What Are YOU Going to Do?
I haven't been deaf to what's going on, I just haven't really known what to say. TeresaA really inspired me with her most recent blog post, and reminded me that it's not my right but my responsibility to say something.
I've ridden horses all over the country, even the world, and I've known some riders of color but... not as many as I feel like there should be. This weekend I didn't participate in the local protests sweeping (relatively peacefully) through my city, but I did spend a lot of time thinking and being introspective.
Equestrian sports are expensive, but there are ways to do it affordably. There are people who compete at Longines in Paris, and those who grace the arena next to the Ferris Wheel at the Farm Fair. Money is not the only reason that this sport is incredibly white-washed. As I thought about what that sentence really meant, I held it in my heart that I don't want my sport to be predominantly white. I wondered what would happen if it wasn't. What if we're eliminating our best riders before they even get to sit on a horse? Would an interracial eventing team demolish teams that weren't as diverse? Horses and equestrian sports have done so much for me, what can they do for others?
What can I do to make my sport more accessible, irrespective of the color of one's skin?
If I were running for President, my platform would be buying everyone a pony. Since I can't buy everyone a pony, I have some other ideas and they're giving me hope. I'm very excited to see the difference I can make as one single person. There are 1.5M people in my city... if each of us tried to make it 1% better, then in no time it would be 15,000 times better. That's a whole heck of a lot, and I want to be part of it in whatever way, however small, I can be.
I've ridden horses all over the country, even the world, and I've known some riders of color but... not as many as I feel like there should be. This weekend I didn't participate in the local protests sweeping (relatively peacefully) through my city, but I did spend a lot of time thinking and being introspective.
Equestrian sports are expensive, but there are ways to do it affordably. There are people who compete at Longines in Paris, and those who grace the arena next to the Ferris Wheel at the Farm Fair. Money is not the only reason that this sport is incredibly white-washed. As I thought about what that sentence really meant, I held it in my heart that I don't want my sport to be predominantly white. I wondered what would happen if it wasn't. What if we're eliminating our best riders before they even get to sit on a horse? Would an interracial eventing team demolish teams that weren't as diverse? Horses and equestrian sports have done so much for me, what can they do for others?
What can I do to make my sport more accessible, irrespective of the color of one's skin?
If I were running for President, my platform would be buying everyone a pony. Since I can't buy everyone a pony, I have some other ideas and they're giving me hope. I'm very excited to see the difference I can make as one single person. There are 1.5M people in my city... if each of us tried to make it 1% better, then in no time it would be 15,000 times better. That's a whole heck of a lot, and I want to be part of it in whatever way, however small, I can be.
There are some really great programs to donate your time to and get involved with in Philadelphia!
ReplyDeleteJust want to echo this. Urban riding programs are a huge benefit, and Covid-19 definitely put a strain on these smaller programs.
DeleteThis is awesome.
ReplyDeleteCompletely respect that you want to actually do something, vs sit around on social media and whine. Serious kudos. When I lived in Chicago I volunteered with an inner city non-profit group that provided rural educational opportunities to kids (like field trips to farms, riding, etc.). I loved every second of it.
ReplyDelete