Saratoga Springs, NY, July 6, 2024—The 2024 Ethos Award co-founders Jess Saalfield and Roberta Wilmore are excited to announce that the 2024 Ethos Award will be presented at the historic landmark, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, NY. The Ethos Award recognizes individuals who advance the engagement of Black and Brown people in the world of equestrian sports.
This year’s Ethos Award recipients:
- Mayisha Akbar founded the Compton Jr Posse (CJP) in 1988 in Compton, CA to offer youth hope, connection, and success by teaming them with horses.
- Dr. George & Ann Blair started the NY Riding Academy in 1970 in Manhattan’s Randall Island Park, making horseback riding more inclusive for everyone.
- Anastasia Curwood is the co-founder of Strides for Equality, an organization working in numerous ways to create equitable opportunities for BIPOC Equestrians.
- Caitlin Gooch is the founder of Saddle Up and Read, a program that connects horses, kids, and libraries to increase literacy rates in North Carolina.
- Lezlie Hiner is the founder of Work to Ride, a community-based prevention program in Philadelphia that engages and empowers under-resourced urban youth through interactions with horses.
- Patricia Kelly is the President and CEO of Ebony Horsewomen, Inc., created in 1984 as a way to introduce the joys of riding to women in the Hartford, CT area.
The Ethos Award is a bi-annual event that partners with unique equine venues across the country who share our mission to change the narrative of equestrian sports. This year the Ethos Award is partnering with the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, NY. Our Gala brunch will be held on Saturday August 31, 2024 at 10 am.
“It was such an incredible joy to be in attendance at the Ethos event. There was a palpable energy in the room of this radical acknowledgement of African-Americans in horsemanship,” says Jamila Jackson, Equine-Assisted Learning Facilitator, The Embodied Leadership Project.
Check out our website for more information about The Ethos Award and this year’s awardees at: https://ethosawardequestrian.com/
Tickets to the 2024 Ethos Award Gala: https://1049a.blackbaudhosting.com/1049a/The-Ethos-Awards
Media Contacts:
Roberta Wilmore
robertawilmore@gmail.com
Jess Saalfield
jsaalfield@gmail.com