Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!uiuccsb!grass From: grass@uiuccsb.UUCP Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Re: Male/Female Roles - (nf) Message-ID: <5330@uiucdcs.UUCP> Date: Thu, 2-Feb-84 22:38:14 EST Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.5330 Posted: Thu Feb 2 22:38:14 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 8-Feb-84 03:24:25 EST Lines: 23 #R:pyuxss:-25500:uiuccsb:12700009:000:851 uiuccsb!grass Feb 2 17:06:00 1984 An interesting sport to consider here is the whole range of equestrian sports, with the sole exception of Thoroughbred racing (which has a long discriminatory history), women and men have competed directly for quite a while (mares, geldings and stallions too, but that is another story). As a matter of fact, the top U.S. open jumper rider has frequently been a woman. Physical strength is not a major factor in this sport, but courage, coordination, and a certain sort of mental toughness sure is. A good rider also has to be pretty aggressive at times. It is about impossible to get 1000 pounds of unwilling horse over a 5 foot plus fence otherwise. -- Judy Grass P.S. It is kind of a U.S. oddity that fewer men seem to start in horse sports than women. Most of the world it seems to be more the reverse, but in any case women do well.