In Memoriam: Sophie C. Walker

April 10, 1985 – January 4, 2016

Sophie Walker (nee Coppedge), an accomplished and popular rider in the amateur jumper ranks on both the local and national amateur circuits, was a passenger in Andres Rodriguez’s Porche and was killed at the scene of the crash on Sunnydale Drive in Wellington on Jan. 4th. The 30-year-old was married to professional rider and trainer Brian Walker; together, the couple operated Woodside Farm Inc. and Sagamore Farms in Lexington, KY, and Wellington, FL.

Sophie was born in Boston, MA, attended the Dana Hall School, and graduated from Brookline High School and New York University. In her early riding career she came up through the ranks in hunter and equitation, winning the 2001 Equitation New England Junior Medal Championship and placing 8th in the USET Talent Search East in 2003 while riding at Grazing Fields Farm in Buzzards Bay, MA. She was a regular face at the Hampton Classic catch-riding horses for various owners in every division from Junior Hunter to Children’s Jumper to the ASPCA Maclay. Sophie enjoyed much success over the years at the east coast shows, including Hits-on-the-Hudson in 2009 on her own Caridel, and more recently with Mr. Mattingly and Whiskey, the latter which she rode in the A/O Jumpers at the 2011 Kentucky National. She married Brian Walker on Sept. 29, 2012, in Lexington, Kentucky.

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In 2014 Sophie rode Mathilda to second place in the $2,500 Equiline NAL Low Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic at the PIEBC Spring show. Last year, Sophie and Alaika placed 5th in the High Junior/Amateur Owner Jumper at the ESP Fall Finale in Wellington, and second in the High Junior/Amateur Owner Jumper at the ESP Holiday Festival II on Dec. 15th.

The family has released the following brief statement: “Sophie Walker was a loving wife, daughter, sister, and friend. She lit up any room she walked in. We are heartbroken at the loss of this wonderful person.”

Sophie leaves her husband Brian, father Roy F. “Copey” Coppedge III and mother Susan Emerson Gordon; her stepfather Harley S. Gordon; her father-in-law David H. Walker and mother-in-law Corry T. Walker; her siblings Schuyler, Walker, Luke, and Peter Coppedge and Ian Gordon; her sisters-in-law Irene, Jill, and Antonella Coppedge; her nieces and nephews Phoebe and Luke Coppedge; Grace Coppedge; and Christopher, Thomas, and Roy Coppedge. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to Danny and Ron’s Rescue, a non-profit dog rescue (dannyandronsrescue.com) or Sky’s the Limit Fund – Summit Achievement, a therapeutic wilderness program for adolescents (skysthelimitfund.org). A Celebration of Life honouring both Sophie and Andres will take place at 4:00pm on Friday, Jan. 8th at Double H Farm in Wellington. Details of Sophie’s funeral service are pending. Messages of condolence can be left at bellodeafuneralhome.tributes.com/obituary/show/Sophie-Coppedge-Walker-103169643.

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