Volunteer - It Pays!
When your horse (or you) are out of commission, that does not
mean you can't participate in horse events. Consider being a volunteer.
WHEN MY HORSE, Teddy, came down with EPM three years ago, realizing our show season was shot was the least of my worries. Still, I knew how frustrated I'd feel just to sit and watch the semiannual horse trials at my barn. So I volunteered.
I've been volunteering ever since -- because I've learned that scribing and jump-judging and scoring at an event are not things you do to help out. They're things you do to learn. In fact, I've learned such an enormous amount that I think event organizers should make people pay to scribe. But, given the woeful turnout of volunteers at some events, maybe that's not such a good idea. I'm going to tell you how to volunteer, what you need to know to do it, how to be good at it, and what you'll gain. Before that, though, let me tell you about my first time volunteering.
Lucy Eddins is a local legend in our Virginia area: a wise and kind judge who knows and sees everything. I was thrilled to be assigned as her dressage scribe, and I was looking forward to seeing several Olympic-level riders who'd be competing. But I was terrified that I wouldn't write fast enough and legibly enough on the dressage tests. (Think how disappointed you are when you can't read the individual comments) I got there a little early, and Lucy briefly reviewed the tests we would be seeing. I'd looked over the written descriptions so I would know where movements began and ended, but Lucy started her comments by saying, for example, "That's a 7 on Movement 3," so getting the right comment next to the right movement was pretty easy. In the beginning, I admit, a couple of comments were in the wrong places-but that's why I used a pencil, not a pen. And, as Lucy will tell you, I always bring my favorite little eraser with me! I also bring non-drippy fruit (like a banana) and other "finger food" (nuts, raisins, chocolate) because there's usually no time to run to the food stand.
Shows always provide chairs and a covered place for the judge and scribe to sit, so the setup's pretty comfortable. And I've found that being the writer is a lot less stressful than being the rider. There are portions of the tests (20-meter circles, and free walks across the ring) when the scribe may get a chance to look up, and seeing the world from a judge's viewpoint is fascinating. That first day, for example, I realized that in a halt at X, a judge sitting at C has difficulty seeing if one hind leg is a little forward.... but no trouble at all seeing haunches that have swung out.
Lesson learned: If the halt isn't going to be square, make sure it's at least straight. There are drawbacks to scribing ... like the time I heard Lucy gasp and give a horse a 9 for a free walk but couldn't look up to see the walk -- I was still writing comments for the previous movement. But I did find I was able to write fast enough; and while I may have missed seeing everything, it all worked out.
I also got to score at stadium -- that's where you sit with the judge, who tells you what to write down. Which was a good thing for me: I'm prone to forget that a rail down is 5 points and a refusal is 10; and, having been lucky enough so far never to have two refusals, I wasn't aware that the second refusal costs 20 points. I'm the kind of person who has to make a mistake to learn -- and a new enough competitor that I still have plenty to make.
There's more responsibility but less action as a cross-country jump judge. (Bring a chair -- it can be a long day -- and I recommend keeping your back to the sun so you're not squinting. You're out there on your own; and with no more penalty box marking the jump, it's up to you to decide whether the horse has been presented to the jump. The Technical Delegate gives a talk beforehand, explaining what constitutes a fault-free jump and what constitutes a refusal.
I've found jump-judging is a chance to do some psychological training. There's a type of jump that used to give me nightmares: the coffin jump. (l mean really- there can't be a positive reason for calling it a "coffin" jump!) I had this powerful mental image of my horse putting her foot down in one of these jumps and snapping her leg. So when the organizer for one event called and asked me to volunteer (volunteer once and you may find you're on some mysterious list that goes many places), I said I'd love to, and would it be possible for me to judge the coffin jump? I got to sit and watch as a hundred horses approached the coffin...and a hundred horses cleared it. I now have a mental image of a coffin jump being just what my instructor says it is: something the horse will simply take in stride when you approach it straight and honestly and in the center of your saddle.
There are plenty of other ways to volunteer at events and horse trials. Doing bit checks -- the TD will explain what's allowed and what's not allowed. Giving people the packets with their numbers -- a friend of mine loves to do this because she gets to meet everybody who's riding. Doing the number-crunching -- not my favorite job, because you're indoors and working on computers, and that's too much like my regular workday for me!
The lessons go on. At the most recent event where I scribed for Lucy, we were doing stadium. A woman who'd been first to go in her Novice division was standing near us with her horse, watching the next twenty horses go and talking to her friends. It was warm, and the horse was still saddled. Lucy fidgeted and finally called the TD over: That horse had had a long day; could anything be done to get the woman to put her poor animal up? Lucy's concern was a reminder to me to never forget to take care of my horse first. It won't mean a better score at my next event, but it will mean a happier horse.
Want to volunteer at an event?
How to do it is easy. Call the show secretary or organizer at least a few weeks before the event. (You'll be making someone very happy!)
What you need to know: Not much. If you're scribing you're writing down what the judge says. If you're jump-judging, you'll get an explanation beforehand. There are plenty of rules, but the TD or organizer will make sure you know the relevant ones.
How to be good at it:
1. Don't get to the show on time. Get there EARLY. You'll add years to the show
organizer's life.
2. Scribing , don't try to
chat with the judge while a horse is in the ring.
3. Write neatly.
4. If you're a jump judge, and you're not sure if something constitutes a
refusal, write down what happened and contact the TD.
5. Dress for the weather -- you may be out in the elements.
6. Smile at the competitors, especially us novice riders. I've forgotten
courses, I've forgotten to slip my reins when going over a bank -- but I've not
forgotten the cross-country starters who, just before the ten-second countdown,
remind me to have fun and have a good ride.
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