
Therese Cope riding her homebred mare Bella for a morning training ride
Phots by Cameron Vann | Sampson Independent
Cope’s horse style trots to awards
A lifelong horse enthusiast and trainer, Therese Cope, is making waves in the local equestrian community by helping warm-blood breeders from around the USA raise and train their Olympic hopefuls here in Sampson County.
Operating out of her family-owned facility on old Raleigh Road, Fernweh Sport Horses, Cope has been working with equine from all over Europe to ensure they have a great start in life.
Cope’s focus on the physical and mental well-being of horses in her care is what has helped her begin the business of raising and starting such high-caliber horses.
“I believe in building a strong foundation on a young horse, and if that foundation is built correctly and you don’t rush things, these horses really have the ability to exceed expectations,” she said.
Cope has been surrounded by horses her entire life, “I was lucky to have my mom who ran a large show stable in California, which gave me the ability to ride some top-quality horses” the trainer shared. “I never thought about wanting to do anything outside of horses. I knew that this is what I wanted from a young age and it’s taken me a while to find my niche, but I think I’m happy where I am now.”
The trainer credits her different approach to her success.
“I have an unusual approach when it comes to the world of sport horses, and I think that idea is what sets me apart, and puts me back a little as I’m not conventional.”
Cope’s non-conventional training method combines the art of Dressage and Natural Horsemanship.
Dressage, often referred to as “horse ballet,” requires a high degree of precision, and starting a horse at a young age can set the tone for a successful career in the sport. Natural Horsemanship is, just as the name implies, Cope explained, “ You have to meet the horse on terms they understand, and being patient gets you a long way.”
Cope has high hopes for her operation, hopes that as the years go by she can show others that you can be successful and ethical at the same time.
“I want to show people that if you train with the horse in mind, you will find a better working relationship between horse and rider and that that relationship will get you so much further in your training and competition than trying to force a partnership between a horse and rider,” stated Cope
“I owe my success, as it stands, to having a supportive and wonderful husband and having my entire family support me, and the ability to have such an amazing mare in my own homebred mare Bella.”
Bella, who Cope bred herself, was able to secure reserve champion for the year 2024 award given by the American Hanoverian Society for Materiale Dressage.
“I owe that mare so much. She has helped me prove, yes, I can, to so many and helped me end any self-doubt I had in myself as a trainer. My goals just keep going, and she keeps surpassing them.”