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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.