By L.A. BERRY
Ethos: The distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature or guiding beliefs of a person, group or institution.
In the case of the Ethos Award Ceremony on Saturday morning, August 31, at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, NY, it was all about changing the narrative of horse sport by recognizing Black equestrians and allies.
Mayisha Akbar, Dr. George and Ann Blair, Anastasia Curwood, Caitlin Gooch, Lezlie Hiner, and Patricia Kelly were all recognized for their ethical and equitable commitments to making a better horse world for future generations.
“For me, being in the horse world 40-plus years, this is what I always dreamed of, to see a mixture of races, ages and economic advantages in one place,” says Roberta Wilmore, who was joined by Jess Saalfield in organizing and presenting the awards. “This is an occasion to honor real trailblazers.”
2024 Ethos Award Recipients
Mayisha Akbar founded the Compton Jr. Posse (CJP) in 1988 in Compton, CA, to bring kids hope, connection and success by teaming them with horses.
“Children are most handicapped by a lack of opportunity,” says Akbar, whose nephew, Randy Savvy, launched Compton Cowboys in 2017 to continue the family mission of imbuing youth with good horse sense and professional acumen. When Akbar tells her young riders to “put your business language on,” she means it.
Dr. George and Ann Blair started the New York Riding Academy in 1970 in Manhattan’s Randall Island Park, making horseback riding more accessible for everyone.
Anastasia Curwood is co-founder, with Heather Gillette, of Strides for Equality, working to create equitable opportunities for BIPOC equestrians.
“We are in the first organization to recognize Black pioneers. The National Museum of Racing was ahead of its time; thank you. Heather and I want an organization that says to riders, ‘We have your back.’ Horses are power. Horses connect us to our community and our strength.”
Caitlin Gooch is founder of the Saddle Up And Read program that connects horses, kids and libraries in an effort to raise literacy rates in North Carolina. “I never believed I’d be recognized just for doing what’s right,” she says. “Kids love horses and books. It was just putting the two together and thank you God, for the strength to get it done.”
Lezlie Hiner started Work To Ride in 1994, a community-based prevention program in Philadelphia that engages and empowers under-resourced urban kids through interactions with horses. It was a full-circle moment for the ex-Saratoga hot walker and assistant trainer, whose youth program made history in 2011 when three WTR students were on the first Black team to win the National Interscholastic Polo Championship. Another WTR student, Shariah Harris, was named 2016 US Polo Association National Interscholastic Player of the Year and, in February 2024, became the first Black woman to play in the US Women’s Polo Championship.
Patricia Kelly is president and CEO of Ebony Horsewomen, Inc., created in 1984 to introduce the joys of riding to women in the Hartford, CT, area, and is today both an integral resource for certified equine-related therapy for all who need it and home to the Mary Fields Museum, dedicated to telling the story of the African American experience in pioneer life and horsemanship.
“Forty years didn’t happen to just me. I have an amazing loyal staff with me to give Black and brown kids the same opportunities without the cost. Looking around this room, we can leave what we’ve created in good hands.”
Saalfield, whose prescient college thesis 20 years ago saw the power of equine therapy to heal across divides, may have said it best when she heralded the awards and positive energy they had created as, “a revolution of inclusion.”
The Ethos Award is a bi-annual celebration of joy and representation that partners with unique equine venues across the country to share in its mission to change the narrative of equestrian sports. The inaugural 2022 awards were presented in partnership with the Washington International Horse Show. Learn more or recommend a venue by clicking here.
