative site that more precisely meets the Caisson program’s specific needs.”
Absent that, the loss of Middleburg as a year-round training base could reshape the landscape of Virginia racing, leaving a gap that will not be easily filled.
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