Muirneen Equestrian is inviting all equestrian companies to join the diversity townhall on March 17 and work together to improve DEI in horse sports.
The New York Times article titled “Black Equestrians Want to Be Safe. But They Can’t Find Helmets” has caused quite a stir in the equestrian and non-equestrian communities.
Many supportive comments pushed helmet companies to consider African American hair – natural and locs – when designing their helmets. Other comments of racism, bigotry, and assimilation flooded the comment sections across social media platforms.
Chanel Robbins, the main equestrian featured in the article, commented, “This sport isn’t designed for us.” In response to this article and the social media comments, Muirneen Equestrian and Chanel Robbins are teaming up to host a townhall on March 17.
An open invitation has been sent to all equestrian brands, magazines, and stakeholders to have an authentic and unfiltered conversation about diversity in horse sports.
“It was hard reading all of the comments. It’s easy to have an uncaring attitude when the problem doesn’t affect you. We will be taking note of brands and magazines that are there to represent their companies and those that are conspicuously and continuously absent from conversations like these,” says Shelly Watts, CEO and Founder of Muirneen Equestrian.
“I bet people would have more compassion if they just talked to their black and brown equestrian friends. Many people, companies, and institutions have this stance that you, as the non-white person, must change to meet “normal” social contexts. I have dealt with this my entire life as an immigrant. We should be thoughtful and considerate of the vibrant, beautiful cultures and traditions that exist. This includes hairstyles, clothing, languages, and tattoos,” concludes Watts.
Registration Link for Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_TE1NdUxiSVWb3_4iv1UpRA
Muirneen Equestrian already has speakers and sponsors lined up for the March, April, May, and June townhalls.
If you are interested in learning more, getting involved, or sponsoring, please reach out to shelly@muirneen.com
About Muirneen Equestrian
Muirneen is a woman, minority, and veteran-owned company that designs riding clothing with unmatched beauty, quality, and size inclusivity. The mission of Muirneen is to inspire diversity, body positivity, and kindness in horse sports. To learn more, visit https://muirneen.com.
Contact: Shelly Watts, CEO
Muirneen Equestrian
shelly@muirneen.com
586-787-1098