>>JOY PURDY: ALL MONTH LONG WE’RE CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY AND CULTURE AND WE’RE FINDING
AREAS OF OUR COMMUNITY WORKING
TO BECOME MORE INCLUSIVE
MARY BAER FOUND A YOUNG AFRICAN
AMERICAN HORSE RIDER SITTING
TALL IN THE SADDLE PRETTY
INSPIRING MESSAGE.
MARY THANKS.
>>MARY BAER: I LOVE TELLING THE
STORY SO TONIGHT, WE’RE
STEPPING INTO THE BOOTS OF THIS
YOUNG EQUESTRIAN HE WAS SHOWING
US THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN
DOESN’T MATTER WHEN IT COMES TO
SUCCESS IN THE SADDLE.
SHE’S ONLY 11 BUT YOUNG HAS FOUND HER PASSION IN LIFE. SHE’D RATHER BE HERE AT THE
BARN THAT PRETTY MUCH ANYWHERE
ELSE.
ONCE SHE’S IN THE SADDLE CHEESE
ON TOP OF THE WORLD. WHAT’S
GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN
YOU JUMPING HER.
FREEDOM WITH THE REINS IN HER HANDS BALANCING AS PRIMROSE THE PAINT CANTOR’S ON WHAT WAKES US
UP IN
THE MORNING.
>> HORSE SHOWS WHEN I MEAN LIKE
5 36 O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING
THAT ALL OF HIS ALL OR YOU KNOW
JUST ODD SOS IN THE JUMPING SOS
WITH COUNTLESS SHOWS THIS YOUNG
RIDER HAS WON THIS IS JUST A
FRACTION OF HER AWARDS MAYA HAS
HER PARENTS TO THANK FOR
HELPING FEED
HER PASSION.
>> MY MOM AND DAD INSPIRED ME
BECAUSE THEY TOLD ME ABOUT
THEIR HORSES.
>>MARY BAER: PAYING FOR LESSONS
LIKE THIS ONE WITH JAMES STEEN
ONE OF HER
4 TRAINERS OUTFITTING HER AND
THE HORSE SHE RIDES AND GETTING
HER TO COMPETITIONS WHERE TAKES
OVER BECAUSE SHE’S RESPONSIBLE
FOR
THE HORSE.
>> ESPECIALLY IT SHOWS AND THEN
SHE COMES BACK TO DO
THE LESSONS, SHE’S RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE POINTS FROM THE TIME
SHE GETS INTO
>> AND SO SHE REALLY DOES
EVERYTHING BY YOURSELF. MY
PARENTS SAY SHE MADE IT CLEAR
EARLY ON THAT SHE WOULD BE A
HORSEWOMAN NOT JUST A WRITER,
BUT A SERIOUS COMPETITOR.
OPENED UP HER OWN BANK ACCOUNT
SAVING UP TO BUY HER OWN HORSE
GUN NOT ONLY 600.
♪
THAT’S A TEST OF HOW ARE YOU
DOING THAT.
>> AND DURING
THAT TIME BIRTHDAYS NIGHT GOOD
GRADES
IN CHRISTMAS.
>>MARY BAER: BUT AS FREE AS
THIS YOUNG EQUESTRIAN FEELS
WHILE RIDING SHE’D LIKE TO SEE
SOMETHING CHANGE AT THE HORSE
SHOWS WHERE SHE COMPETES AND
♪
>>MARY BAER: MAKES FRIENDS.
>> THE LONDON ANY SUCH CHANGES
MORE BLACK WRITERS.
>> AND HOW DO YOU THINK THAT
CAN HAPPEN.
♪
BUT I
MEAN SHELLING. >>MARY BAER: MAYA SAYS IT MAKES HER HAPPY TO KNOW SHE’S HELPING
RAISE AWARENESS THAT
COMPETITIVE RIDING NEEDS TO BE
MORE DIVERSE WHEN WE GO TO
SHUNS WE DON’T SEE MANY AFRICAN
AMERICANS ACTUALLY DID IT SHOWS
AND WE’VE SEEN NO AFRICAN
AMERICANS. YOU
KNOW WE’VE WRITTEN AND BONDS
AND WE DON’T SEE ANY AFRICAN
AMERICANS AND I WISH THAT THERE
WERE MORE AFRICAN AMERICANS INVOLVED IN THIS BOARD BECAUSE IT IS A BEAUTIFUL SPORT, IT
REALLY IS DAIRY LAST ARE YOUNG
SAYS IT MAY BE A
CULTURAL REASON. WHY THERE
AREN’T MORE BLACK COMPETITORS,
A LACK OF EXPOSURE OR A
FINANCIAL BARRIER, ESPECIALLY
IF YOU
ARE COMPETING.
>> IF YOU JUST WIDEN AT A BARN,
HOWEVER IS NOT THAT EXPENSIVE
IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN ANY
OTHER SPORT, I
WOULD SAY.
>>MARY BAER: AND MY AS DAD
JEREMIAH THINKS CHANGE IS ON
THE WAY LIKE FORMULA. ONE LEWIS
HAMILTON AND THE WILLIAMS
SISTERS ISN’T
IT ISN’T.
>> YOU KNOW I GO ON AND ON BUT
WE’RE WE’RE EXPOSING WE’RE
DOING IT WITH THINK THAT THE
EXPLOSION ON BOTH SIDES I THINK
THAT MAKES THAT WILL MAKE A
WORLD OF
A DIFFERENCE.
>>MARY BAER: BOTH PARENTS HAVE
LONG LOVED HORSES BUT THEY HAD
NO IDEA THEIR DAUGHTER WOULD BE
SO DRIVEN
TO RIDE. AND NOW SHARING A
MESSAGE FOR OTHER YOUNG
EQUESTRIANS
♪
EQUESTRIANS ♪ OF COLOR.
>> I WOULD SAY KEEP UP WHAT
YOU’RE DOING AND ALSO TRY A
BUS.
>>MARY BAER: ALWAYS TRY YOUR
BEST THIS PALMER CATHOLIC
ACADEMY HONOR ROLL STUDENT ALSO
LOOKS FORWARD TO A CAREER AS AN
EQUINE VETERINARIAN HER FUTURE IS BRIGHT HER PARENTS ARE ALSO SO PROUD SHE IS HAPPY TO SHOW
EVERYONE WINNERS COME IN EVERY
COLOR.
>>JOY PURDY: OR MARY WE HEARD
HER ANSWER WILL DO HER PARENTS
HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW THE
SPORTS COULD GAIN MORE
BLACK COMPETITORS.
>>MARY BAER: YOU KNOW WHAT THEY
TOLD ME THAT THEY’VE TRIED TO
APPOINT OTHER AFRICAN AMERICANS
WITH HORSES AND SOME DID GET
INTERESTED BUT
YOU KNOW IT ISN’T FOR EVERYONE
MAYA’S MOM THOUGH SUGGESTED
THAT STABLES AND RIDING CLUBS,
WHOA BLACK HISTORY MONTH
EVENTS OR FIND OTHER WAYS TO
EXPOSE AFRICAN AMERICANS TO
HORSEBACK RIDING THROUGH
OUTREACH AND DEFINITELY
STARTING YOUNG IT’S SUCH A
HEALTHY SPORT FOR KIDS IT
TEACHES DISCIPLINE
RESPONSIBILITY
AND.