Story by Aubrey Simpson photography by Ritchie Rozzelle

Old world charm, expertise and breeding have found a home in the new world at Ashanti Farm®. Elegantly situated on 400 acres in Gordonsville, at the heart of Virginia's beautiful horse country, Ashanti Farm marries fairytale vistas with state-of-the-art facilities and internationally acclaimed trainers.

Entering through the eye-dazzling gates, you drive down a lane of lush trees and emerald green pastures. One hundred acres have been designated for the pastures and facilities, the other three hundred acres are part of the Nature Conservancy, and it's all fairytale-like in its breathtaking beauty and old world charm.

The emphasis at Ashanti Farm is on dressage. The farm features a rich tradition and a prestigious bloodline. Owners Gabriele Heertje and Manfred Nettek have brought the finest Hanoverian bloodlines available to their home in the new world. Born in Switzerland, Gabriele shared, "I first started riding on the Rockefeller Estate when I was living in Tarrytown, New York. At that time, I purchased my first horse, a buckskin named Shanti. That's where the name for our farm, Ashanti, originates. From New York I moved to Charlottesville, Virginia and then to Washington state. It was there in the mid-eighties that I met my husband, Manfred, and became interested in dressage. We moved to Florida in the late nineties and then back to Virginia where we've been breeding and competing horses for dressage during the last eleven years."

In Virginia, Gabriele and Manfred established the new world Ashanti Farm as the home and breeding center for elite Hanoverian Warmblood Stallion, Derringer. The bloodlines carried by Derringer are some of the finest German lines. He represents the D-line on his sire's side back to the famous stallion Duft II and the G-line on his dam's side to the stallion Grande. "We've had many successes," Gabrielle shares, "but two of my favorites are Amidala, a very fine mare named after a princess from Germany and Rhonia, another mare named after a princess in a German-Austrian fairytale." Both horses have proven to be magical – winning numerous prestigious titles in the fiercely competitive dressage arena.

As a seasoned dressage rider, Gabriele brings a wealth of information to those interested in the sport. "It certainly helps if you listen to the horse better," she states, "and know what's going on with them. With every step and motion you learn to feel the horse's energy. Dressage keeps you in the present moment. You can't be an effective dressage performer if you're thinking about other things." Proof of Gabriele's attention to every thought and detail of Ashanti Farm can be found in the quality of the farm's trainer, Bruno Greber.

Bruno Greber, also originally from Switzerland, trained extensively in Europe for seven years, is a graduate of the Swiss Master-Instructor Program and a Certified Dressage Trainer. Bruno continues his education with Dressage Masters like Arthur Kottas, the former first Chief Rider of the famous Spanish Riding School in Vienna. "I've worked and ridden many different breeds of horses," Bruno says in his charming melodic accent, "all breeds have horses that really put their heart into what they're doing. It's like employees at a company, some work well, others you have to push. Then there are those that are enthusiastic about the work. One of our horses, Amidala, who is sponsored by Southern States, is such a horse. When you take her to a show, you can see that even in the warm-up ring she is ready. Amidala likes to show off a little bit. It's in her nature. That's the kind of horse you love to train. But you also have to train the rider. You work with them to get into the mind of the horse. It's not just about the steps; it's fifty percent psychology. Every horse, every rider is different, some you talk to, and some you don't have to say anything. You have to learn the most effective way to work with the rider and handle the horse."

Bruno has obviously learned the best approach for working with Amidala. In 2007, Amidala was fourth in the year-end standings for the United States Dressage Federation (USDF), Horse of the Year at the Fourth Level and was the High Score Champion in the All Breed Awards for the American Hanoverian Society at the United States Equestrian Federation's Levels.

Manfred Nettek shared, "We are looking forward to an exciting year for Amidala in 2009. We will see what it brings. We plan to enter her in the Horse of the Year again, and see what sort of results she gets at the FEI Level. We don't have the 2009 horse show schedule yet, so the best way to see Amidala is to come visit us at Ashanti Farm." For all EquuSSource horse lovers this is an invitation you may want to take very seriously.

When it comes to the feed that she chooses, Gabriele says, "I am the one with expertise in the feed and supplements. We use Triple Crown® Complete at Ashanti Farms. I like it a great deal, and it maintains the horses weight very well with very little feed. I work directly with Dr. Marty Adams and Southern States at the Charlottesville store. He came out to the farm to look at the horses and gave me an assessment. Several of our clients were so impressed by both the feed and the service that Southern States provides that they switched over and have expressed how happy they are with their decision."

For updates on Amidala's success, check out www.ashantifarm.com.