Since leaving our week-long NF team retreat in Wellington, Florida, in late January, I've felt a new excitement for the evolution of the NF.edit.
The March edition will only be our third-ever box, but what we're continuing to learn and the new approach to our curations and content are the result of effectively making you, the rider, a key participant in its creation.
I talk with real riders on a daily basis about what's important to them, what makes the most sense for a physical offering, and, most importantly, what the value has to be for the NF.edit to make a real difference in your life as an equestrian.
With every conversation, there is a unanimous desire for a clearer sense of community. You want to be able to reach professionals, but more so each other, to share similar experiences, swap hacks and tips, and ask questions on how to take care of you the best way you can. "We get by with a little help from our friends," comes to mind.
And thus, the March NF.edit Ride Like A Girl campaign was born.
"Ride Like A Girl" isn't a new idea. We see it everywhere; used in hashtags, printed on t-shirts, etc. What this idea means, what it evokes, is a sense of solidarity, empowerment, and community (there's that word, again!).
Something felt different to me about the engagement towards female-centric holidays in 2019. The response, social media activity, and published works around International Day of The Girl, National Girls & Women in Sports Day, International Women's Day, and National Women's Month — there's a shift happening, a move towards more acceptance and celebration rather than judgment of what makes us different from each other.
Read our EIC's letter to the limitless women of horse sport.
As we were planning the NF.edit photo shoot, I started asking myself, "Ride Like A Girl ... what should this look like? How do I tell this story? How do I represent the scope of female riders in horse sport in all it's diversity and complexity?" The truth is, that's a pretty tall order to try and fully capture in a single photo shoot.
Instead, I viewed this as an opportunity to celebrate and share with you some of the female riders in my life who inspire and empower me.
Friends, new and old, each of these women has a unique journey with horses, relationship to the industry and NF, and their own thoughts on what it means to be a woman in horse sport.
Many belly laughs, Polaroids, and conversations later on just how tight breeches really are, I've been riding a high, excited to hear the stories of other girls and women who ride.
SPOILER ALERT
Two items in the March box are shown here! Any guesses as to what they are?
NF strives to be a platform that champions stories and discusses the hard issues, therefore, it is our obligation to continue to tell stories outside of our own experiences.
That's our intent with all that we do and our mission for Ride Like A Girl, to start a conversation not just within our audience but the riding community at large on what being a female in this sport and industry means to each of us. This photo shoot isn't THE story of our Ride Like A Girl campaign, but just one of many.
With the launch of the March NF.edit this week, we'll be asking about and sharing your stories over the next several weeks! Not only how the March NF.edit curation has impacted riders' personal care but also what Ride Like A Girl means and looks like to you.
How we show up for each other and support one another matters, and I'm ensuring that every NF.edit box moving forward reflects that ethos.
Interested in the NF.edit? Elevate your self-care journey today!
Just For Fun!
Here's a little song selection from our photo shoot playlist. Warning — several girl power anthems and chair-dancing jams to ensue:
- Lizzo - Juice
- Jess Glynne - Ain't Got Far To Go
- Fifth Harmony - That's My Girl
- Little Mix - Salute
- Lizzo - Good As Hell
- Drake - Nice For What
- Chloe Kohanski - Didn't Come This Far
- Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert - Somethin' Bad
- Beyoncé - Run The World (Girls)
- Khalid - Talk
Models: Meredith Young, Meredith Denny, Catherine Knotts, Meredith Frobose. Enjoy their smiling faces because you'll be seeing a lot more of them in the weeks to come!
Read this next: Take Time for You: How Focusing on These 5 Simple Things Can Elevate Your Riding Life, Big Time
Feature photo by Heather Fulbright Grambergs.
Additional photography by Kristin Stine.