Sofia Popescu: Jumping Into the Future

By Laura Scaletti

Portraits by Melissa Fuller

As a child in Vancouver, Canada, Sofia Popescu enjoyed watching “Sesame Street.” In particular, she loved watching the adventures of Grover. It was Grover, along with his trusty steed, Fred the Wonder Horse, who initially sparked Sofia’s interest in horses.

“No one else in my family was into horses. I was hooked after watching Grover’s adventures with them. I started taking lessons when I was 4 years old and I never looked back,” Sofia said.

Since that first lesson, Sofia has always wanted to be the rider who loves horses more than the sport. To fuel that horse love, Sofia read every single horse book in her elementary school’s library.

While Sofia loved escaping into the pages of a good book, nothing beat being at the barn and experiencing ponies in real life. Sofia immersed herself in the world of horse ownership at age 6 when her parents bought Sofia her first pony, Stealing Home, aka Peppy.

“Growing up with horses was my favorite part of childhood. After school, when I would go to the barn, I used to feed Peppy my leftover peanut butter sandwiches,” she said. “Peppy was the best first pony a kid could have. He was fun to hang out with and took me around my first few shows.”

Setting Goals

With Thunderbird Show Park, one of North America’s premiere equestrian venues, nearby, Sofia was exposed to riders at the top of her sport from the start of her equestrian journey. “I had the opportunity at young age to watch riders I admire still today jump the Nations Cup. I believe those moments of watching my idols jump big classes and chase clear, fast rounds really inspired my career and dreams,” Sofia said. “Thunderbird will always have a special place in my heart.”

Following in the footsteps of her idols, Sofia got her start in the show ring at Thunderbird aboard Peppy. “I was 7 years old, and we competed in the walk-trot classes. My favorite memory from that time was taking my ponies out for grass during sunset at Thunderbird with all my friends,” she said. “I know my ponies loved the huge grass fields as well.”

After getting her start in the hunter ring and competing at Pony Finals, Sofia decided to try out the jumper ring in 2021. “I made the full switch to just focusing on jumpers in 2022. From the beginning, I’ve loved the adrenaline rush you get from going fast in the jumpers. It’s euphoric and what really got me hooked on the discipline,” Sofia said.

Sofia’s first jumper, Cartoon, also helped cement her love of jumpers. “He was quick, forgiving and packed me round my first few shows in the jumpers,” she said.

In addition to learning from Cartoon, Sofia credits her trainer Ilan Feder with helping her growth as an equestrian in the jumper ring. “I learn something from him every single day and he’s always in my corner rooting for me,” she said. “Most importantly, he’s taught me to be tough and always reminds me the sport is a marathon, not a sprint.”

As Sofia makes her moves up the sport, she’s been very lucky to have some amazing four-legged partners. Her horses Katorose HV, aka Kata, and Libido Van’t Hofken have made the biggest impact on her career.

When Sofia got Libido in 2023, Erynn Ballard showed him for the season. “I was able to watch him win in the five-star at Spruce Meadows, so that was pretty special. He’s always been one of those horses that is so exciting to watch, and you can just tell he loves what he does,” she said. “I feel incredibly blessed to have Libido; he always gives me his full effort. Last October, he jumped me around my first two-star.”

Kata has been the horse that has helped Sofia chase her dreams and given her some of her biggest wins. From the moment Sofia met the mare, she knew Kata was the one. “The day I tried her, everything just clicked. I jumped her once and I could just tell that I’d learn a lot from her. She has her quirks, but she’s a spectacular girl and our partnership is really special,” Sofia said.

Sofia’s favorite win came on Kata in October 2024 in the 1.40m Junior/Amateur class in Monterrey for the Mexico fall tour. “I remember walking into the ring that day after having one of the best warm-ups in my life. She was jumping out of her shoes, and I could tell she wanted the win as badly as I did,” Sofia said. “It was also extra special because it was my first time spraying champagne on the podium!”

Flying High

Sofia and Kata were part of Team Canada’s gold medal effort at the 2024 FEI North American Youth Championships (NAYC). “I think it’s every athlete’s dream to represent their country. I find it so cool that equestrians have the opportunity to do it at such a young age,” Sofia said.

In a sport that’s typically an individual pursuit, Sofia loved having a week at NAYC where she could ride on and be part of a team. “It was a huge learning opportunity. I’m so lucky I was able to ride alongside such talented individuals. We cheered each other on, went over courses together and learned from one another,” Sofia said. “Being able to stand on that podium together and hear our national anthem play after such an epic week was an incredible feeling, especially after all of us jumped a clear round on the last team day.”

Sofia and Team Canada earned back-to-back NAYC medals when they clinched team silver at NAYC 2025, with no drop score the last day of the final. While Sofia’s Team Canada mates supported her the week of NAYC, her family has been the backbone of her cheerleading squad from day one. “I’m truly lucky to have the family I do. They have given me opportunities to help make my dreams possible. In the summer of 2022, we all moved from Canada to California so that I could show on the West Coast circuit and improve my riding,” she said. “This past year they have given me the opportunity to move to Florida to show with Ilan Ferder and the rest of the Ilan Ferder Stables team all over the East Coast.”

Sofia is currently competing in the 1.40/1.45m Junior classes with Kata, Libido and Olivia De Muze. She recently started competing two new mares, Ganesh Des Till and Sade De Riaflo Z, in the 1.30/1.35m Junior classes as they get to know each other.

“I have four mares and one gelding; it’s a pretty special group of horses. They all have their own unique personalities and skills. I feel privileged to be able to learn on all types of different horses. My mares are full of personality, but I think Libido enjoys being the only gelding,” she said. “He’s quite the character.”

Each of the horses Sofia has had in her life has taught her the importance of trust. “They’ve shaped me into being my best self—being strong, kind and empathetic. I’ve learned the importance of connection and positive energy; it’s a whole different kind of connection we have with them,” she said.

While horsing around, Sofia tries to keep a connection with her friends and family. “It can be hard because teenage equestrians don’t live normal teenage lives. I definitely miss out on a lot, but I love what I do and could never imagine my life without horses. When I have time, I really make a conscious effort to visit my family and friends and enjoy my time with them,” she said.

In addition to making time for socializing outside of horses, Sofia also prioritizes hitting the books. Halfway through her sophomore year of high school, Sofia decided to convert to online school. “It’s really helped me balance my workload while competing. I take my education very seriously and want to make sure I can keep my grades up to the best of my ability,” Sofia said.

Sofia plans on attending college and recently began the college touring process. “My plan is to continue riding while I attend college. I’m really excited about the entire college experience,” she said. “I definitely want to ride as much as I can while there.”

Looking toward the future, Sofia is focused on another goal—jumping the U25 and hopefully competing in her first Grand Prix soon. Her biggest dream is to represent Canada at the Olympics one day. “It was such an honor to represent Canada at NAYC. Any opportunity I can get to represent my country alongside other Canadian riders is always a privilege,” Sofia said. “I’ll never take those moments for granted and aim to be part of many more Canadian teams.”

Follow Sofia on Instagram @sof_eq and on Tik Tok @sof_eq1

Photos by Melissa Fuller, melissafullerphotography33.mypixieset.com