Female equestrians: showcase passion and skill as they ride for pleasure and competition

THE world of horses and equestrian sports and events has long been enjoyed by the wealthy and mostly men, yet women and horses have always represented an intriguing combination. Black women who love the animals and the sport have carved out a tiny niche and are being noticed.

In fact, two young Black women, Paige Johnson, 20, of Virginia and Mavis Spencer, 15, of California, are among the daring young women who have taken their passion to the competitive level and have championship ribbons and awards--and even Olympic dreams--to show for it.

It is an expensive passion--pleasure homes cost from $5,000; show and race homes run from $25,000 to $50,000. Annual boarding and maintenance requires $600 to $800 per home. For some of those featured here, money is not an issue; for others, the financial investment is a labor of love. "My love of horses started when I was 6 and visited my grandmother's farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia," says marketing maven Sheila Eldridge, who adds that her early exposure to horses became a life-long passion. She lives in New Jersey and boards two horses in Virginia. "I'm a country girl at heart, and my goal is to ultimately live on a farm and wake up every day and greet my horses and ride to my heart's content," she says. In the meantime, Eldridge travels to Virginia twice a month to indulge in "endurance riding" through forests, mountains and lakes.

On the other end of the spectrum are Sheila Johnson and her daughter Paige. Johnson, co-founder of BET and part-owner of the Washington Mystics, Wizards and Capitals sports teams, is in her fifth year as president of the Washington International Horse Show. Johnson's 200-acre Salamander Farm outside D.C., and another farm in Florida, provide ample space for her 25 horses. It is not surprising that Paige, who started riding at age 6, has developed a passion for horses. She decided to postpone college and continue to train as a potential equestrian Olympic hopeful. So far this year, she has placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd in nine competitions.

"I think that horses are one of the most amazing creatures to have ever walked the earth," says Paige. "What makes me pursue the sport is the need to always improve and eventually become the best equestrian I possibly can. It is one of the most challenging sports in that it is so hard to be consistent every time you enter a competition. I love the rush it gives you knowing you can only expect the unexpected. Every time you go into the ring, it gives you an adrenaline rush because you can never truly know what is going to happen."

Equestrian Roberta Wilmore is an admirer of Sheila Johnson and Alfre Woodard. Wilmore, who has been in the "horse world for over 30 years," says she didn't own her own horse until recently. She saved for 10 years to buy her 60-acre farm in Massachusetts, where she has founded the nonprofit Children's Equitation Center "to encourage and support the involvement of children of color and other underserved inner-city children in equestrian sports."

Marketing Exec Sheila Eldridge spends time with Shatia (her gift to her son) on a farm in Virginia. At right, she rides Red Babe. "Horses are like children," she says. "You must spend time with them, discipline them, teach them etiquette in dealing with people and other horses. You must be in control. They are extremely sensitive animals, yet they are very, loyal."

"People who ride horses, and especially children, develop a connection with the animals that supports mindfulness and empowerment," says Wilmore. "These psychological lessons are very useful in life. They have so much to do with who I am today."

COPYRIGHT 2006 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning