As I drove through the gates of Sleighduff on Sunday and my car rolled up the drive, it was actually a bit surreal. It was actually happening. Months of planning, late-night meetings, videos, and messages were all coming together. It was real.

It’s hard to explain what it was like being there for the final selection day. Meeting the riders and some of The Grassroots Gazette and Equitas writers, co-founders and management (and of course the horses) for the first time in real life. They weren’t just an Instagram handle or a screen on a Zoom call. They were actual people, all working together to reach the same goal. Do something that has never been done before in Ireland. (or “let’s go f**k s**t up” as Shane put it so well).

Firstly Sleighduff wasn’t like it was in the pictures. It was even better. I hadn’t been down to see it before Sunday and I was blown away. The stables, the arenas, everything was amazing. I’ll be honest. I’d live in those stables they are huge! The Painters have done an amazing job with the place and they aren’t even halfway there with their plans. I couldn’t picture a better venue for The Grassroots Rider Academy.

I was a bit jealous of the riders, watching them doing the lesson with Gerald Bloomer, his coaching was amazing. So calm, all of his advice was so constructive and you could see his experience and knowledge even if you weren’t on horseback. His feedback was individual to each pairing, nothing was generic. He even stood in the way of a horse to make it take an extra stride on a dog’s leg line! He really is a master of what he does.

The riders were all lovely and dove in headfirst into the media side of everything. They were interviewed in every which way possible, we even threw a few curveballs at them to really test them and push them as far out of their comfort zone as possible. They were all so supportive of each other too which is great to see and something that is much needed in the industry.

I think there needs to be a special shout-out to Sara, who unfortunately had to withdraw from selection because her horse was lame. She came down for the day and helped out the media team to create content of the riders in action. Something that must’ve been incredibly hard for her. I hope she still took something from being there.

Now for the big one. The team. Where do you begin? Shane may be the mastermind, Gary and Kate might be the faces but there is a group of men and women from the Grassroots Gazette and Equitas who keep this well-oiled machine moving. This would not be possible without them. From paperwork, to content creation, to stressing out the hosts to make sure they get their intros right (like seriously how do we manage to forget our names!) They came from all over the country to make this happen. This is how important it is to them and without them, this series wouldn’t be what it is.

I think none of us really released how big this is gonna be until Sunday, well maybe Shane did, but walking around Sleighduff you could feel it. The energy, the excitement, the anticipation. There was such a buzz in the air. On paper, it was going to be such a long day, but in reality, it was 5 o’clock before I knew it. I was exhausted. I think everyone was but everyone knew it was worth it.

As I left Sleighduff that evening to make the relatively short journey home in comparison to some of the others, I had a feeling of immense pride. The Grassroots Rider Academy truely is the first of its kind. It will elevate Equestrianism in Ireland. The Grassroots Gazette and Equitas are breaking new ground and I get to be a part of it. Not many people can say that.

And the best part of it all is… This is only the beginning.