Young athlete Sophia Begre-Lacson recently concluded three weeks of training and competition in Indonesia, where she ended strong, finishing 8th place out of 39 riders in the 0.95-1.05 meter category in a National Showjumping Competition held at Jakarta Equestrian Park.
Many of her fellow competitors were professionals riding their own horses or long-time partners, yet Sophia stood out for her composure and quick adaptation on her leased horse, Mopalia. The weekend prior, she topped the 1-meter category at a club-level show, earning 1st place in only her second week of training.
Working with borrowed or leased horses is much harder than riding your own horse that riders work with year round. Not always do rider and horse match, and it takes skill and patience to adapt to different kinds of horses.
During her time in Indonesia, Sophia trained at Jakarta Equestrian in Sentul under Natasha Herjawan, Indonesia’s current top female show jumper.
At home in the Philippines, she trains full-time under Camila Lastrilla-Curto, a former SEA Games competitor and now Executive Director of the Philippine Polo Federation.
Sophia is based at Happy Horse Farms Equestrian Centre in Negros, and also trains at Los Tamaraos Polo and Equestrian Center in Manila.
A self-taught, homegrown athlete from Negros, Sophia proudly represents the strength of grassroots sports development in the Philippines.
She proudly competes as a Negrense rider, carrying with her the support of her home community and training stables. Her international campaign is made possible through the support of her sponsors, PACFIN Advisors, Arreola Vet, Senator Risa Hontiveros, CLL, and GLL.*
