Tom Cruise

[Red Hunter]

This weekend at my barn I mentioned the gossip about the Tomcat possibly buying Llangollen Farm. One friend of mine said that she was told that Tom Cruise did not buy Llangollen, but that a woman who is the heir to Waterford Crystal bought Llangollen. She told me her name and that she has met her this woman. She has thoroughbreds (quite a few from what I was told). She also told me that she bought Huntlands also.

[SidesaddleRider]

We were out looking at properties this afternoon. Our agent is a partner in the firm that has Llangollen's (AMR). No, Tom Cruise did not buy it. My barn manager said the polo lady/Waterford crystal lady has the contract on it, and yes, she has LOTS of horses. Our agent wouldn't confirm it, because it is through her office, but she gave me "the look", if you know what I mean, when I mentioned it. And no, Huntlands is not sold, Roy Ash has pulled it from the market to try to decide if he does really want to sell it or not, since Llangollen will be sold. Our friends who rent Huntlands are, I'm sure, quite relieved about it! Since that is coming from the partner/our agent, I feel it's pretty accurate.

[fernie fox]

There are quite a few unsubstantiated rumours about John Travolta

moving into a Fly-in community up here in Live Oak,

But it is nowhere near as nice as Jumbolair.

So who knows.

[gray17htb]

I have John Travolta living right down the road from me and I haven't noticed any type of media circus that follows him (ok, so he hasn't had the sort of print TomKat has had over the last year but still, he's a huge celebrity) nor does he hold Scientology meetings complete with alien ships - he can fly down to Clearwater, FL, one of the meccas for Scientologists - to do that. Nope, he's been a regular neighbor, even gets his hair cut at one of the local barber shops where my fiance goes, and can be seen about town at Wal-Mart, Denny's and even HITS. I think he just wants to raise his children in a small town and live a quiet life. Maybe that's what Tom wants to do, who knows? Of course, that estate anyone know if he wants to get into racing? I have a few coming 2 yr olds in training that I might partner on.

Anyhoo, back to John. He's tried to film a couple of his movies here (Lonely Hearts is one and Dallas is another). I think he may have shot some scenes for LH but they scrapped the Dallas shoot, mainly because the county cut funding for the local film commission. Sad. That sort of thing would have created jobs for the area. And now there's a big legal fight over the right to use the runway in the neighborhood he lives in. We've been hearing rumours that he plans on moving from the area because of it. And then there was his plan to bring a minor league ball team here. People fought that, too! I read the editorials in the local paper and it's obvious some people don't want him here because they're afraid he's trying to turn Ocala into a mini Hollywood. I don't see that at all.

Oh My God, I am in love with John Travolta. Where is the drooling icon. If I saw John Travolta at HITS I would need CPR immediately. I knew he was around Ocala, just wasn't sure where. I love Vinny Barbarino. I love Tony Minero

[Melelio]

Norsire, Edgar was the 'trainer' friend, and I believe he said Kitty had some part in the deal is all. Daphne was a friend. That's all as far as I know. There was some other name mentioned but I can't recall. I just thought it strange to have so many hands in the deal, ya know?

Wow! Llangollen! Around that same time I was around those guys, a friend's friend was leasing barn space there, in the training barns. I think he even rode that horse of Robert's at FPP one time. The farm was falling down somewhat at that time, and I never did get to see inside the horseshoe barns, but heard that Ringling Bros. used to 'stable' there many many years ago on their way through? That place was amazing even in a slightly run down state. And the setting, up against the mountains is really lovely.

THey sold it for $22 million???? Whew......

[Red Hunter]

Well, it appears that half of the gossip I heard over the weekend was accurate. Thanks Sidesaddlerider for the confirmation about Huntlands NOT being sold and confirmation about who the new owner of Llangollen Farm is.

[Glimmerglass]

Well, it appears that half of the gossip I heard over the weekend was accurate. Thanks Sidesaddlerider for the confirmation about Huntlands NOT being sold and confirmation about who the new owner of Llangollen Farm is.

If the reputed buyer holds true, the same buyers agent (Mary Ann McGowan at Thomas-Talbot) was used in her first area purchase [$3.1M] back in 2000.

She was also involved in a quiet lawsuit for having acquired lands in 2002 [for $3.8M] from "Bunny" Mellon directly after initially working with a M'burg agent who was then cut out of the commission [see US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit No. 03-1761]

[Bumpkin]

How much of Rokeby has Bunny sold?

I recall Paul Mellon selling the racing barn and I thought the Hunt Box barn before he passed.

[Glimmerglass]

How much of Rokeby has Bunny sold?

A significant part of the once 4,500 acre estate is still Mellon lands although she has been parting with "bits" of the estate. Example:

New owner of Mellon land will preserve open space
By Karen Chaffraix - Times Newspapers
12/07/2004

Rokeby Road is a narrow gray ribbon that winds through some of the most beautiful terrain in the country, if not the world.

Leading south from Route 50 in Upperville, the road meanders through a vast and open sweep of green, its western fringe a lace of purple-blue mountains.

A huge chunk of this land owned by the late Paul Mellon and his wife, Rachel (Bunny), changed hands in October after 567 days on the market.

As is common in sizable real estate transactions, both owner and purchaser in this sale shielded identity using company names. The Mellon property was sold by Oak Spring Farms, LLC. The purchaser was Whaddabout, LLC, whose owner asked to remain unnamed.

On Oct. 18, according to the deed filed with Fauquier County's Clerk of Court, Whaddabout took ownership of 452 acres of the prime real estate, paying close to $7.2 million, according to Realtors' Metropolitan Regional Information Systems. This was $400,000 more than the original asking price.

"There was no bidding war; nothing dramatic," said Ann MacMahon of Middleburg's Sheridan MacMahon LLC, real estate agent for the purchaser. "The land appraised for more than the asking price," she said, "and my
client paid the difference."

When large parcels of undeveloped land in Fauquier's rural agricultural zones change ownership, there is intense speculation about the purchaser's intent.

The property Whaddabout purchased is bound by a conservation easement by virtue of a 1988 "deed of gift of easement" to the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, also on file with the county.

Contacted to define "conservation easement," Virginia Outdoor Foundation's Jeff Matthews explained. "There is a basic agreement regarding the preservation of the land as open space. The details are malleable from one agreement to another, however."

The Mellons' deed at the county courthouse shows some of the "enforceable restrictions" on the property to be: No accumulation of trash; no billboards, signs or advertisements; no division of property of less than 100 acres."

Allowed are "conservation ponds," and "facilities of all kinds for the breeding, raising, training, showing, care and maintenance of horses."

Also allowed: Single-family dwellings with related outbuildings, and private roads.

While those conservation easements pass with title to the land, the purchaser agreed to two further conditions of ownership:

# An aviation easement: An airstrip on the property is reserved for the sole use of the Mellons.

# A foxhunting easement: "So long as the Piedmont Fox Hounds remain an organized hunt for riding to hounds, the traditional horse jumps and courses shall be maintained, and access to the hunt permitted during its regularly scheduled meetings."

According to a spokesman for Whaddabout LLC, the property will be preserved as open space.

"It's in safe hands," reassured MacMahon, when asked about her client's intentions. "He will be a good steward of the land."

Karen Chaffraix may be reached at kchaffraix at timespapers.com

[Red Hunter]

from "Bunny" Mellon directly after initially working with a M'burg agent who was then cut out of the commission [see US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit No. 03-1761]

I reviewed the case and see that the Plaintiff did not have much of a case against the Defendant. The property had not been listed at the time the agent was showing it to her; therefore, the agent was not legally entitled to a commission.

[Glimmerglass]

I reviewed the case and see that the Plaintiff did not have much of a case against the Defendant. The property had not been listed at the time the agent was showing it to her; therefore, the agent was not legally untitled to a commission.

Perhaps so, but the Circuit Judge's Opinion (decided Sep 30, 2004) was such that the case [which had been dismissed by the district court] is reinstated (by vacating the judgement of the Eastern District Court of Virginia) and remanded the case for further consideration.

The opinion was set forth by Judge Widener and concurred by Judge Traxler and Judge Luttig of the US Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit.

[blueribbonbaby]

Maybe Loudoun is where his mothership is scheduled to land.

[SteeleRdr]

Heard this weekend from a tenant of Llangollen that it did in fact sell/go under contract to the the polo/Waterford Crystal lady and will be moving in a lot of horses once they settle. He's got his horses there and is in the process of finding a new place...but yeah, thought I'd throw in another confirmation. That it is indeed not Tom Cruise who purchased the property.

[La Gringa]

Heard this weekend from a tenant of Llangollen that it did in fact sell/go under contract to the the polo/Waterford Crystal lady and will be moving in a lot of horses once they settle. He's got his horses there and is in the process of finding a new place...but yeah, thought I'd throw in another confirmation. That it is indeed not Tom Cruise who purchased the property.

I can't beleive this thread is still going! Old news, it was a rumour only.. and to be honest, I am glad it was just a rumour.

It would be too much for Upperville.

[Norsire]

Hummmm....

Red Hunter I posted that Huntland was off the market back on Oct. 4th, 2006

And Huntland was withdrawn on Sept 20, 2006 which is three days after LLongallon went under contract as contigent no kick out. So, Roy must not have wanted to sell both farms and now that one is "under contract" he wants to keep the other.

Glad sidesaddlerider was able to also confirm this too.

Thanks Sidesaddlerider for the confirmation about Huntlands NOT being sold

Well we won't know for sure until it settles in early Jan 2007, I will let you know once it settles and becomes public record.

THey sold it for $22 million???? Whew......

Was really surprised to see this thread still going today...I have not been on recently.

I must say I'm very happy a horse person bought this farm and will have lots of horses there. I think that is wonderful news!!!

[Glimmerglass]

I'm still a little perhaps out of the loop on the "heir" suggestion with "Waterford Crystal". It is a minor point, but in the interest of accuracy, heir would suggest former ownership to which no evidence exists. Waterford Glass was controlled by Joe McGrath, then his son Paddy, from 1950s until the mid 1980's when the company merged with Wedgwood. Today the company is largely controlled by billionaire Sir Anthony O'Reilly.

As for purported buyer of Llangollen and her father (who is the primary source of wealth) - he was the former chairman of Morgan Stanley Capital Partners. Vis-a-vis that role he served on the board of directors for Waterford Wedgwood U.K. plc during O'Reilly's rise to control. As a prominant Irish-American he also has been on the board of dirctors for another well-known Irish-based global concern: Smurift Stone Container. Before joining Morgan Stanley and the board positions he was for 15-years with International Paper. etc; bottom line my point is no "heir" to Waterford

[Glimmerglass]

As expected, the purchasing of Llangollen [still in contract] means the disposing of her other estate - Foxmount Farm which is currently the home to her Goose Creek Polo team which put on a great show in Aiken for the Triple Crown series. No idea what becomes of the polo operations there at the former Jack Kent Cooke estate in Middleburg.

This would've been the second Foxmount Farm as the initial operation was in Old Westbury, LI.

[SidesaddleRider]

Huntlands

New word from the renters of Huntlands, who are now searching for a new place to live: Roy Ash did pull it off the market, yes. However, he did so in order to make the *major* repairs that the estate needs over the next year, so that he can relist it again. Sigh.

And yes, I was saddened to see Foxmount is also for sale. Hopefully one of the polo-playing sponsors will find it desirable and wish to purchase it!