While traveling in Ireland Ambyr and Carson Cooper met a young girl who was in love with horses. She told them about her first time riding a pony, in Prince Edward Island, at Brudenell Riding Stables. She didn’t know she was talking to the owners of the iconic business.  

“That pony is still giving pony rides today,” Ambyr said. “We bought him when our oldest daughter—who’s now 15—was two. So, he taught all three of my kids how to ride… he’s also the mascot of Scoopers.” 

Scoopers is the ice cream bar at the riding stable. Ambyr and Carson now also own Lakeside Trail Rides, Emerald Isle Carriage Tours, and the Pony Express, and have 22 people on payroll. Their journey wasn’t without hardship. A string of challenges on the farm had previously forced them to file for bankruptcy. 

“I think we just wanted to work for ourselves,” Ambyr said. “We’re really hard workers. We spent our whole life working very hard and not really getting much out of it.” 

They farmed sheep for nearly five years, then a drought in New Zealand led the world’s largest sheep producer to flood the North American market and drove the price way down. It forced Ambyr and Carson out, so they moved on to other things. 

“Sheep, cattle, pig, you name it, we farmed it,” said Carson.  

They finally decided to focus on mink. Things were going well, until the mink market collapsed across the entire world.  

“Just bad timing,” Carson said.  

Bankruptcy forced them to sell their horses, a loss that was particularly difficult for Ambyr. 

“I have a deep love for horses,” Ambyr said. “I always have.” 

As a teenager, Ambyr used to work at Brudenell Riding Stables. It was considered a cool job. She knew the owners well, so when they were ready to move on, they knew Ambyr and Carson would be a perfect fit.  

Darcy—the previous owner of the riding stables—suggested they work fulltime for a year, to make sure it’s what they wanted to do. 

“That was a really really good idea, looking back,” Ambyr said. “It taught us a lot. Then going into year two, it was a lot easier, because we knew what to expect.” 

The business came with 10 horses, and they quickly needed a couple more. Ambyr contacted the new owners and bought back two of the horses she had sold.  

“Then the following year, I bought the rest back,” she said. “As soon as I had enough money to go back and contact the previous owners, I contacted every one of them and asked to purchase them back.” 

Horses turned out to be the right business for the early-rising, hard-working couple. They quickly found themselves growing. At first, they said they would have no more than 20 horses. Then no more than 25. Then 30. They now have 65.  

“And every one of them works,” Ambyr said. “They all take turns giving trail rides or doing carriage tours.” 

One obstacle Ambyr and Carson wanted to overcome early on was the short riding season. Brudenell Riding Stables thrives during the peak summer PEI tourism season.  They started looking for opportunities to expand outside of that short window. 

“That’s where Emerald Isle Carriage Tours was a great opportunity,” Carson said. “For the fall cruise ships.” 

They bought the iconic Charlottetown carriage ride business. Aside from the horse-side of the business—which they knew they would excel at—they also discovered an affinity for the customer side.  

“I never imagined that I’d see myself publicly speaking, doing historical guided tours in downtown Charlottetown,” Carson said.  “I love it. I mean, people are great. You learn a lot.” 

They went on to add “Lakeside Trail Rides” to their roster of business. As well as “Scoopers Dairy Bar,” and “The Pony Express,” a Charlottetown tour bus.  

CBDC helped Ambyr and Carson from the beginning and continued working with them on all their projects. But their latest —an indoor riding arena—could be their last.  

“We got to a point now where the bank will give us funding—which is incredible,” Ambyr said. “Because that is what CBDC is all about: helping you when you need it and then getting to the place where you’re bankable.” 

Terri Taylor, Account Manager with CBDC PEI East, remembers Ambyr and Carson first coming in, being unsure of how to move forward, but knowing they wanted to. She knew CBDC could help them.  

“With their background and history,” Terri said. “It was a no-brainer.” 

The couple is now very familiar with CBDC. They bring all their new business ideas to them, take advantage of training programs, and networking events.  

“Oh, they’re great,” Ambyr said. “Rural PEI wouldn’t be where they are today without CBDC, for sure.” 

Thank you to the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), who collaborate with us to support small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs. Together, we will continue to build a stronger Atlantic Canadian economy, fostering job growth and strengthening our rural communities.