Black Equestrians Want to Be Safe. But They Can’t Find Helmets.

“If you have an ‘oddity’ — and I don’t mean to be disrespectful to the people who have weird hairstyles — but if you have a hairstyle that impacts the functionality of the helmet, you might just have to change it,” Mr. Ruder said.

In a follow-up interview, Mr. Ruder stood by his view that riders need to be aware that their hairstyle choices can affect helmet safety, and added that he intended no offense with his comments. “I’m bald, and some people find that weird,” he said. “It’s all relative.”

‘This Sport Isn’t Designed for Us.’

Black riders say the manufacturers’ responses demonstrate what they’re up against.

“Sports were only developed for white people and they continue to keep white people protected,” Ms. Robbins said. “People need to realize diversity and inclusion belongs anywhere, especially in sports.”

A new helmet can’t come fast enough for Aderes James, 10, of Bethesda, Md.

On competition mornings, the other girls on her hunter show team tuck their hair into their helmets to create a clean look that will impress the judges. Aderes follows a two-hour routine the night before with conditioners and detangler spray. Her mother then plaits her thick hair into two Dutch braids that fit under her helmet for the show ring.

“It makes me feel a little left out,” Aderes said. “But it’s the cost of healthy, curly hair.”

Her mother, Rena Baxter James, said she and her husband made it a priority for Aderes to embrace her natural hair, but it often felt like an obstacle.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/03/sports/black-equestrians-helmets-safety.html