#WeRideTogether Invites Horse Shows Organizers To Join Desert International Horse Park, Thunderbird Show Park, And Traverse City Horse Shows In Promoting Safe, Healthy Sport
- Madison Smith, #WeRideTogether Communications Manager
- Feb 21
- 6 min read
The barn, horse show, pasture and tack room should feel like the safest, happiest places in the world. After all, we go to the barn to escape the stress of work or school, to spend time with our horses, get some well deserved movement, and reset.
But sadly, the barn, just like any other athletic environment, can easily become a place where athletes experience unimaginable abuse and misconduct. In fact, more than 50% of athletes experience some form of abuse in sport. We all have a role to play in keeping the barn as safe and healthy as possible.
That’s where #WeRideTogether comes in; since 2021, #WeRideTogether has been dedicated to eliminating sexual abuse in equestrian sport and beyond. Founded and rooted in equestrian sport,
#WeRideTogether is creating the radical change necessary to eliminate abuse and misconduct in sport. And major horse shows like Desert International Horse Park (DIHP) in Thermal, CA, Thunderbird Show Park (tbird) in Langley, BC, and Traverse City Horse Shows (TCHS) in Traverse City, MI are heroes for healthy sport.
Since 2023, DIHP and tbird have generously hosted annual charity classes dedicated to fundraising for #WeRideTogether. The classes, respectively the MeadowGrove & Friends $20,000 1.20 Open Jumper Classic and the $7,500 Equestrian Canada 1.0/1.10/1.15 Open Jumper Classic, promote safe, healthy sport, engage riders and trainers in learning about safeguarding best practices, and support positive athletic environments for all.
Furthermore, beginning in 2024, TCHS sponsored its first #WeRideTogether community event during the USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic, presented by Intermont Equestrian at Emory & Henry University. The event featured friendship bracelet making, cookie decorating, a silent
auction, and welcomed all members of the horse show community into the VIP space to watch the thrilling Gladstone Cup.
“Our team at #WeRideTogether is passionate about creating and maintaining safe, healthy, and fun athletic environments for riders and trainers alike,” says Michaela Callie, Executive Director of #WeRideTogether. “We’re dedicated to eliminating abuse and misconduct from all sports. When we collectively uphold the integrity of sport, we’re creating healthier, more sustainable spaces for future generations of athletes.”
As the 2025 season kicks off, #WeRideTogether invites horse shows across the US and Canada to join DIHP, tbird, and TCHS in supporting safe, healthy equestrian sport. Whether by hosting a class or a community event, having a #WeRideTogether presence at your show is sure to leave an indelible mark of commitment to safer, healthier sport.
So, what exactly is the point of these events?
In short, they promote safe, healthy sport, eliminate the stigma surrounding survivorship, and enable us to talk about abuse prevention. Because, if we can’t talk about sexual abuse in equestrian sport, we can’t stop it. #WeRideTogether wants sport to be the safest and healthiest place for kids and young adults to grow and flourish, but we know that more than 50% of all athletes experience abuse; 13 to 15 years old is the average age of the first incident of abuse in sport; and authority figures and peers, such as coaches, trainers, and teammates, are the most common perpetrators of abuse.
Through these events, we shatter the stigma around discussing the issue. We empower athletes to come forward with testimonies of abuse. We teach the community proactive prevention skills and safeguarding best practices that allow riders, coaches, parents, and community members to stop misconduct before it happens. All these efforts make equestrian sport safer and healthier for the next generation of athletes.
In 2025, let’s make it our mission to bring safe, healthy sport to every horse show nationwide.
And, not just to the hunter/jumper side of the sport – #WeRideTogether will be there at your dressage show, rodeo, cutting show, gymkhana, three-day event, and more – you name it, we’re there. Our unique network of corporate partners and sponsors, free resources, relationships with NGBs and LAOs, and tried and tested strategies for event success ensure that we can tailor a #WeRideTogether event to successfully fit your discipline and your show.
#WeRideTogether creates groundbreaking abuse prevention strategies and breaks the stigma that prevents survivors of abuse in sport from coming forward. We provide comprehensive, free safeguarding education, abuse prevention resources, and policy consulting services to organizations like USRowing, FEI, World Aquatics, IEA, and IHSA, among many others. And we pave the way on proactive prevention education for athletic communities to stop abuse before it happens by engaging athletic communities like DIHP, tbird, and TCHS.
These events are particularly necessary as they make proactive prevention easy and approachable. #WeRideTogether is skilled at making abuse prevention understandable for athletic communities so that it can be tangibly implemented, making all equestrian environments safer. We even bring free resources to hand out, like our Dreamers n’ Schemers x #WeRideTogether Boot Socks which feature the Courage First Athlete Helpline number and our Coach Athlete Pledge signs. Our goal is to empower, engage, and educate as many exhibitors as possible; that way, we know that the athletes and coaches we engage with leave with concrete resources!
There are more ways for horse shows to engage than classes, too; #WeRideTogether can host a community building event at the show to raise awareness about safe, healthy sport. That’s a wonderful option that provides entertaining, educational activities for riders of all ages.
#WeRideTogether didn’t just appear out of thin air. When president and founder Carrie Kehring’s family experienced sexual abuse in equestrian sport firsthand, she was galvanized to take action to stop it from happening to one more athlete.
The equestrian community’s reaction was explosively supportive, with hundreds of equestrians coming forward to Kehring to personally share their survivor stories, including some of the sport’s biggest heroes. It’s clear that sexual abuse in equestrian sport is pernicious, but together, we can end it.
This year, for the third year in a row, DIHP will host the $20,000 MeadowGrove & Friends 1.20 Open Jumper Classic benefiting #WeRideTogether. In the shade of the stunning San Bernardino mountains, riders will have the chance to ride in the Grand Prix ring to promote safe, healthy sport.
The class, which features generous sponsors such as Prestige, TKEQ, Charles Owen, Equestrian Stockholm, RJ Classics, and much, much more, is open to professionals, amateurs, and juniors alike. This is a unique opportunity for riders to learn about a safe, healthy sport, and all riders receive educational material from #WeRideTogether, gifts from sponsors, and the top junior and amateur receive prizes, as well as the top ten riders overall.
The fun continues up north, where Thunderbird Show Park annually hosts the $7,500 Equestrian Canada 1.0/1.10/1.15 Open Jumper Classic benefiting #WeRideTogether. This class allows riders to jump for healthy sport and compete for fabulous prizes in tbird’s Pacific Park Arena. Sponsors
like Equestrian Stockholm and Vet Gold make this class extra special and help riders learn about safe, healthy sport.
In addition, tbird hosts a friendship bracelet making event the day before the class, too. From
the little ones in the short stirrups to the rusty stirrup veterans, community members can enjoy the
event and enter a generous raffle while learning to prevent abuse in equestrian sport.
In June 2024, Traverse City Horse Shows generously hosted #WeRideTogether during the Gladstone Cup East for a community building event. The event featured friendship bracelet making, cookie decorating, and a silent auction which helped raise money for safe, healthy equestrian sport. Community events can be specifically tailored for the needs of any individual competitive environment, and #WeRideTogether is happy to customize options and opportunities specifically for individual horse shows. Every competitive environment is unique.
“Community events are a wonderful way to engage riders, parents, trainers, grooms, and other community members in a casual, fun setting,”
says Annelise Ware, #WeRideTogether Program Manager.
“We always see lots of excitement around the events, and our team loves the challenge of tailoring them uniquely to each horse show.”
For more information, to start planning an event, or to set up a call, reach out to #WeRideTogether Communications Manager Madison Smith at msmith@weridetogether.today.
All Sports, One Goal. #WeRideTogether.
Find us online at www.WeRideTogether.Today and on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok @weridetogether.today.
This article is from the February issue of Equine Business Magazine.
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