Today, I eavesdropped in on a conversation between two women, each speaking different languages. One of them would ask a question in French and the other answered in German, and vice versa. It was a lot for me ears to take, but once I caught on to exactly what I was hearing, it made me think about how diverse the crowd is attending the World Equestrian Games.
In the period of an hour, I probably hear at least 10 different languages. German is the most popular simply due to the fact we’re in Germany. French, Spanish, Dutch, Russian, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Farsi, not to ignore the various dialects of the German language itself, scratches the surface. There are athletes from so many countries and continents, that it’s like I’ve found myself in the middle of some kind of United Nations or a microcosm of the entire planet, all squeezed into the city of Aachen, Germany, and the series of stadiums and press areas that I’ve spent no less than 12-plus hours a day (and that’s a short day).
Along with all these different languages comes a whole diverse culture. It’s made me think about how diverse of a community (around the world and in our own country) shares in their passion for equestrian sport and horses. It’s opened my eyes to the rich tapestry that is our collective horse sport.
And it’s not just in the languages that equestrian speak, but in the kinds of people that make up this “mash-up.” Young and old. Rich and poor. Every race under the rainbow. Every imaginable political and social stratum can be found. Every orientation – from political to denominational and far beyond. It’s a complex and colorful mix and we, as a whole, are the more fortunate for it.
Today, I watched an African woman dressed in a colorful flowing garment, resplendent in her native clothing. I caught an Islamic family sitting down to enjoy a meal, each of the women and young girls wearing traditional head scarves. I saw a man standing in the rain, his head protected by a Sikh turban. Yesterday, I encountered an elderly man wearing a kippah, or skullcap, seated and enjoying the dressage grand prix in the Main Stadium.
Of course, you probably wouldn’t see all these things at the same time at your local horse show, but at the World Equestrian Games, it’s truly a global village.
What an incredible lesson to take away from this experience. So many different people, some who might not usually find themselves so willingly in the company of others, all joined together to share in sport.
I’d like to think I wasn’t the only one to make note of this.
You must be logged in to post a comment.