Sophia Borden enjoyed riding her mini horse, Starlight, on a leadline guided by her mom, Amanda McGill-Borden since she was about eight years old. She enjoyed it so much that her mom decided to find her a pony she could ride by herself.
The pony, whose show name is Rainbow Dash but is called Cinnamon by her family, turned out to be the other half of what became an amazing barrel racing team with Sophia.
"They're so small they almost have an unfair advantage," Amanda explained. "If you watch, you'll see that Cinnamon rounds the barrels so close that Sophia's knee is almost touching it every time."
The two went on to compete in 11 National Barrel Horse Association (NBHA) Canada shows lasting two to four days each throughout the past summer.
They came back from the Canada Finals in Ancaster early in October with a lot of loot.
The pair brought back two championship saddles, one for the Canada Final 4D youth Championship and the other for the Canada Final 2D Green Championship.
Yes, they are actual saddles and Amanda says some riders work years to earn just one.
Sophie and Cinnamon also picked up the Canada Finals 4D youth and 2D Green Champion Medals as well as a Canada Fall Final Average 4D youth ribbon.
This has qualified them to be invited to the 2023 NBHA Youth World Championships to be held in July at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter in Perry, Georgia, in the United States. Sophia doesn't know if she and her family will be able to go to that competition, though. Time will tell.
The championships in Ancaster were invitational so Sophia and Cinnamon had to win several championships in their district.
Over the summer they won a Champion Buckle for 2D Green, Youth 4D reserve Champion, a Spring 4D youth reserve Championship and $400 cash.
Sophia has been shopping for fun things for her and Cinnamon to enjoy together, like tack for Cinnamon and a new hat and boots for Sophia while Amanda says the family will have to build another shed to keep all Sophia and Cinnamon's loot and tack in.
The Bordens have lived in Prince Township for eight years, now and Amanda, who started riding horses at the age of four, said it's a dream come true to be able to live in such a beautiful place that is close to the city and that they can keep horses at.
The family has faced some challenges as Sophia's younger brother, Braydin, was born with health issues that mean frequent trips to Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto.
He loves to hang out with his mom and sister in the barn with the horses, too, said Amanda. He has a mini horse he loves to pet and feed and that contact helps keep him happy and strong.
"Oreo (her son's mini) has learned what cookie means," said Amanda with a laugh.
Amanda was an English style rider until she decided to start riding barrels with Sophia. She learned to ride Western style and started practicing barrel racing.
Then, while Amanda was training Sophia and Cinnamon to barrel race in June, she took a bad fall with her horse. In addition to other serious injuries, her ankle was severely broken but doctors were unable to operate and properly reset it because she also had a concussion. She has only recently begun to be able to walk on it a bit and is still recovering from her injuries.
"So, (over the summer) there I was every day, out there on the field in my golf cart working with them," she said.
Amanda also said that Sophia and Cinnamon owe some of their success to the support the family received in the horse community from people like Sophia's show coaches Sherry Russ and Leslie Hunley. While Amanda was stuck on the sidelines with her leg up, Sophia's show coaches and barrel racers in the show stepped up all year long to help her out.
And they didn't leave Cinnamon out, either. She was capably cared for by Northern Valley Edge, an alternative and holistic health service.
Amanda explained that she was worried about how safe it would be for Sophia to ride Cinnamon after many hours of riding in a trailer to a competition.
The horses stiffen up, get sore muscles and get a little grouchy after hours in a trailer, she said.
"They come out of the gate and dance all over the field if they have to go right after trailering," she said.
She worried that Cinnamon might be too hard for Sophia to control and undermine her growing confidence so, when she heard about a new, non-invasive therapy Northern Valley Edge, located in Echo Bay, was offering she decided to try it, if for nothing else but to see if it would work and to help ease her worries which were running high as she couldn't stand up and walk over to help if Sophia needed her.
Amanda was pleasantly surprised at the positive results, noticing Cinnamon was more calm and relaxed after each treatment.
Cinnamon is a very special pony, Amanda said. She had to search far and wide for a calm pony that also had some spirit. She said ponies are often pretty moody and can be a little snappy but she really wanted just the right one for Sophia so her daughter would be safe but not bored.
She lucked out in Quebec, finding Cinnamon at a barn for hunters and jumpers.
"She had been shown so I knew she would be okay with the crowds," Amanda said. "All I had to do was switch her over to barrels."
Some of Amanda's friends in the horse world thought she was crazy trying to switch a pony over from hunter training to barrels but Amanda said it was easier than finding a calm pony that liked to perform in front of a crowd.
But the crowds were no match for the indomitable duo of Sophia and Cinnamon. They just came alive in front of the crowds, Amanda said.
"I love it! Said Sophia. "I love to go fast."
Amanda said Sophia's confidence has soared and her shyness continues to fade as she talks about Cinnamon and barrel racing. It's really pulled out Sophia's inner competitive daredevil. Cinnamon's too.
They found their niche and Sophia said her plan is to kick things up next season. She wants to go faster and Cinnamon seems to be up for the challenge, too.