Welcome to Ashwood Farm

Our Story

Mary Ann Thomas started Ashwood Farm near Manhattan, Kansas, in 2001.  After graduating Magna Cum Laude from Kansas State University with degrees in Political Science and English Literature, she turned professional in the equine industry in 1995.   Initially, Mary Ann worked out of her parents' Chestnut Lane Farm before purchasing her own larger farm for her growing business.  Mary Ann's daughters, Emmalee Funk and Abby Funk were ages 3 and 1 respectively, and son Garrison Funk was on the way.   In addition to teaching all three of her own children and two of her nieces to be expert horse people capable of the highest standards of horse care, Mary Ann shared her love for horses with thousands of youngsters and adults.  She developed lasting relationships with riding students who are now all over the globe.  Mary Ann is particularly proud of the multiple times she took children from the pony divisions to the Grand Prix ring as their teacher, coach and mentor.  "All aspects of horses are fascinating to me, so I enjoy teaching a child on a pony as much setting jumps for a student in an FEI Grand Prix." Mary Ann Thomas

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Because Kansas is rural and the competitions are so far, as Abby Funk progressed and needed larger competitions, Ashwood Farm became primarily a horse sales and leasing business after 2006. Clients met the Ashwood team on the road at shows, but the Kansas based riding school clientele no longer existed.  During  this time, large numbers of horses were imported, great relationships were created in Europe to source horses, and Mary Ann honed her horse and rider match making skills by watching what made one horse work well with a one rider and not another.  It was in this period Meghan Felts, niece of Mary Ann, piloted Ashwood Farm' Desiree to the 2012 National HOTY title in the younger A/O division.     Meghan has since turned professional and has her own training business outside of New Orleans, Louisiana.  

Abby Funk, our professional rider and assistant trainer,  had a very successful junior career in the hunters, jumpers and equitation earning the Thermal circuit championship in the High Junior Jumpers when she was 12, best child rider on a horse at the Washington International Horse Show at age 13, and earning a riding scholarship at a Division I school for her equitation performances.  She chose not to go to college, but to join the business in 2018.

Abby won the Tier II 3'3" championship at the 2022 Green Hunter Incentive Finals with MMK Equestrian's Mr. Special.  She also produced Indira, who has had 4 circuit championship ribbons in the 1.3m open, 1.2m junior and 1.3m junior divisions at the Winter Equestrian Festival in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.  Abby prepares horses for their owners to ride, she develops and helps market a continual stream of young imports, and she continually works on her own progress as a rider and horse person.

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​Ashwood Farm also moved from Kansas in 2018 to base in Lexington, Kentucky, in the summer and Wellington, Florida, in the winter.  This move was made to be closer to top levels of the sport.  Since then, Emmalee Funk returned from college in Virginia to be the barn manager for the team.  From 2018 to 2024, the team at Ashwood focused on developing, selling and leasing young hunters, jumpers, and eq horses as well as moving young Campbell Brown from her first short stirrup pony to ribbons at Pony Finals, to a Junior Hunter Finals championship, to equitation finals ribbons, a gold medal at NAYC in 2022, and a podium finish in the WEF U25 Final Grand Prix in Wellington, FL.    

​2025 has brought amazing opportunities for us at Ashwood Farm.  We are locating to Eindhoven, NB, NL, for the summer season.  This move has multifaceted goals.  First, we intend to gain international competition experience for Abby.  There is simply nothing that can replicate the knowledge and skill to be gained from such an experience for a serious show jumping rider.  Next, we plan to sell and lease more horses.  We will shop with old friends and make new contacts also to find the best horses to produce and sell to now a worldwide market.  Finally, we will open our doors to a very small number of students who wish to either compete for a short time on a leased horse in Europe or who wish to bring their own horses and stay longer term.  We feel this comfortable entry point with a knowledgeable guide will open doors previously unavailable to many Americans who desire a European competition experience or conversely, a European student seeking American experience.