Sophie Gochman op-ed and follow ups.

[Bethe_Mounce]

@poltroon

You said this so well, thank you. I feel like my response was a flail in comparison.

Precisely. Exactly. My response pales in comparison. Excellent piece.

[Bethe_Mounce]

@Laurierace

Hopefully this is readable. If not I will copy and paste this heinous waste of human flesh’s words. ETA more.

Never heard of this person. But listening isn’t one of her skills.

[haligator]

@Laurierace

Hopefully this is readable. If not I will copy and paste this heinous waste of human flesh’s words. ETA more.

This woman is despicable. It is no wonder people are protesting throughout the world. I hope people will shun her.

[Mara]

@haligator

This woman is despicable. It is no wonder people are protesting throughout the world. I hope people will shun her.

She’s also astoundingly stupid if she doesn’t by now realize that comment has the potential to do her some serious harm. Someone is going to dox her. It won’t be me, but she’s earned whatever fallout lands on top of her.

[mmeqcenter]

@Mara

She’s also astoundingly stupid if she doesn’t by now realize that comment has the potential to do her some serious harm. Someone is going to dox her. It won’t be me, but she’s earned whatever fallout lands on top of her.

She’s saying the screenshots are falsified.

[fair_judy]

Missy proves herself utterly tone deaf.

[mmeqcenter]

@RainWeasley

I have a feeling that the people who say they have never seen racism in the equestrian world, haven’t seen it because a) there aren’t that many POC around for them to see it affect, b) even if there are, they probably have never gone up and asked them “have you ever dealt with racism as a rider”, and c) even if they had, the person might not have felt like they could admit to it. I could also say right now I have never seen racism in the horse world, but I very rarely see POC in it either.

I think having lesson programs at well established barns would be a great thing to do. Give kids a chance to get a foot into the world. But even then, I think some of it might be a culture thing too. Kind of like how there aren’t that many male equestrian riders, not in the english world at least. I have this feeling that any girls that wanted to take lessons might end up being mocked by their friends. I know that even as a white girl, I have had people tease me for even having a horse, because it must mean in rich and snobby. I can just see a girl starting to take lessons, loving it, but then stopping because she is teased for wanting to be a part of the “rich white people” sport. Like guys can get teased for doing the “girly sport”.

There is a lot that would need to change in all cultures, I think, before we will see more POC feeling comfortable enough to participate. And as much as I would love it to happen right now, it’ll definitely be lower on the priority list with everything else they are fighting right now. But if we all start trying to work on things outside of our world, even if it’s just little things like recognizing that you might have some unconscious prejudices, and becoming open to the fact that white privilege does exist, and creating opportunities for anyone of any race or class that wants to jump into this awesome world, we can make little steps towards that end goal.

Exactly.
I invited my ex-boyfriend (black) to come ride shortly after we started dating. He looked at me baffled and literally said “Black people don’t ride.” Dude grew up in a rich mostly-white suburb in a $2+million house with seven acres and a doctor for a father. He literally thought black people just don’t ride horses. Why? Just because he never sees black people riding horses. Didn’t have ish to do with being able to afford it or not. Had everything to do with lack of representation, which is based in racism. In our six years together, I never did get him on a horse.

My now boyfriend (black) of around nine years has ridden a whole two times. He also grew up in a well-off family, accessibility has been a non-issue. We’ve owned a freaking farm together for 3.5 years. He just “feels weird” riding. His white friends from our hometown all commented on the picture talking about Blazing Saddles, because that’s their only frame of reference for a black person riding a horse. He’s been coming around to wanting to ride more often, but then my steady-eddie gelding passed away this spring. Mare is not beginner-appropriate.

Racism in the equine world isn’t only an actual equestrian being overtly racist towards a black person at the barn. It’s about lack of representation and general public perception, in addition to systemic racism issues that makes accessibility to equine sports significantly harder as compared to white people.

[mvp]

@NoSuchPerson

Sophie’s screed was reflective primarily of her age and privileged background. I didn’t find it particularly useful other than as a bomb tossed into the room to generate a reaction.

Missy Clark’s response, posted today, is, to me, much more reflective of the reality of hunter/jumper world.

IMO, the primary barrier to participation in this sport is economic, not racism.

Nailed it on all three counts/

[Mara]

@mmeqcenter

She’s saying the screenshots are falsified.

Maybe by the same person who kept hacking NP’s Facebook account?

[dags]

@mmeqcenter

She’s saying the screenshots are falsified.

Of course she is, 'cause she’s just now re-reading her words and realizing how quick her passive bigotry dissolved into unfettered racism when tested, which I’ve seen happen all over the web this week. I was in that thread and it is 100% true.

[Ghazzu]

@foursocks

The majority of African Americans are in the middle class or upper middle class,

I’m skeptical of that. where did you find the statistics that show it?

[541hunter]

For everyone saying they’ve never seen racism in the equestrian world, may I suggest you take a look at the comments on USEF’s most recent Facebook post? Cuz that’s a racist cesspool if I’ve ever seen one, punctuated poignantly, bravely, and much more importantly with the experiences of Black and brown riders telling their stories.

[Farosh]

Ugh I really hate having racial conversations with horse people. It’s the worst and I feel conflicted because on one hand I’m white and feel like it’s not my place to educate people and also wtf do I know about being a POC, but on the other hand there’s usually no POC around when this topic comes up so I feel like I should call people out. No matter how polite you are people usually get extremely defensive and it feels really futile so I usually just walk away when I start to get upset. Maybe that’s wrong too idk.

I’ve heard all kinds of terrible stuff from well meaning, unintentional microaggressions to really extreme racism. I knew a bnt who was really only ever nice to subservient black people and would refer to any black people who looked not poor as ”jigaboos”. I’ve heard people just casually say horrible stuff in front of a group of people like it wasn’t a big deal. I’ve seen stewards at A circuit shows antagonize poc over really small things that I’ve seen white people do all the time without an issue.

Anyway I can respect the good faith that probably went into these articles but I’m not interested in a white person’s perspective on this. It reminds me of when one time I think it was Serena Williams talking about racism she experienced in her sport and some blonde haired white girl was essentially like, “hmm I’ve never experienced any racism” as if her experience is relevant.

Yes it is partially an economic issue, but it definitely goes beyond that. I’m far from perfect as well, but I’m definitely trying to be better and create a friendlier space for POC, and I know a lot of others are too.

[rah]

I am White and I learned to be a racist from my influences and environment growing up in the south. While I was a professional in the horse world, I saw racism everywhere. I saw people openly make jokes about Black and Brown people all the time, and still do. I saw people make fun of their friends behind their backs, and even heard a ‘joke’ over the in-gate guy’s radio from the judge, at WEF.
Growing up as a gay person, I was super sensitive to how people treat people that are different from themselves or look different from themselves. When I finally understood what systemic racism meant, it was overwhelming. Realizing I was born White, in a country that was founded and designed by White people (White people who could own Black people), changed how I viewed everything.
Every White person I know, when discussing White privilege, immediately becomes offended, and reacts like so many of the people here. It took a lot of time discussing this with my therapist to realize it wasn’t my fault I was born White, or the fault of anyone in my family. It is my fault if I don’t change myself once I realize this and learn to not be racist.

[foursocks]

@Ghazzu

I’m skeptical of that. where did you find the statistics that show it?

I am a social scientist so this is not news to me, but it isn’t exactly a secret. There are lots of places you can look yourself, but here is one quickly-found set of statistics (from a few years ago): https://blackdemographics.com/households/middle-class/

[meupatdoes]

@Ghazzu

I’m skeptical of that. where did you find the statistics that show it?

Why are you skeptical of that?

[JenEM]

I don’t think it can be purely economic, to any greater extent than it’s economics that keeps all of us from participating at Sophie Gochman or Missy Clark’s level. Or beyond economic means that have been used for decades as a part of systemic racism, which is a much larger conversation that is mostly outside the scope of a horse BB, though is absolutely a factor.

Because I live in the DC area, which is both pretty diverse and quite wealthy. There are plenty of people of all races with the means and opportunity to ride, if not at the upper levels, definitely on the local/small-A-rated type shows like I do. And in nearly 30 years of riding, I can think of less than a dozen POC that I’ve boarded/lessoned/shown with. There has to be a larger reason WHY there, and horse sports as a whole really need to look at that why. A lot of those whys are probably going to be really uncomfortable for people to listen to, but we have to listen if we want to change and be part of a sport that really is welcoming to everyone.

[meupatdoes]

@rah

Every white person I know, when discussing white privilege, immediately becomes offended, and reacts like so many of the people here. It took a lot of time discussing this with my therapist to realize it wasn’t my fault I was born white, or the fault of anyone in my family. It is my fault if I don’t change myself once I realize this and learn to not be racist.

A lot of people do not get the fact that white privilege is different from economic privilege.

You can be poor, but if you live in a white neighborhood, it is still more likely your public school is better funded.

You can be poor, but if you have a white sounding name you are still twice as likely to get a call back from an employer than someone who submits the exact same resume with a black sounding name.

Etc etc.

I think lack of distinction between white privilege and economic privilege is the MAJOR sticking point for a lot of whites, who simply don’t get, or outright refuse to believe,that you can have white privilege even if you do not have economic privilege.

I grew up with economic privilege, white privilege, and physical privilege (no illnesses, disabilities, etc). I don’t feel guilty about it, but I am aware of it. Once you are aware you can start to do the work of

1. Not obliviously perpetuating the problem (Anyone who says they are “colorblind” or “don’t see color” is perpetuating the problem through obliviousness, btw).
2. Doing the work to lift others up who weren’t born with the same privileges.

If you feel guilty about it a great way to address that guilt is to do the work to lift others up. Actively use your privileges, such as they may be, for good.

But too many whites just can’t handle that.

[meupatdoes]

@fair judy

Missy proves herself utterly tone deaf.

An excellent reflection of the hunter/jumper world as a whole.

[dags]

@meupatdoes

An excellent reflection of the hunter/jumper world as a whole.

Like, why do we have to have the most abhorrent take on everything? From the tone-deaf response to SafeSport to this fervent defense of systemic oppression - these views do escape our bubble and reflect terribly on our industry (there’s a whole non-horse twitter thread re: Sophie v Missy). It’s embarrassing, and I can’t imagine it’s doing anything but threatening the sport’s survival. News flash: The modern consumer is not going to spend $25k+ a year to support outdated constructs that perpetuate past evils & remain willfully blind to current ones.