What's New
November 1998

Additional Horses for Ashanti Farm

Gabriele and Manfred of Ashanti Farm purchased an additional Stallion in Germany. His name is "Exupery", a 5-year old Oldenburg who won the German Championship in Warendorf, Germany in 1997 for 4-year old Stallions. He arrived in Vienna on May 5, 1998, where Mr. Arthur Kottas-Heldenberg, who is the First Rider of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, agreed to train him. Arthur’s daughter, Caroline, who is a very talented young rider, will show him, once he is ready for shows. The plan is to leave Exupery with Arthur for many years to come to give him the best education in dressage available today and make him a possible future champion. It is also planed that Arthur will visit Ashanti Farm in the future, at least once a year, where he will give clinic’s and train the riders and handlers of Ashanti Farm to achieve European standards in breeding, training, and upbringing of young horses. One of Arthur’s colleagues from the Spanish Riding School in Vienna will visit Ashanti Farm occasionally to teach our riders and possibly hold clinics.

Betsy Steiner, Gabriele and Manfred have purchased a Stallion with the name "Carreras". He is 7 years old, of polish descent and scored over 86% in the Championships for 5 year old Stallions in Poland. We purchased this Stallion from Ulrich Kasselmann in Hagen, Germany where he is trained right now until he is shipped to the USA on November 6, 1998, together with Fameux, an 8 year old Oldenburg Gelding, two Hanoverian approved mares and one Austrian Warmblood mare. As soon as we have pictures available, we will add pictures to this text. Betsy will train Carreras and once he is ready for shows, show him in the USA, Europe and down under

We will announce Arthur's visits at Ashanti Farm well in advance on our web site and through advertising.  Those interested will be able to make reservations for clinics and auditing.

Frozen semen of Exupery will be available for shipment to the U.S. in early 1999.   We have made arrangements with the University of Vienna, Department of Veterinarian Medicine to have semen collected and frozen beginning in August 1998.

Schindelhof

The three 4-year-old mares, Prima Ballerina, Riviera and Ravissante are currently stabled at the "Schindelhof", Evelyn Swarovski’s breeding farm in Austria (photo to right). All three mares are approved by the German Hanoverian Society. Riviera is already pregnant by the Stallion "Weinkoenig" (a son of "Weltmeier") and we hope that the two other mares will take as it gets warmer. Evelyn runs a First Class breeding operation and has always-excellent young dressage prospects for sale.

Please send inquiries regarding Dressage horses for sale from Austria to Ashanti Farm.

Relocation of Ashanti Farm

Ashanti Farm has relocated to Gordonsville, VA on October 1, 1998. We are pleased to announce that Gabriele & Manfred Heertje/Nettek and Betsy Steiner have formed a partnership and are the owners of the new Ashanti Farm Inc.

In a soon to be published Press Release, Betsy will announce her move to the East Coast. The text will read as follows:

"First there was friendship and over time something special developed, says Betsy. We realized that we are "tuned in", that we are seeking the same goals and that we have so much in common that a partnership was the only true solution.

It resulted in the foundation of Ashanti Farm Inc., created to become a First Class, European influenced, Dressage facility for training and breeding. Ashanti Farm Inc. is located near Charlottesville, VA and houses top quality horses. We will practice a healthy, friendly, professional, safe and productive environment for people and horses.   My daughter, Jessie, will remain my assistant in training of horses and she will also train and ride the Farm’s 8 year old Oldenburg Gelding named "Fameux".   Hector, my irreplaceable groom for the past 5 years, is also moving east and will join our team.  One of the Farm’s horses, a 7-year-old polish Stallion will become my partner. I fell instantly in love with "Carreras" when I tried him the first time. He has exciting charisma. He is very intelligent, elegant, powerful and very, very talented.

I look forward to the future with great enthusiasm and joy. It is an extraordinary opportunity with extraordinary people involved."

The planning is progressing as expected and we started the building of an outstanding dressage facility on approximately 400 acres of prime farmland, the new home of Ashanti Farm Inc.

The Ashanti Farm facilities in Naples are offered for sale. The facility, 12.5 acres just east of I-75 is listed with Marilyn Pelletti from Foxfire Realty in Ocala, Florida. The asking price is $1,700.000. For additional information please contact Marilyn toll free at (800) 451-4556 or through her e-mail: Pelletti@aol.com

Should anybody be interested in moving to Washington State, Marilyn has also the listing of Ashanti Farm, our 40-acre facility near Tenino, WA. The asking price is $ 1,995.000. This farm is located about 20 minutes east of Olympia, WA and 1 hour 15 minutes southeast of Seattle. Please contact Marilyn for additional information!

Upcoming events

We will write about events when the new facilities are completed.

Derringer

Derringer has been training for 8 ½ months with Steve Kanikkeberg in Stuart, Florida.  He is doing extremely well and Steve told us that he is impressed with Derringer's capabilities and his willingness to work hard.   We are pleased that both horse and trainer have fun working together.  We are planning to show Derringer early next year in Wellington, Florida.

Derringer in the media

Look for Derringer in the stallion issues of "The Chronicle of the Horse, Dressage Today, Practical Horseman and Dressage and C.T. Magazines." He will be featured in December, January and February issues of those publications. Check the January issue of "Dressage Today" magazine, (page 50), for information on a successful young mare sired by Derringer. The fall winter issue of the A.H.S. magazine "American Hanoverian" has information on pages 4 & 25 regarding one of Derringer's daughters scoring, "8's for her impulsion and elasticity and her walk."   For more articles check out Derringer in the Media.

Newborn Foals

On March 30, 1998 one of Ashanti Farm's mares, Azure, a beautiful thoroughbred we purchased here in Florida, gave birth to a filly sired by Derringer. We've named this filly Donatella and she is another fine example of the quality of Derringer's foals.  The birth occurred at 7:20 P.M. much to the delight of the staff and owners and everything proceeded like clockwork. The whole birthing process took approximately seventeen minutes and it wasn't five minutes after the foal was on her feet that the mare had her nursing. Farm manager George Michael and his assistant Shelley Mix were present for the birth and owner Gabrielle Heertje arrived before Donatella was on her feet. The foal was handled briefly at the time of birth for imprinting, which did not interfere with the natural process that the mare and foal need to experience for normal, healthy bonding. This foal entered the world with a healthy appetite, a good nature and gentle disposition. She is happy, sensible and tolerant and enjoys the company of people. Donatella is a very leggy bay with three white socks and a star, strip and snip forming an interesting pattern on her face. She is beautiful, elegant and athletic and we are certain that she will mature to be a fantastic horse.

Be sure and browse our web site. We've added new photos of Derringer and we've been contacting people who have bred to Derringer in the past so that we might place some more photos of his offspring on the site.

Ashanti Farm is growing day by day and developing into a center dedicated to the well being of the horse and enlightenment of horse people. We hope that we will meet you some day at Ashanti Farm.

Be sure and check back every month to find out "what's new" at Ashanti Farm!

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