When ‘Welfare’ Becomes Weaponised: Standing Up for Lucy and the Future of Our Sport

Over the past few days, a post meant to celebrate an incredible young rider’s success has become the centre of a social media storm. Lucy Lennon, 18 years old, had just qualified for several high-level classes, including the RIHS Small Amateur Hunter and Intermediate Show Hunter. A huge achievement. A moment of pride. And yet, the comment section quickly spiralled into something else entirely.

And to be very very clear — this piece is written for Lucy, not about her.

Because at the centre of this noise is a young woman who has worked hard, achieved success, and now finds herself publicly dissected and dehumanised online. Her weight has been debated as though she isn’t a person with feelings, a family, teammates, a trainer, and, most importantly, a deep bond with the horse she rides.

What started as a celebration of her qualification quickly became a public display of casual cruelty—under the guise of horse welfare. But this isn’t horse welfare. This is something else entirely.

Lucy Lennon: A Skilled, Composed and Successful Young Rider

Lucy is not new to the ring. She is not new to success. She came second at the RDS last year and has repeatedly proven herself to be a capable, balanced, and effective rider. The horse she rides looks well, healthy, and content—something that would not be the case if actual welfare concerns existed.

And this is important: not one of the judges, stewards, or officials raised any red flags. Why? Because they assess the full picture—horsemanship, performance, presentation. These professionals are trained to consider the impact of the rider-horse combination in the ring. If there were a welfare issue, it is their responsibility to address it and it would have been done so through the appropriate channels, in a professional manner—not in a Facebook thread by strangers with no context.

Lucy’s achievement should have been met with applause, not abuse.

It was bullying.

When Concern Crosses a Line

Yes, horse welfare matters. Deeply. And meaningful conversations about the physical demands we place on horses are necessary within our industry. But what happened on that post was not meaningful. It was not respectful. It was not constructive.

It was bullying.

Some used "concern for the horse" as a shield to justify making deeply personal remarks about Lucy’s body. That’s not advocacy. That’s discrimination. There’s a difference between voicing an opinion and tearing someone down. And what makes it worse is that Lucy is 18—barely an adult—already living the pressures of competition, now faced with being scrutinised by strangers across the internet.

This sort of commentary doesn’t protect horses—it harms people.

Where Is the Accountability?

With platforms comes responsibility. The page that posted Lucy’s photo and results failed to protect her. When the tone of the comments became cruel, humiliating, and abusive, the admins should have stepped in.

They didn’t.

When you run a page that showcases individuals—particularly young women—you cannot be passive when harm is being done in your own comment section.

At the very least, moderation should happen. And in situations like this, the comments should have been turned off altogether.

Allowing bullying to unfold publicly on your platform, while you remain silent, is complicity. Engagement should never be prioritised over a young person’s mental health.

*Update: this post was eventually removed after being live for 36 hours and having accumulated 800+ comments.

What Kind of Sport Do We Want to Be Part Of?

Amongst the noise, there were also voices of reason, empathy and support. Fellow riders, trainers and strangers stood up for Lucy, celebrated her ability, and condemned the cruelty. They reminded everyone what really matters: a healthy partnership, a well-presented horse, and a rider who has clearly earned her place in the ring.

This is the version of our sport that we need more of.

One where young people aren’t shamed into silence or made to feel like they don’t belong based on how they look. One where achievements are celebrated. One where actual welfare issues are addressed through the right channels—not keyboard crusades masked as morality.

We need to ask ourselves: if young riders like Lucy feel too ashamed or unsafe to continue, who will be left in our sport?

Lucy, if you’re reading this—I hope you know that this is not on you. The problem lies with those who chose cruelty over compassion. Your success stands on its own. You should be proud of what you’ve achieved, and nothing anyone says should take that away from you.

To those who stood up for her—thank you.

To those who run platforms—do better.

And to the wider community—this is your reminder: the way we treat each other is part of horse welfare too.

Stay Sound (I don't think I have ever meant this more...seriously, don't be a d*ck),
Sarah x