Lucy Elder

Lucy Elder connects elite equestrian sport with welfare, ethics and governance, using reporting to show how decisions in the horse world land on both horses and people. She is senior news writer at Horse & Hound, covering current affairs and sports news across equestrian disciplines and racing alongside welfare, industry and legal angles. Her work spans hard news, explanatory and research-led pieces, plus occasional opinion, and is grounded in interviews, formal reports and expert commentary from inside the sport.

Equestrian welfare, ethics and research

Equine welfare is a consistent thread in Elder’s journalism, often approached through formal studies and commissions rather than anecdote. She has reported on research into what owners know about horse welfare and what tools would help them improve it, framing findings in terms of practical implications for training and day-to-day management. In coverage of how riders interpret horse photos, she highlights that people tend to view images through a welfare lens first, drawing out the tension between aesthetics and wellbeing.

Elder returns to the future of equestrian sport in pieces on ethics and wellbeing, including reporting on an equine ethics and wellbeing commission’s work on defining “a good life for horses” and the conditions under which sport can retain public support.

Her welfare coverage is not limited to research papers or committee reports; she also writes about welfare-driven initiatives within sport. In opinion-led work around awards for retrained racehorses, she uses the theme of love for the horse as a starting point to argue for more deliberate use of that sentiment in shaping welfare outcomes, while still staying close to the facts of the programme and its impact.

Across these stories, Elder treats welfare as integral to performance and public trust, rather than a specialist side topic.

Governance, funding and regulation in horse sport

Elder regularly covers the rules, funding decisions and policy debates that shape equestrian sport and the wider horse world. Her reporting on vaccination requirements at horse shows in light of flu outbreaks focuses on organisers tightening checks and closing loopholes, capturing both the “hopeful rule-benders” and the practical enforcement measures taken to protect horses. She has written about the financial pressures created by wage and tax changes, describing a “perfect storm” facing the horse world and spelling out how these macroeconomic shifts feed through to yards, events and jobs.

Governance and shared responsibility are another recurring focus. Elder’s coverage of increased funding linked to recognition of shared responsibility for horses’ lives looks at how partnerships and new money are structured, and what they are intended to deliver for welfare and participation. In pieces on equestrian bodies’ general assemblies and strategic reports, she sets out how international and national institutions are trying to secure “a good life for horses” while preserving sport, detailing recommendations, timelines and areas of tension.

Legal stories, including court cases related to equestrian issues, sit alongside this policy work and reinforce her interest in how rules are interpreted and enforced in practice.

Championship reporting and multi-discipline coverage

Alongside policy and welfare, Elder is an experienced championship reporter working across dressage, eventing, showjumping and racing.

Since joining the Horse & Hound newsdesk in 2015 and taking on the senior news position in 2018, she has reported on the ground from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships. Her event coverage also spans major fixtures such as Badminton and Burghley, as well as London shows, where she combines results, course details and rider reaction with context about the broader season and sport.

Elder’s role extends beyond written pieces into broadcasting and presenting, particularly around championships.

She has been part of Horse & Hound’s Olympic and world championship reporting teams, including remote coverage that tracks performance, selection and stories behind the medals. Across these assignments she interviews top riders and key decision-makers, and her copy reflects familiarity with the nuances of different disciplines as well as the logistics and pressures of major events.

Recognition from within equestrian governing bodies for the quality and balance of her sports coverage underscores her standing on this beat.

Safety, health and emerging technology around horses

Elder gives sustained attention to safety and health, both for horses and the people around them.

Her work on vaccination rules and flu outbreaks shows how disease management intersects with competition schedules and show administration. In coverage of back pain in equestrians, she draws on a spinal surgeon’s expertise to set out what riders can do to mitigate risk, linking medical guidance to riding habits and training choices.

She also reports on emerging technology and its risks, including how to keep people and horses safe when using artificial intelligence tools in the horse world. That piece maps out potential pitfalls of AI use, from data handling to safety implications, while stressing practical guardrails that riders and businesses can adopt. Across safety, health and technology, Elder’s reporting combines expert voices with clear explanation, making complex or novel risks understandable to those working in and around equestrian sport.