Calling Out the "Embarrassment" for Grassroots

I actually can’t believe we still have to have this conversation. Every year, the Badminton Grassroots Championship rolls around and alongside the photos of ecstatic riders, proud ponies, tears, fist pumps and celebrations, the same tired comments appear.

“They’re acting like they’ve won the Olympics.”

“Bit embarrassing.”

“It’s only grassroots.”

A recent post from Megan Elphick summed it up perfectly:

“Because this IS our Olympics!”

And Megan, you are soooooo right!!!

For so many riders, that championship is not a small thing. It is years of lessons, early mornings, late nights, financial pressure, confidence knocks, setbacks, sacrifices and trying again when it would have been easier to give up.

I’m calling bullshit on the idea that celebrating it is embarrassing.

Because it’s not embarrassing. It is absolutely brilliant! Epic even!!!

So, here's my official statement...

If you find grassroots riders celebrating their achievements cringe-worthy, I think you're in the wrong sport!

This sport is built on people who care deeply. People who give up weekends, holidays, sleep and most of their spare money for horses that may never go beyond amateur championships, but still mean the absolute world to them. And that is the bit some people seem to miss.

These riders are not pretending they’ve won Badminton, Burghley or Olympic gold. They know exactly what level they are competing at. But achievement is personal, and for an amateur rider who has fought hard to even get to that arena, that moment can mean everything and I, along with so many others, follow grassroots riders the same way I follow the top riders.

I want to see the photos. I want the videos. I want the overexcited updates, the crying into the pony’s neck, the ridiculous grin that lasts for a week. I want to know who finally got their clear round, who conquered their nerves, who made it to a championship they never thought they’d qualify for.

Those stories matter because they are the sport most people actually live.

Professional riders and elite horses deserve every ounce of recognition they get. The level of skill, resilience and pressure at the top end is enormous, and nothing about championing grassroots takes away from that.

But grassroots deserves its own spotlight too.

The amateur riders are often the ones doing this around full-time jobs, children, college, family responsibilities, night shifts, limited budgets and horses they have produced through trial and error. There may be no staff, no owners, no sponsors, no big operation behind them. Just determination, love for the horse, and a lot of making it work.

So when they reach a goal, why should they have to celebrate quietly?

Why should they dull down their joy to make somebody else feel more comfortable?

The truth is, I think some people have become far too used to sneering from the sidelines. Too quick to judge, too quick to mock, too quick to forget that horses are meant to make us feel something.

Because no matter the level, when a rider punches the air after a round, it is rarely just about that round. It is about everything that got them there.

And if that celebration looks dramatic from the outside, so be it. I would rather see a rider overflowing with pride than one made to feel foolish for caring.

Grassroots joy is not lesser joy. It is not a watered-down version of elite success. It is real, earned and often hard-won.

So yes, celebrate like you’ve won the Olympics. Cry. Fist pump. Hug your pony. Post the photos. Thank your coach. Ring your mum. Rewatch the video fifty times.

You are allowed to care that much.

And to the people who find that embarrassing? Have a chat with yourself and maybe ask why someone else’s happiness bothers you so much.

Stay Sound,
Sarah x