A question of rearing to competition,democracy or care in equestrian sports

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the rearing of children and young people within equestrian sports in Sweden during the second half of the 20th century. In contemporary times the Swedish Sport Movement, together with schools, is the most important rearing environment for children. However, the actual goal of the rearing, except of course learning a specific sport activity, is more unclear. The question is important as children’s sports receive significant financial support from the government. In the contemporary debate on this issue, children’s experiences as well as emotions like happiness and sorrow; fellowship and marginalization are presented as outcomes of children’s sports activities. In recent times especially the competitative rearing ambitions have been criticized whereas goals like participation for all have been emphasized as the primer aim. Other questions have been the role of parents and children’s inclination and discomfort in connection to sports. Previous research on football for children and young people has demonstrated that political intentions emphasizing sports for all and a rearing focused on democratic values has justified governmental financial support to children’s and young people’s sports activities. Despite this, children within the football associations are often raised with values connected to competition and marginalization (Peterson 1993). Furthermore, children’s sports environment is very authoritarian (Redelius 2002). Rearing within the sports movement is also a question of gender. Generally sports has been connected to men and masculine values (Olofsson 1989; Hjelm 2004; Larsson 2005; Hedenborg 2008). A study of rearing activities within football has demonstrated that quite young boys are met by a masculinity constructed in opposition to homosexuality and femininity (Fundberg 2003). Whether the same values can be, and have been, seen in equestrian sports is questioned in this paper. Furthermore it is argued that the target of rearing can be connected to gender. A question raised is whether the target of rearing can explain the feminizing process within equestrian sports. Annual reports from one of the equestrian organizations (Ridfrämjandet), interviews with two persons who have been working with education within this organization and letters from children sent to a children’s magazine are used as source material. The latter is of specific interest as this source material will reflect children’s own experiences and view of the rearing aims