In high-stakes competitive sports, pressure can easily shadow the joy of the ride. In the equestrian world where long hours, intense focus, and fierce competition meet, it’s become even more important to foster a welcoming and supportive environment for everyone involved.
When Swedish anti-bullying organization, Friends approached the Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) about developing an anti-bullying campaign specifically designed for the equestrian world, the Kind Wins campaign was born. “We essentially created a mirror program,” says Program Manager, Hilary Yager. “Their original program is called “Friends” and we took many of their core strategies and implemented them into our horse show.” Recognizing WIHS’s global reputation and reach, Friends proposed creating a sister initiative customized for North American horse shows that would help young riders navigate social pressures, prevent bullying and cultivate empathy in barns, at shows and in everyday life.
Building upon these roots, the campaign drew further inspiration from broader athlete development methodologies, including the Positive Coaching Alliance, the One Love Foundation, and USA Swimming’s SafeSport anti-bullying parameters. “Through my experience in coaching over the years, we strongly implemented the Positive Coaching Alliance into our program and used a lot of that information to form the Kind Wins campaign,” says Yager. “It was really based on coaching the whole athlete—coaching the human being and not just the athlete in that human being.”
Kicking off officially in 2024, the Kind Wins campaign set out to create an immediate visual and cultural splash on the show circuit, complete with dedicated Kind Wins jumps in the ring, visible banners, and active participation across all levels of the sport. “Sports are tough nowadays, and it’s a rough environment where making one mistake can feel like the end of the world, so we wanted to build a positive environment where mistakes can happen, but you still feel supported,” says Yager. The goal of the campaign is to foster a positive atmosphere for everyone, first-time fans, competitors, trainers, parents, local equestrians, and grooms while encouraging open communication, inclusivity and a shared love for horses.
At the heart of the campaign is the Kind Wins Pledge, a commitment designed to give riders concrete strategies for everyday interactions within the sport. Rather than waiting for issues to surface, The Kind Wins pledge focuses on prevention from day one. “The action steps give people practical tools to intervene or stop unkind behavior before it starts,” says Yager. “A comment made in frustration, a joke at someone else’s expense, or something shared online can affect another person long after the moment has passed.” Living the pledge starts with understanding one’s own impact.
In a sport so heavily tied to tradition and full of intense competition, shifting culture hasn’t always been easy. “There are always hurdles and speed bumps in anything you’re trying to implement like this,” says Yager. “When you start pushing through that initial phase, people realize it actually works and begin to temper their reactions based on our behavioral standards, it turns the event into a much better place to work and compete.” The program’s impact is already showing up in real time, particularly among youth leaders.
Building on its initial success, the campaign is launching its next phase: Kind Wins Act II: Kind Wins in Action. While the first phase introduced the pledge and built widespread brand recognition across horse shows, Act II focuses on living those values every day in the warm-up ring, at the barn, and at home. Guided by the motto “See Kindness. Show Kindness. Share Kindness,” Act II operates on a simple truth: Empathy Drives Excellence. Empathy means noticing the rider who is nervous before entering the ring, recognizing the disappointment behind a difficult round, or understanding that someone at the barn may be facing challenges that the organization cannot see. “In Phase One, we introduced the concept, logo, and pledge so people connected Kind Wins with the WIHS,” says Yager. “Now, Phase Two is about moving from just reciting the pledge to actively practicing it daily.”
By fostering support and positivity across every level—from trainers and horse owners to riders and venue staff— the Kind Wins campaign is giving participants the confidence to ask questions, learn from their mistakes, and grow alongside their horses.
To learn more about the Kind Wins campaign, visit https://wihs.org/kind-wins/.
