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Sophie Simpson (20)<br />
Sophie, daughter of equestrian superstars Will Simpson and Nicole Shahinian Simpson, has been in love with horses from the<br />
time she was capable of conscious thought. Now on her own, Sophie sometimes finds herself in the interesting position of<br />
competing with her father, to his great pride. She has started her own business, with partner Sean Leckie, in San Juan Capistrano.<br />
Equestrian <strong>Almanac</strong> asked them when they fell in love with it, and about their careers.<br />
I’ve been in love with horses for as long as I can remember. My first pony, Cocheese, was an appaloosa off the slaughter truck. I spent hours with Cocheese, leading him around<br />
the farm, learning to ride, and just spending time in the barn and around him. He was the reason for my early love for the horse. My love for the sport came when I started to show. I<br />
had the two best children’s jumpers any little girl could have in “NZ Sneaky Feeling” and “Cirka Z”. (Cirka Z was a horse my mom went to World Cup Finals on.) Together, my parents<br />
taught me to go fast and win. But they also taught me that when I made a mistake and fell off, or lost, to get back on and try again. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. Ever<br />
since I was little, I knew this was going to be my career. Today, I couldn’t think of anything else I’d rather do. Being born into the show jumping world and falling in love with horses<br />
at such an early age, there was one vision and it was to be a professional in this sport.<br />
Earliest memory of being with your parents at the barn?<br />
I remember all three of us (Ty wasn’t born yet) standing there watching Cocheese, arriving at El Campeon Farms after being saved from slaughter all skin and bones, walk off the<br />
big semi truck that had no other horses on it. I remember looking up at him thinking he was so big, when in reality he was the size of a small pony. It was love at first sight.<br />
Acknowledging that it isn’t always easy being taught by your parents, we asked each to share the best thing their parents<br />
had done to help them with their riding, and a piece of advice that they were given, that shaped them as equestrians.<br />
I am so fortunate to have had both parents, at the top of the sport, help me with my riding. I could never thank them enough for teaching me to “Work with, not against.” It’s advice,<br />
but almost more a philosophy that both my parents teach and live by.
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