Ellie Gerbrandt started riding before she could walk.
Her mom Amanda recalls how her now eight-year-old daughter would sit in front of her at about a year old and ride through the trails on her grandmother's favourite horse, Cash. About 10 minutes in, Ellie's little helmet would be bobbing; she would have fallen asleep.
It was from this age that Ellie fell in love with horses and with riding.
Ellie is a sixth generation Hopkins from Hopkins Landing and a third generation horse fanatic after her mom Amanda and grandmother Barb Hopkins, so the love of riding and horses has certainly been in the family bloodlines.
"Ellie went through a couple of horses before we found Peanut, a mare that we had bred and raised about 18 years earlier, who happened to be the last daughter of my very first horse Who," Amanda said. "Peanut had many different owners before she made her way back to our home. Ellie was five when she started out on Peanut, competing in the 10 and under walk trot classes."
The duo had much success competing in the local Sunshine Coast Equestrian Club and on the Lower Mainland at American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) events.
In 2010 Peanut and Ellie won the all around Hi Point 11 and under walk trot at the AQHA Regional Championships in Langley.
"Our region for the regional championships consists of Alaska, B.C., Washington, Idaho and Oregon. Peanut after this point was getting long in the tooth and retirement looked imminent," Amanda added.
In the spring of 2011 Ellie was gifted a horse named Jaxson from very special family friends. When she first started out on Jaxson, things were a little rough. Ellie's feet barely came down past the saddle blankets, and Jaxson had no idea what the strange cues coming from way up his side were about. But things progressed quite quickly.
In 2012 Ellie won the all around Hi Point 11 and under at the Oregon Summer Classic in Central Point, Ore. She won six class Hi Points for six belt buckles and numerous other prizes at that show.
At the 2012 AQHA regional championships held in Spanaway Wash., she won another belt buckle when she took the title for 13 and under Novice Youth Western Pleasure Champion. At that same show, she was top three in her division in showmanship and hunter under saddle as well.
Last year she also won the Lower Mainland Quarter Horse Association Hi Point all around novice youth 13 and under.
Based on all her success last year, Ellie has qualified for the 2013 AQHA novice championships, which will be held in Las Vegas in October.
It's all pretty amazing stuff for such a young rider.
Ellie said she is excited and looking forward to competing in such a prestigious competition in October. But before that, she will be working hard during the new show circuit, which is just getting underway.
"Riding is a part of me. It makes me feel like I can do anything I want. It also makes me feel happy like I've set a goal and I've fulfilled it," Ellie said. "Riding helps me with a lot of things like my focus and my confidence. I don't know what I would do without my horse. Jaxson is like a little boy who's really annoying when he makes a lot of weird noises but that's why I love him. He's not like any other horse. He is very special and I'm glad to have him as my own. I could not have done it without Jaxson."
