Riding Through Norms: Creating and Performing Athletic Femininity at American Ladies’ Equestrian Exhibitions, 1850–1890

During the nineteenth century, American agricultural fairs often featured ladies’ equestrian exhibitions. At these events, women constructed an athletic femininity based on skill and competitiveness that challenged traditional ideals of womanhood. By analyzing a sample of 362 exhibitions held across ten states from 1850 to 1890, this article studies the emergence of athletic femininity in the context of competitive horseback riding. These findings contribute to the historiography of women's sports and deepen our understanding of women's history by showing how women resisted restrictive gender expectations in the public arenas available to them.