Out on a horse.

In his quest to become an Olympic champion, Rick Wallace learned that the world of equestrian sports is an accepting one. So when he decided to come out, he knew he wouldn't be rejected. "My being gay didn't change anything," says Wallace, 42, from the Tallahassee, Fla., home he shares with his partner, Blake Little, 33.

Now Wallace, who failed to make the Olympic team when his horse was injured in 1992, is an "out and proud" advocate for the sport. He recently quit his job with the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association to help his 24-year-old daughter, Elisa, make the 2008 Olympic team. "She started riding when she was 2, competing when she was 4, and won a gold medal at the Georgia Games when she was 10," he says. "I know that I'm a talented rider, but she is probably 100 times better than I was."

In seeking sponsorship for his daughter, who is currently ranked 29th on the United States Eventing Association's overall leaderboard, Wallace is working to elevate the sport by convincing corporate America it should start sponsoring equestrians in the same way it backs other sports stars, such as Tiger Woods. "When I came out to my wife and two children, I thought that would be the most important thing I'd ever do," says Wallace. "But getting Elisa to the Olympics-that will be the icing on the cake of a lifetime if we can make it happen."