A school trip to her local RDA centre (South Bucks) inspired Sophie to start riding at age six. Her first major international competition came ten years later – the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games, where she won an individual bronze medal. That same year, she was voted BBC London Disabled Athlete of the Year.
Aside from her riding career, Sophie used to compete in half-marathons and won the Windsor half-marathon in a self-propelled wheelchair race in 2002. In 2008, she was awarded the Vivien Batchelor Trophy for the most outstanding under-25 rider by the British Equestrian Writers’ Association, as well as the Raymond Brooks-Ward Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the most promising under-25 rider in dressage, eventing, para dressage and showjumping.
Sophie was awarded an MBE in the 2009 New Year Honours list for services to disabled sport and an OBE in the 2013 New Year Honours list. Outside of her sporting achievements, Sophie achieved her Masters degree in Mathematics from Royal Holloway University in 2012.
| Date | Event | Horse | Medals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Paralympic Games | Athene Lindebjerg | Team, individual and freestyle gold |
| 2015 | Senior European Championships | Athene Lindebjerg | Team, indiviual and freestyle gold |
| 2014 | World Equestrian Games | Janeiro 6 | Team and individual gold, and freestyle silver |
| 2013 | European Championships | Janeiro 6 | Team, individual and freestyle gold |
| 2012 | Paralympic Games: Team Gold, Individual & Freestyle Gold (Ia) | Janeiro 6 | Team, individual and freestyle gold |
| 2010 | World Equestrian Games | Rivaldo of Berkeley | Team and individual gold, and freestyle silver |
| 2009 | European Championships | Lambrusco III | Team and individual gold, and freestyle silver |
| 2008 | Paralympic Games | Lambrusco III | Team gold, individual silver and freestyle gold |
| 2007 | World Para Dressage Championships | Gazel | Individual bronze and freestyle gold |
| 2005 | European Championships | Martini Maybe | Team, individual and freestyle gold |
| 2004 | Paralympic Games | Hotstuff | Individual bronze |