The view over The Event at Skyline in Mt. Pleasant, UT. Photo by Lorraine Jackson
Skyline Eventing Park in Mt. Pleasant, Utah hosted its first schooling show of the year today for our beloved little region, and not a one of us could believe that we were packed up and on the road before dark. We had a great turnout, prompt and talented participants, and most importantly, we were able to raise some funds for a friend and local eventer, Erin Johnson, who was injured in a house fire earlier this year and remains in the ICU. She’s making the most inspiring and hard core recovery, and being able to utilize our event to help someone so important to our community is one of the greatest gifts of running an event. We continue to wish our friend Erin a fast and epic recovery. If anyone can do it, she can!
Frankie Thieriot Stutes and Chatwin. Photo by Sherry Stewart.
Overnight leaders Frankie Thieriot Stutes and Chatwin stormed around James Atkinson’s cross country course at Twin Rivers this afternoon to remain in first position heading into show jumping tomorrow. Frankie and her cousin Elizabeth’s Chatwin added no jump and no time penalties to his dressage score of 25.4, which isn’t quite enough to have a rail in hand over James Alliston and RevitaVet Elijah, who moved into second position on the wings of a double clear run themselves.
“Today was so much fun!” Frankie commented. “The footing was amazing and I am so lucky to ride this horse. He truly is incredible. Twin has made many great improvements and I think it was a really good course for early on in the season with enough hard questions.”
James Alliston and RevitaVet Elijah. Photo by Sherry Stewart.
James Alliston and RevitaVet Elijah will also take their dressage score of 28.2 to the final phase of competition in the horse’s Advanced debut, and it’s a tight race between this pair and Tamie Smith with Glock Pullman, who edged into third on a fast and clear cross country for a two phase score of 28.5.
Tamie Smith and Glock Pullman. Photo by Sherry Stewart.
Glock Pullman is a newer ride of Tamie’s, an 11-year-old gelding formerly campaigned by Brazil’s Rafael Losano (who now rides Tamie’s former mount Twizted Syster) through the Advanced level. Tamie and Glock Pullman are coming off of a win in the CIC2* at Fresno last month and seem to really be forming a solid partnership right off the bat.
Hawley Bennett-Awad and Jollybo also enjoyed a clear cross country trip that picked up 4.8 time to slot them into fourth place overnight, followed by Amber Levine and Carry On, who are making their first start together since winning the CCI3* at Galway Downs last November. Amber and Carry On picked up the only other double clear run of the division outside of the top three.
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Just two rails separate the top five as we look to show jumping, so it will be an exciting conclusion to the first Advanced of the new California season!
Derek di Grazia and Ringwood Justice. Photo by Sherry Stewart.
In the Open Intermediate, our dressage winners also held onto their lead as Derek di Grazia and Ringwood Justice stormed around to turn in one of three double clear cross country rounds.
James Alliston and Happenstance. Photo by Sherry Stewart.
Both Derek and James Alliston aboard Happenstance will remain on their dressage scores but within less than a rail of each other for the grand finale tomorrow (Derek on a 24.8 and James on a 27.6).
Emilee Libby and Jakobi. Photo by Sherry Stewart.
James and Emilee Libby swapped positions following cross country, with Emilee picking up four time aboard Jakobi to take a third place score of 31.2 overnight.
Mackenna Shea and Landioso. Photo by Ellie Leonard Photography.
Mackenna Shea and Landioso, making their first start since finishing in the top 15 in the CCI3* at Fair Hill last fall, incurred 2.4 time for a two day score of 31.5 which will give them fourth position for tomorrow.
Sandra Donnelly and Belshazzar complete the top five in the Intermediate on a two day score of 33.0. Belshazzar, a 14-year-old Canadian Warmblood, is Sandra’s ticket back to the upper FEI levels of the sport for the first time since her 2008 Olympic mount, Buenos Aires. Sandra has produced Belshazzar through the levels with consistent results, and we’re thrilled to see her bringing another horse along.
The lower levels will complete cross country and stadium tomorrow while the upper levels show jump, so stay tuned for the exciting conclusion from the West Coast (aka the Best Coast!)
After two years at Northern Arizona University, Annie Goodwin of Rafter Y Eventing, now based in Aiken, made the decision to trade the classroom for the cross country course, to see just how far her passion for horses and the great sport of eventing could take her. She has never looked back. Annie keeps up with her blog on her website, and we thought we’d share her packing tips here on EN for our readers to benefit from. Many thanks to Annie for writing!
Photo by Kasey Mueller/Rare Air Photography.
There you are. You’ve submitted your entry, looked up your ride times, and bathed wonder pony, now all you have to do is pack. Ugh. Packing. Why do I event again? Why couldn’t I fall in love with a single phase sport?!
No matter how much you prepare, you always have too much and still forget something. Personally, (and because I often suffer a terrible case of scatterbrain) I get started with a list. For each show, I will grab a piece of paper and a pen and mentally play through my day.
As I go through the day, I write down the supplies I need for each phase, and anything else I might want to properly care for my horse.
As an example, let’s go through CROSS COUNTRY. Not just because it’s every eventer everywhere’s favorite part of the day, but it also because it happens to be the most gear-centric of all three phases. So here we go…
I’ll start with studs (I always start with studs … think from the ground up). Do I need them? Better to have them and not want them, right?
After I’ve studded, I move on to protective boots. When studding, which is a personal choice mind you, it’s super important to keep your horse safe from themselves (not totally out of the ordinary). My general rule is: if the horse has studs in, he has boots on. How much would it stink to have to scratch because your ever-graceful equine split his own leg with his other (studded) hoof? Avoidable Accident. I digress.
We’ve got the boots on! Time to secure them in place so as not to have slippage or velcro malfunction while on course. I use electrical tape, one piece at the top, one piece at the bottom. All booted!
Now onto the tack. I start with my breastplate (hunt plate, 5 point, running martingale, or let your dude run bare boobed; totally a choice made individually).
Next we have the saddle pad, half pad, saddle and girth.
Now that Teddy O’Connor over there is all suited up, it’s my turn. I’ve got my tall boots and spurs (like I said, from the ground up!). Hopefully I still have pants on … it can be questionable.
Next, I grab my jump vest, air vest, pinney holder, arm band and watch.
Moving on up to the all important noggin. I have to attempt to tame my own wild mane. Time for the HAIRNET.
Now for the most important of importants, my helmet. Finally the wait is over and I bridle up (oh, right. I got that too), mount up and kick on!
So after I finish playing this short film, directed by me, in my own brain, this is what my list looks like:
Studs, Horse Boots, Tape, Breast plate, Saddle pad, Half pad, Saddle, Girth, People boots, Jump vest, Air vest, Pinney holder, Arm band, Watch, Hairnet, Helmet, Bridle.
I do this for the entire day (or weekend). From trailering to dressage to stadium to cross country to cool down and aftercare to trailering. Yes, this might be a little time consuming but it’s thorough. I feel prepared and organized.
Playing through my competition is part of my ritual, I guess. With my lists in hand, I start packing and organizing my trailer to be efficient to work out of. Items get marked off the list only as they go in.
This is what works for me! Maybe it will work for you, and I hope it will work for you too. Either way, it’s most important to have a plan and stay organized. We spend so much time training, riding and conditioning that sometimes the mundane stuff like packing and organizing fall to the wayside. Don’t let the mundane bring you down! Make it part of your ritual. Embrace it and make it work for you.
Hannah Sue Burnett and Ms. Jacqueline Mars’ RF Demeter made their competition debut this week at Rocking Horse Winter III, finishing third in the Open Preliminary one-day division with just a bit of time added to their winning dressage score of 25.4.
Thanks to our good friend The Horse Pesterer, you can see Hannah Sue and RF Demeter’s dressage and show jumping rounds right here on EN. If these rounds are any indication, it looks like we’re in for a treat as we follow this new partnership this year.
Frankie Thieriot Stutes and Chatwin. Photo by Jenni Autry.
The West Coast is officially beginning their Advanced season this weekend in Paso Robles at Twin Rivers, and 14 pairs are tackling the Advanced division.
Copious amounts of rain have plagued California all up and down the coast this season, making preparations for the spring season difficult. These eventers have adapted and overcome, however, and we saw some really competitive dressage scores from the judges yesterday.
Frankie Thieriot Stutes and Chatwin will be your Advanced leaders heading into today’s cross country on a score of 25.4. This will be the 9-year-old German Warmblood gelding’s first full season at Advanced, having spent the majority of 2016 at the Intermediate and two-star level. Frankie spent a lot of time working on dressage with Chatwin last year, and their efforts are certainly paying off this weekend.
Hawley Bennett and Jollybo. Photo by Leslie Wylie.
In second are Canada’s Hawley Bennett-Awad and Jollybo, who have set their sights on Rolex next month. This will be Jollybo’s first Advanced run of the season, a pipe opener to stretch the legs and have a bit of fun. Hawley and Jollybo are really beginning to get to know each other on the flat, and a consistent test earned them a 26.5 from the judges in the sandbox.
Rounding out the top three in the Advanced are James Alliston and RevitaVet Elijah, an 8-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by James who is making his debut at the level this weekend. RevitaVet Elijah finished his 2016 season with a third place finish in the CCI2* at Galway Downs after a solid season at the level with multiple wins and top finishes.
Looking to the Open Intermediate division, man of many hats Derek di Grazia currently holds the lead following dressage with Ringwood Justice on a score of 24.8. A 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, Ringwood Justice has been produced extensively by Derek from the lower levels and capped off last season with a top five finish in the Open Intermediate at Fresno County Horse Park.
Emilee Libby and an exciting new talent, Jakobi, will take second place into cross country on a dressage score of 27.2. Jakobi is an 8-year-old Belgian Warmblood owned by Emilee and Linda Libby who moved up to Intermediate last fall. In three starts at the level, Jakobi finished in the top eight without fail. Keep an eye on this pair as the season progresses.
And in third in the Open Intermediate are James Alliston and Happenstance, who you may remember as a horse formerly campaigned by Matt Brown. The 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Mary McKee earned a 27.6 in his first start since 2015.
Cross country will run for the upper levels and some of the lower levels this afternoon, followed by stadium on Sunday. We’ll be bringing you much more from Paso Robles, so stay tuned and best of luck to all competitors!
Not only has Hilda Donahue climbed to the four-star level of eventing, she’s also a well-known and highly ranked FEI Endurance rider. Not one to choose sleep over pursuing her passion, Hilda competed in a 100 mile FEI ride yesterday, only to turn around to compete at Rocking Horse today. How’s that for insanity in the middle? Many thanks to Hilda for catching us up in this guest blog!
Hilda Donahue and SR Mirage. Photo courtesy of Hilda Donahue.
All of us eventers are ridiculously and admirably committed to our wonderful sport — sometimes we take extreme measures to participate.
I believe I qualify.
You see, as I write this (actually I am dictating it into my phone), it is 2:30 a.m. and I am driving back from having just completed an FEI 100 mile ride all day and am now on my way to coach at Rocking Horse Winter 3 Horse Trials. Red on the right, white on the left, INSANITY in the middle.
I am feeling the insanity, but of course am a die-hard eventer at heart and could not entertain the idea of missing this event. One of the many positives (let’s overlook the 4 a.m. start on Friday and no sleep tonight) is that I should be well warmed up to trot down center line later today!
The route for the 100-mile ride. Photo by Hilda Donahue.
What a thrill it was earlier to ride SR Mirage all day with multiple vet checks. Mirage was a star and finished third out of approximately 23 starters — some are still out there riding!
There are many several similarities between eventers and endurance riders (I am omitting the UAE endurance scene — that’s a totally different world. I rode a 100 miler in Dubai last year.).
Endurance riders, like us, are extremely hands on, taking incredible care of their partners.
Endurance riders, like event riders, pool together to help each other.
Endurance riders are quick to “rider option” (that is, in endurance language, to withdraw) if they feel things are just not right, knowing that there is always another day.
Horses in the cool out box. Photo by Hilda Donahue.
For those of you unfamiliar with this sport, there is a huge amount of strategy involved from calculating your speed to handling terrain features and weather. Knowing your horse’s vitals is critical, as is being able to easily get your horse to pulse down. For this, their pulse has to be 64 or less, otherwise you are “pulled” — endurance lingo for eliminated. Indeed, you can be pulled for many reasons: insufficient gut sounds, tack rubs, gait abnormalities.
Knowing how to effectively balance your horse’s electrolyte intake, calories and water during the ride is of immense importance too.
I hope you enjoy a few of the scenes from today and now I need to get focused on some dressage tests…
Carrots from adoring fans! Photo via Charlotte Collier on Instagram.
As soon as I flip the calendar from February to March, my brain immediately goes into horse show planning mode. During the winter I don’t dare let myself think too seriously about an upcoming show season schedule for fear that it will make the cold months feel that much longer. But once March rolls around I tell myself that it’s completely permissible to start marking up my calendar with every event that I think I might want to hit.
Up here in Area I I’ll still have to wait until the end of April for the recognized events to start, so I’ll have to wait a while longer still to actually leave the start box, but I do love putting pen to paper and scheming about the spring and summer months. It’s funny how just getting through February makes the upcoming season that much more tangible!
This Phelps Media video is titled “Meet the U.S. Equestrian Team’s Welcome Shadow,” but I feel like we’ve all gotten to know this special mare quite well over her stellar past year.
Owned by Craig and Gloria Callen and competed by Boyd Martin, the 12-year-old Thoroughbred cross mare enjoyed a super run at the three-star level and made her four-star debut at Pau last fall, where she jumped around cross country clear with just a bit of time and felled one rail in show jumping to finish 13th in a competitive field. Other 2016 highlights included being named Boyd’s reserve mount for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Retired Racehorse Project programming abounds at this weekend’s PA Horse World Expo, including a Thoroughbred Makeover Rematch with four competitors vying for a $1,000 purse. The Expo takes place March 2-5 at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, PA.
Each horse and rider pairing competed in a different discipline at the 2016 Makeover, but since then three of them having been gearing their horses toward an eventing debut.
Nicole McKinley on Gelt (2009 Gelding by Eurosilver out of Cercida), 28th place Competitive Trail: “Since the Makeover, Gelt and I have taken some time to work on our dressage and apply it to our jumping … We plan to continue showing dressage and eventing this year and have a grand scale plan to qualify for the American Eventing Championships this year.”
Becky Mark on Bedevil (2011 Mare by Medallist out of Siege), 16th place Field Hunter: “Becky has hunted Bedevil with River Hills, and is preparing to go baby novice with her in the spring.”
Macy Beach on the Muckratary (2011 Mare by Trust N Luck out of Cinderella Story), 8th place Eventing, 30th place Dressage: “From November through January, Ellie and Macy made dressage their number one priority, mainly due to subpar footing, but now are focusing on their show jumping and cross country.”
Come out and cheer on your favorite, as the winner will be chosen by the crowd! The event takes place Saturday, from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Equine Arena.
Sgt. John Hill riding Jumping Dan Ware, Ft. Benning, Ga., July 25, 1941. Public domain.
Historically, African-Americans have made major contributions to the horse world. So why aren’t there more people of color in equestrian sport today, from the upper levels down to the press room? Melvin Cox, founder and managing director of SportsQuest International, reminds us of our history and looks to our future.
It is time for us to remove all forms of bigotry, prejudice and intolerance from the face of our beloved sport.
Two years ago, while covering the prestigious FEI World Cup Finals (Jumping and Dressage) in Las Vegas, I had an “interesting” encounter with a middle-aged white woman in the Press Room of the Thomas & Mack Center.
Staged annually in various international locations, the World Cup Finals bring together the top competitors from regional leagues around the world. Conducted under the auspices of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) — the International Equestrian Federation — the World Cup Finals are the de facto international indoor equestrian championships.
Despite my being in a restricted area with valid media credentials hung conspicuously from my neck, the woman in the Press Room nonetheless approached me asking, “Are you the bus driver?”
When I courteously replied that I was not, she continued to question me (seemingly in disbelief) stating, “… well, you look like the bus driver!”
Not wishing to further indulge her ignorance, I quickly removed myself from the conversation.
For the record, I have never driven a bus of any kind — and I was most certainly not dressed in any manner of uniform that might reasonably have led a person to believe that driving a bus was my profession.
But, clearly in the mind of this woman, I looked like the bus driver.
Why?
Was the woman making a very clumsy social advance?
Was she hopelessly intoxicated?
Was this her idea of a practical joke?
Or, perhaps it was because I was one of only three African-Americans in a room crowded with dozens of other professionals. The other African-Americans included my colleague and close friend Leslie De Bique, and a lady working on the staff of the tournament’s Media Director.
SportsQuest International student intern Claudia Suarez receives a disapproving ‘stank-eye’ from a passing stranger during a rehearsal at the FEI World Cup Finals in Las Vegas, Nevada (USA) – April, 2015. Photo Credit: Selina Sanchez Cristobal.
As we prepared to leave the Thomas & Mack Center following the conclusion of competition, one of the student interns that Leslie and I brought to the finals, Miss Claudia Suarez, received a prolonged and menacing glare from a stranger passing by.
Claudia is an extremely talented member of the SportsQuest International team. A documentary filmmaker of Salvadoran heritage, she was casually dressed for an on-camera rehearsal in an area just outside of the Thomas & Mack.
In our most charitable of hearts we would like to believe that the incident had nothing to do with the presence of an all-minority video crew at the World Cup Finals. However, the woman’s body language and extended scowl were interpreted as signs of racial hatred and bigotry by every member of our team — each of us having been the recipient of such attitudes in various and similar situations throughout our lives.
The moment was captured for posterity by another student intern — and is presented above.
Sadly, these were by no means the only incidents of this nature encountered during our time in Las Vegas.
Submitted in writing well in advance of the competition, our interview requests were mysteriously “misplaced.” This resulted in a significant loss of opportunity and waste of money. Eventually, interviews with two American competitors were arranged. After the fact, we verified that our polite requests to interview members of the Qatari delegation were never transmitted — either to the individual riders or to their Chef d’Equipe (team manager). Our request to interview the FEI President, Ingmar De Vos, was flatly denied on-site by a member of the event’s media team.
The World Cup Finals will return to the United States this spring — this time being held at the Century Link Center in Omaha, Nebraska, a city with a rich African-American history.
‘Gateway to the West’
Omaha is the birthplace of el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz (aka Malcolm X), Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson, media entrepreneur Cathy Hughes, musician Wynonie Harris (who had a major influence on the young Elvis Presley) and numerous other persons of note. The first film company owned by African-Americans, the Lincoln Motion Picture Company was founded in Omaha in 1916. (1)
It was also in Omaha that Dr. Claude H. Organ, Jr. so distinguished himself as an academician and surgeon that he rose to become Chair of the Department of Surgery at the Creighton University School of Medicine. With his appointment in 1971, Dr. Organ became the first African-American to head a department of surgery at a predominantly white U.S. medical school.
Located in the culturally diverse South Omaha district, El Museo Latino is a resource center for the study of Latino history and culture. Established in 1993, El Museo Latino is the oldest Latino Art & History Museum and Cultural Center in the Midwestern United States.
SportsQuest International will provide extensive coverage from Omaha during the 2017 World Cup Finals (March 29 – April 2). Throughout the week, our postings will seek to educate the equestrian community regarding the multicultural history of Omaha. We will also work to bring the attention of the community-at-large to the presence of exciting international stars such as Qatar’s Bassem Hassan Mohammed and Morocco’s Abdelkebir Ouaddar — both Olympic competitors in the jumping discipline AND both men of obvious African ancestry.
Abdelkebir Ouaddar (MAR) riding the Selle Français stallion Quebec Tame (by For Pleasure) at the 2014 CHI de Genève (SUI). Creative Commons.
Selective Memories
As children, many in my generation were inspired by the heartwarming story of Harry de Leyer and Snowman as well as that of Hugh Wiley and Nautical (aka “The Horse With The Flying Tail”). Snowman was a former plow horse who became a champion jumper. Nautical was a former cow horse who represented the United States internationally, on his way to starring in an Academy Award-winning Disney documentary and induction in the Showjumping Hall of Fame. (2)
Most are, however, completely unaware of the equally compelling stories of Tom Bass and the American Saddlebred stallion Rex McDonald or of jockey Oliver Lewis and the chestnut colt Aristides.
Tom Bass was a popular trainer whose clients included Buffalo Bill Cody, Will Rogers and former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. His most famous mount, the five-gaited Rex McDonald, amassed an amazing show career and became an influential sire. The Tom Bass Training Bit remains in use today.
Under the guidance of Hall of Fame trainer Ansel Williamson, Lewis and Aristides won the initial running of the Kentucky Derby, America’s most prestigious horse race, in 1875. (3)
Messrs. Bass and Williamson were born into bondage. They, along with Hall of Fame jockeys Issac Burns Murphy, James Winkfield, Willie Simms, Shelby ‘Pike’ Barnes, Anthony “The Black Demon” Hamilton and others, compel us to acknowledge the excellence under adversity shown by African-American horsemen in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Black jockeys rode 15 of the first 28 winners of the Kentucky Derby.
It is interesting to note that the careers of James Winkfield and Anthony Hamilton also included success in Czarist Russia and in Western Europe.
Issac Burns Murphy, Hall of Fame jockey. Public domain.
Gone as well from our collective memory is Colonel Baron Takeichi Nishi of Japan, who captured individual gold in jumping at the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles aboard Uranus. Japan’s only Olympic medalist to date in equestrian competition, Baron Nishi died at age 42 during the Battle of Iwo Jima (1945). He was portrayed by Tsuyoshi Ihara in Letters from Iwo Jima, a 2006 World War II epic directed by Clint Eastwood.
There are equally interesting and important stories waiting to be told today.
Looking Forward
The biographies of Kathy Kusner (USA), Margie Engle (USA) and Charlotte Dujardin (GBR) have shown us that one need not be born rich to succeed at the highest levels of equestrian sport.
Likewise, Messrs. Mohammed and Ouaddar, along with Olympic event rider Alex Hua Tian of China, demonstrate that one need not be born white.
There is a conspicuous lack of people of color in the ranks of riders, owners, trainers, breeders, veterinarians, farriers, nutritionists, sponsors, spectators and members of the equestrian media (particularly in the United States). Conversely, there is an overrepresentation as grooms, nannies, hot walkers and stall muckers. This is a major challenge for an Olympic sport that promotes itself as being truly global, “clean” and fully inclusive.
To remedy this situation, equestrian sports promoters and organizations representing all facets of the industry should understand that it is good business to spend advertising dollars in minority communities. Developing a more diverse fan base involves supporting equestrian sport training programs in those communities and working in concert with ethnic media outlets in educating members of the public about horse sport. Cultivating cooperative alliances with minority owned businesses will yield tangible benefits. In the run-up to the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, the partnership between Tryon Equestrian Partners and Salamander Hotels and Resorts, a minority-owned enterprise, is an enormously significant first step. (4)
This first step is important because horses are big business.
According to the American Horse Council, the horse industry contributes approximately $39 billion in direct economic impact to the U.S. economy, supporting 1.4 million jobs on a full-time basis. (5) According to statistics presented at the 2013 FEI Sports Forum — held at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne (SUI) — the horse industry has a €100 billion ($128.151 billion) annual economic impact within the European Union. The economic impact in the United Kingdom is estimated at being over £7 billion ($10.643 billion). (6)
The FEI World Equestrian Games at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in North Carolina (USA) are projected to have a $400 million economic impact, attracting 500,000 spectators during a 14-day run in September 2018. (7)
Bassem Hassan Mohammed (QAT) riding Cantinero (by Cento). Michael Kramer/Creative Commons.
The Lessons of History
In teaching the history of equestrian sport to new generations of horse enthusiasts, we must include in the lesson plan stories highlighting luminaries of horse sport and culture.
We should also remember those men and women of color (including members of the 9th and 10th United States Cavalry Regiments — the famed Buffalo Soldiers) who made major contributions to the equestrian heritage of the United States — but were barred under the laws and practices of the Jim Crow era from socializing with, and competing against, whites. (8)
Such lessons would naturally include conspicuous mention of the countless enslaved Africans who brought knowledge to the Americas in the vital areas of veterinary techniques, agriculture and animal husbandry. (9)
Master Sgt. William Crismon performing a horse jump demonstration, US Cavalry School at Fort Riley, Kansas. Public domain.
Geographic References
When we speak of the world’s great equestrian venues, it is correct to mention the storied showgrounds at Aachen (GER), and those at Badminton (GBR), Burghley (GBR), the Kentucky Horse Park (USA), the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (USA), Royal Windsor (GBR), the Spanish Riding School in Vienna (AUT), Spruce Meadows (CAN), etc. — but let us also include China’s magnificent Heilan International Equestrian Club, Mexico’s Club Hipico La Silla and Qatar’s Al Shaqab in the discussion.
I look forward to a time when world-class facilities in countries such as Costa Rica, Cuba, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Palestine and Tunisia will be welcomed to this list.
In Summary
My colleagues and I pray for the day when the presence of non-whites will no longer be a rarity in the media center — or on the showgrounds — at horse shows, eventing competitions, endurance rides, drill team events, vaulting competitions or dressage shows across North America and the Western world.
In our mind’s eye, we foresee an explosion of interest in equestrian sports throughout the United States — reaching across all socioeconomic strata. But the outreach to new market segments will have to be done correctly — from a position of true humility and respect, and not from one of blatant arrogance.
Much as motorsport has successfully built a loyal following among fans with little if any opportunity (or desire) to own a Formula One racing car, the horse sports can be proactively marketed to all demographics. Just as Major League Baseball attracts millions who will never hit a curveball, the equestrian disciplines can find deeply loyal and very knowledgeable aficionados among persons representing all manner of humanity.
We look forward to a far more equitable distribution of the scholarships, internships, jobs, contracts, investment opportunities and profits associated with the global horse business. Young people in cities, in suburbs and in rural communities must be made more fully aware of the opportunities for successful and fulfilling careers that are available in the horse business and its associated industries. America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and her Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) represent an untapped “gold mine” of talent and opportunity.
Those who truly wish to expand and develop the equine industry will understand that the proactive initiatives I have outlined are both “good for business” in the short term, and vital to the growth and SURVIVAL of our sport in the long term.
It is indeed time for us to remove all forms of bigotry, prejudice and intolerance from the face of our beloved sport.
Quartermaster Sergeant Paschal Conley II leading a charge of Troop M, 10th Cavalry Regiment. Circa 1899. Public domain.
About the Author: A life-long equestrian sports enthusiast, Melvin Cox (born 1951) has documented major events in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. The founder and Managing Director of SportsQuest International, LLC, he is the Producer and Director of the 2010 television documentaryThe Spirit of Aachen.
Mr. Cox is a Lecturer at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he is the principal architect of Merrill College’s highly successful Focus on Africa series — a program in experiential education which seeks to build a viable constituency for Africa both on-campus and in the home communities of participating students.
Citations:
1 Wikipedia contributors. “African Americans in Omaha, Nebraska.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 12 Jan. 2017. Web. 24 Jan. 2017.
2 Wikipedia contributors. “The Horse with the Flying Tail.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 11 Aug. 2016. Web. 27 Jan. 2017.
3 Ja’Nel Johnson and Laura Ellis. “How Black Jockeys Went From Common to Rare in the Kentucky Derby.” WFPL Radio, April 29, 2015. Web. 26 Jan. 2017.
4 Hotel Business. “Equestrian Lifestyle Destination, Tryon Resort, Launches” Hotel Business, Thursday June 26th, 2014 – 6:08AM. Web. 24 Jan. 2017.
5 American Horse Council Foundation. “Economic Impact of the United States Horse Industry.” Web. 24 Jan. 2017.
6 Graeme Cooke. “Trends in Growth of Equestrian Sport.” FEI Sports Forum, 8 April, 2013. Web. 27 Jan. 2017.
7 Chronicle of the Horse. “Tryon International Equestrian Center Selected to Host FEI World Equestrian GamesTM 2018.”, Chronicle of the Horse, Nov 3, 2016. 5:01 a.m. Web. 25 Jan. 2017.
8 Wikipedia contributors. “Racial segregation in the United States Armed Forces.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 5 Jan. 2017. Web. 24 Jan. 2017.
9 Paul E. Lovejoy. “African Contributions to Science, Technology and Development,” The Slave Route Project, UNESCO, Web. 24 Jan. 2017.
