President and Founder of weridetogether.today
Michaela Shepherd, Executive Director of #WeRideTogehter nominated Carrie for the Leading U.S. Influential Equestrian award. In Michaela’s nomination letter she wrote, “As a parent of a survivor of sexual abuse, Carrie is deeply passionate about increasing the awareness and prevention of sexual misconduct in equestrian sport. Her daughter was practicing and competing as a minor when she was groomed by her coach and experienced abuse. Her family’s experience is not isolated. Carrie has had hundreds of conversations with survivors and their families whose experiences echo themes she continuously encounters. Shame, a lack of acknowledgment of the issue, and an unwillingness to take accountability have saturated environments where equestrians learn, ride, and compete.
The fallout from sexual abuse is endless for survivors and their families. #WeRideTogehter is dedicated to removing the stigma and normalizing the necessary conversations—because if you can’t talk about something, you can’t repair it.
So, what’s the solution? It’s proactive prevention; a practice that is implemented in other industries already. Whether it’s in schools or in offices, nearly every other environment that has a potential for power imbalance has put in place a culture and set of operating policies to protect all participants—be it the teacher and student, or the manager and employee. The equestrian environment should be treated just the same, with safeguards between coach and rider.
In 2023 alone, Carrie’s nonprofit, #WeRideTogether, directly supported over 4,300 coaches and athletes. Her nonprofit worked closely with IEA, IHSA, USHJA, USEA, USEF, NRHA, and Pony Club to provide educational and awareness materials and support to riders and coaches. #WeRideTogether put on two fundraising classes with the support of Desert International Horse Park and Thunderbird Show Park, raising over $41,000, allowing #WeRideTogether to give away over 10,500 promo items and prizes to riders, coaches, and spectators. These items raise awareness, and promote education and the Courage First Athlete Helpline. Additionally, #WeRideTogether held six educational presentations, reaching members of the Hunter/Jumper, Eventing, and Reining communities.
Carrie is intimately acquainted with the enormous and multi-faceted difficulties faced by survivors and the personal toll sexual abuse takes on their loved ones. As a passionate advocate for change, Carrie is committed to ending sexual misconduct in equestrian sports through awareness, education, and transparent discussion as president and founder of #WeRideTogether.”
A quote Carrie lives by is - “Be fierce. Don’t just do what is expected or easy. Do what is right. I constantly remind myself that we only have one life, and with such limited time, I ask myself, ‘Who do I want to be?’. I hope I inspire girls and women by showing them that their voice matters, and that we have the power to transform our world by using our life experiences, both wonderful and painful, as fuel to make change happen.”
