Team GDE
Mandolin Whitten
Mandolin grew up in Lexington, VA and came up the ranks of Pony Club, achieving her A rating. She competed through the Intermediate level on an OTTB mare before taking over the ride on Bossanova, a dressage horse she taught to jump and then produced through the 1* and preliminary levels. After graduating from Virginia Tech with a degree in animal science, she came to work for GDE full time with her Australian Shepherd, Ripley. Her soft and balanced way of riding is a huge asset to our team, helping with the conditioning work on Gabby’s upper level horses and competing our young and sales horses.
Gaby Behrens
Gaby joined the team this year after relocating to Charlottesville with her husband after studying at George Washington University and spending a few years in the food and beverage industry. She and her OTTB mare, Poppy, have competed through the training level, and she fit right into our team here at GDE. Always kind and quiet with the horses, Gaby’s strengths include helping keep the barn clean and organized, and is happy to help with whatever grooming or riding needs to be done.
Roland Millican
A chance meeting at a jumper show – CVSJA at Deep Run Hunt – led to the beginning of the partnership between Roland and Gabby. A jumper rider and real estate investor, Roland appreciated the quality of Gabby’s horses and riding. After getting to know her and her business, Roland took on the impressive project of acquiring and building a top class facility in the central Virginia area, as well as helping Gabby secure some top prospects for the future – and an event horse for himself! As a general outdoor enthusiast who enjoys skiing, mountain biking, and dirt bikes, Roland is now learning the intricacies of dressage and cross country riding. He enjoys riding his own Cooley Easy Trip, as well as watching Gabby train the younger horses and generally spending time on the farm working on one of the many projects he has planned! Always genuine and kind, with a true interest in how everyone is doing, the whole team appreciates Roland’s support and team spirit, and his empathy to horses.
Dr. Keith Brady, DVM – Dr. Brady has been a part of Gabby’s team since she began riding with Kim Severson and has been a great mentor and invaluable resource to her as she grows her GDE career. He is a graduate of Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. He began his veterinary career in Charlottesville, Virginia, focusing on equine lameness and reproduction. In 2002, Keith co-founded Old Dominion Equine Associates, a practice that has become a well-respected veterinary group. Dr. Brady is a FEI accredited veterinarian with emphasis on pre-purchase exams and lameness. He has treated horses at numerous international competitions including: The National Horse Show at Madison Square Gardens in New York (1996-2001), The Asian Games in Guangzhou, China (2010), Pardubice CCI*** in the Czech Republic (2011), and the 2012 Olympic Games, London, England. He is also experienced in issues regarding the international movement of horses.
Jeremey Fox – Jeremy is a top notch farrier with many years of experience in the industry. We can trust Jeremey to do a fabulous job on all of our horses that he works on, and he is a huge asset to the team! We look forward to working with Jeremey for years to come!
Hannah Wynnyk, Website Design – Hannah and Gabby have been friends for years, brought together by horses, and she spends her GDE time managing the website, designing logos and merchandise and always offers moral support. Hannah Evented through the lower levels very briefly when she was younger and then she redirected her riding to Dressage and competed her Hanoverian mare, Rhumba, through Fourth Level while emphasizing a strong focus on training at home.