Two months ago, I shared about a personal project I was restarting called "Equestrians of Color." My goal with the…
Posted by Shelley Paulson Photography on Tuesday, August 4, 2020
The Equestrians of Color Photography Project is the brainchild of Shelley Paulson, a professional photographer based in Minnesota. Shelley originally set out to improve the representation of riders of color in stock photography, building a library of images that publications, brands, and organizations can purchase featuring models of varying backgrounds. This idea grew bigger legs and is now known as the Equestrians of Color Photography Project. Now, a team of women has set out to broaden the scope of representation within our sport – and you can get involved, too!
“First and foremost, each of us is an ally before a photographer and is here to listen, learn, and evolve from the stories that are shared with us,” the mission statement of the project says. Photographers are asked to apply, agree to a Code of Ethics, and commit to submitting at least one visual story featuring a rider of color. For anyone seeking stock photography, you can check out Shelley’s offerings here.
U.S. Weekend Preview:
The Summer Event at Woodside: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]
IEA Horse Trials: [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]
GMHA Festival of Eventing HT: [Website] [Entry Status]
Otter Creek HT: [Website] [Entry Status]
Fair Hill International HT: [Website] [Entry Status]
Spring Gulch HT: [Website] [Ride Times]
WindRidge Farms Summer HT: [Website]
Wednesday Reading List:
Chanel Rhodes is a first-generation African American English and Western rider, and her background as well as her new product, Mane Tresses, were featured on the SmartPak blog this week. Chanel balances riding and competing in both English and Western, all while running her business and working for Jasmine Wheatley as a working student.
If you’re late to the party, we’ve begun publishing the moving essays submitted by the recipients of Nation Media’s inaugural Diversity Scholarship. You can read Deonte Sewell’s essay here and Anastasia Curwood’s essay here.
Rob Lawrence knows how impactful opportunity and access can be, and he’s made it his mission in life to provide that for riders who may not otherwise be able to afford it. The Robert Lawrence House of Opportunity was built to give more riders access to quality instruction and safe equipment. I wrote this piece, and to speak with Rob is to hear all about his passions and the motivation – and the occasional twinge of self-doubt – that he feels every day. It’s palpable and contagious, and definitely worth taking a moment to learn about.
Galloping and conditioning are two vital skills for an event rider. USEA ICP Level II certified instructor Gerry Lindsay and Dr. Liz Addison, DVM will be hosting a galloping and conditioning clinic at Oakhill Farm on Saturday, September 19. Learn more and sign up for a spot here.
Wednesday Video Break: It’s great to see Jenny Caras’ former mount Fernhill Fortitude, with whom she finished third at Fair Hill, getting along famously with his new partner Rebecca Brown. Many thanks to reader Lauren who sent us this video of the pair making short work of the sunken road in the River Glen CCI3*-S.
Ecovet is an entirely different type of fly spray … and you apply it to your horse in a different way, too. With fly season upon us, we’re sharing some tips for how to best apply Ecovet:
