Digital Media and Marketing

2021 Tom Bass Seminar on Diversity in Equestrian Sports

The 3rd Annual Tom Bass Seminar on Diversity in Equestrian Sports was held as a Zoom webinar on Saturday, November 20th, 2021. The virtual meeting examined issues relating to diversity in domestic and international activities.

Launched in 2019 as part of the annual Day of the African Equestrian (DOTAE) celebrations, the 2021 seminar took place in a time of political, commercial and societal disruption - highlighted by a widening gap between ‘the haves’ and the ‘have nots’ in the United States and other countries.

The seminar paid tribute to equestrians of color participating in Tokyo 2020, the recent Olympic and Paralympic Games, as riders, coaches, officials and members of supporting delegations.

A legendary American Saddlebred trainer, Tom Bass (1859 - 1934) was born enslaved in Columbia, Missouri. He played a prominent role both in the establishment of the American Royal Horse Show in Kansas City and in the promotion of the city of Mexico, Missouri as the ‘Saddle Horse Capital of the World’.

Highlights of his extraordinary career include championships at two World’s Fairs and more than 2,000 blue ribbons. For many years he was the only African-American permitted to compete at the American Royal.

The Tom Bass bit, developed to give the rider control without causing pain to the horse, is still in use today.

During his lifetime, Bass performed before such luminaries as Queen Marie of Romania, William Jennings Bryan, P.T. Barnum and U.S. Presidents Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and Calvin Coolidge. His more prominent clients included Mr. Roosevelt, Buffalo Bill Cody, Anheuser-Busch executives Adolphus and August Busch and Will Rogers.

DEI Community Conversations: Interrupting Bias and De-Escalation Techniques for Equestrians

This webinar, which took place on October 25, 2021, is part of US Equestrian's DEI Community Conversation series.

This conversation explores what people can do if they see or hear an instance of bias through the lens of equestrian sport. However, these tools can be applied in any environment, regardless of it is at a competition or in the barn. Panelists include Hadley Zeavin, Dr. Caroline Prijatel-Sutton, and Ashland Johnson. Learn how to address instances of bias and use de-escalation techniq

DEI Community Conversations: An Introduction to LGBTQ+ and Becoming a Better Ally

This webinar, which took place on June 30, 2021, is part of US Equestrian's DEI Community Conversation series.

Centered through the lens of diverse LGBTQ+ athletes and industry professionals, “An Introduction to LGBTQ+ and Becoming a Better Ally” provides helpful information about LGBTQ+ experiences and explores how people can become strong allies to their fellow equestrians, friends, and family. Panelists include Ashland Johnson of the The Inclusion Playbook, Rebby Kern of Equality North Carol

DEI Community Conversations: Harnessing Accessibility and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities

Alanna Flax-Clark, M.S.Ed. (Glen Gardner, N.J.) is a para-equestrian competing in dressage, as well as an actress, model, and writer. She was a member of the silver medal-winning Adequan® U.S. Para Dressage Team at the 2019 Caledon Spring Jubilee CPEDI3* and was named the 2019 Adequan/United States Dressage Federation Para Dressage Rider of the Year, among many other impressive performances.

Flax-Clark is a disability advocate, mentor to newly disabled members of the community, and aims to brin

DEI Community Conversations: Horses in Black Communities

The USEF's Feb. 21, 2021, webcast DEI Community Conversations: Horses in Black Communities, featured the University of Kentucky's Dr. Anastasia Curwood on "Equestrian History is Black History"; Kareem Rosser of Friends of Work to Ride on "Opportunities to Engage with Horses in Urban Areas"; and Saddle Up and Read's Caitlin Gooch on "Developing Soft Skills Through Experiences with Horses."

The conversation covers such topics as equestrian outreach efforts to the Black community; how experiences

2020 Tom Bass Seminar on Diversity in Equestrian Sports

Video Transcript of the 2020 Tom Bass Seminar on Diversity in Equestrian Sports - Saturday, November 14th.

Due to the worldwide Covid-19 Pandemic, the seminar was held as a webinar.

The seminar was organized by The AFRICAN CONNECTIONS Research and Education Fund, Inc. in association with SportsQuest International, LLC.

Supporting organizations include: The Tryon International Equestrian Center, HorsesDaily.com, The Chronicle of the Horse and EventingNation.com


The moderator is Melvin H. Cox, Managing Director of SportsQuest International, LLC and a Lecturer at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Follow Me