It’s hard to imagine Sophia Dong as anything other than the poised and competitive show pen presence she is today, but rewind 11 years to Sophie as a three-year-old, and you’d find her thrilled to be leasing her first horse: a miniature named Nip. At the time, Sophia’s mom, Sheryl, had begun taking riding lessons at a barn local to their Bloomfield Hills, Michigan home, and it didn’t take long for tiny Sophia to request her turn; soon after that experience they welcomed Nip to the family.