The theme lately seems to be horses! If you read my article last week, you would know what I mean! 🐎🐎
We spent a lovely day out in Oxfordshire this weekend, supporting this talented young lady, Lydia Heywood, who was representing Jamaica at the Cornbury Horse Trials. And she came 1st in her league on what was Day 1 of 3. Absolutely fantastic! 🥳🥳 What struck me whilst out there, was just how little #diversity there is in the sport. Despite being one of the most well-known sports worldwide, there is less than 1% of melanin-rich people represented in championships across the world. According to Jordan Allen, an African-American rider from Florida, "It isn’t because it’s not accessible to everyone. It’s just so expensive and time-consuming." However, others familiar with the space add that more diversity is essential but tends to be overlooked; diversity can be forgotten and not talked about or addressed in the industry. So imagine my excitement when I met a melanin-rich jockey (Lydia) and a melanin-rich equine law specialist, aka Cynthia M. (next to Lydia). First of all, I never knew that there was such a role as a horse lawyer (I joked that I didn't know horses needed lawyers 😂) but also, it made me proud to bear witness to the fact that there is always room for diversity, regardless of context. We just have to start somewhere. As more awareness is raised from within such spaces that have not been given much attention with regards to the issue of #diversityandinclusion, simply showcasing what is possible begins to change the rhetoric.