The reason behind the name
I find it very interesting how we, as people, tend to build from nothing. We take few, and turn it into many. Slave owners gave us butcher scraps, and we turned it into soul food. We take our pain and sorrows and turn it into beautiful works of art and music. We can take a word that has a derogatory history and turn it into something we instead associate with beauty.
The most important woman that has ever been a part of my life is my now deceased “Grama Joan” as I’d call her. I always loved to hear about her childhood and what it was like growing up in a time that was so hard for many people of color. She liked to tell me the story of her grandfather that was born in Spanish Morocco. She described him as a frightfully attractive man with thick, dark, straight hair and light tan skin. He was called a mulatto. Somewhat of a mix,
someone that doesn't quite fit, but something beautiful nonetheless.
So I, like my Grandmother, chose to turn something that was originally intended to be ugly, into something beautiful. I take horses that are not worth anything to anyone, and turn them into something useful, so that they may have a chance at a consistent, long positive life. Mulatto is used to describe a light brown color, the same color that all the meadows on my first ranch would turn into in the hot summer months. A sight to me that was gorgeous, when most would see
nothing but old dried grass longing for a splash of rain.
I again make a mix with my family. As I am partnered with a Mexican man, who is my best friend, my love, and father to our charming daughter Genesis Joan, aptly named after my Grandmother. I am a mix of both Western and English because I truly believe that horsemanship is at the base of them all. It is a language that transcends all disciplines. I will always choose to take the negative and turn it into positivity. That is why I stand proudly by the name Mulatto
Meadows.
the founder
BRIANNA NOBLE
Bri Noble is the founder and owner of Mulatto Meadows, an equestrian business dedicated to expanding the accessibility of riding and horsemanship to communities historically excluded from the equestrian world. Bri is especially passionate about introducing horsemanship and riding to youth of color and economically disenfranchised populations.
Bri has ridden and trained in both English and Western disciplines including jumping, eventing, ranch versatility, and Trail Trails. She believes that no matter the focus, whether it’s trail riding or show jumping, true horsemanship is a language that transcends all disciplines. By putting the needs of the horse first, equestrians can grow both personally and professionally to reach their true potential.
Bri Noble is the founder and owner of Mulatto Meadows, an equestrian business dedicated to expanding the accessibility of riding and horsemanship to communities historically excluded from the equestrian world.
Bri is especially passionate about introducing horsemanship and riding to youth of color and economically disenfranchised populations.
Bri recently garnered international attention when she rode her horse Dapper Dan at an Oakland, California Black Lives Matter protest over the death of George Floyd. The image of Bri atop her 17.1 hand horse has become a beacon of hope for people worldwide.
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area’s East Bay, Bri is a lifelong horse enthusiast whose love of horses began with summers at the barn with her big sister. At the age of 15 she was given her first horse, an abused off the track thoroughbred she renamed Midnight Affair. Bri has dedicated her life as a trainer to rehabilitating abused horses into “bombproof” mounts, and then finding loving homes for them with responsible horse owners. Bri is the mother to two-year-old Genesis Joan, a budding horsewoman herself, and engaged to fellow horseman Adolfo Gutierrez.