Strides for Equality Equestrians at the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention

A large part of Strides for Equality Equestrians’ work to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in equestrian sport involves getting in front of as many people as possible. As beneficial as the internet and social media is, nothing can truly replace a face-to-face conversation and human connection. Co-founders Dr. Anastasia Curwood and Heather Gillette were approached with an opportunity to host an educational session at the United States Eventing Association (USEA) Annual Meeting & Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico in December 2021. It would give SEE a chance to meet USEA members in person and have important conversations, raising awareness for the important values we stand behind.

The Strides for Equality Equestrians session was presented by Dr. Curwood and Gillette, who outlined the strides (pun intended) the organization has made since its founding in 2020. The presentation highlighted the need for increased efforts to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion and how pursuing this common goal was beneficial for equestrian sport and industry as a whole. The session concluded with a question and answer session from the audience, which provided the opportunity to further understanding and give advice to those who wanted to be involved but were unsure where to begin.

In addition to the educational session, SEE hosted a table in the trade fair during the Annual Meeting. We were thrilled to meet with several interested USEA members, ranging from amateur to professional riders, event organizers, facility owners, business owners, and many more, introducing ourselves and encouraging visitors to bid on generously donated items from Boehringer Ingelheim, Correct Connect, and Kentucky Performance Products. In total, SEE was able to raise over $1,000 in donations and silent auction bids to help us reach our goals in 2022.

Opportunities like this allow us to learn more about how we can be better allies, interact with other equestrians who want to learn about how they can be involved, and to show riders struggling to feel seen and heard that there is a safe space for them in our world.

As we roll into 2022, we’re thrilled to have several exciting projects in the works and are always looking for additional opportunities to have a presence at conventions, shows, and other events around the country. Want to get involved? Contact us.