Spare
a Kind Word to a Volunteer Every
person who has anything to do with the sport of Eventing, whether competitor,
organizer, groom, spectator, or member of the press, should think about and realize,
either for the first time or once again, that no competition would ever take place
without volunteers. Volunteers
often check in competitors the day before an event, or organize trailer parking..
Volunteers act as scribes for Dressage Judges. Volunteers act as Fence Judges
on the Cross Country track. Volunteers man the Jump Crew on Show Jumping Days.
Volunteers often man the Food Concessions.  Volunteers
do many other chores, menial and otherwise, at every Event any of us ever attend.
(Bill Whitehead is pictured at the right on his way to an unintended bath.)
Let's
concentrate on the Cross Country Fence Judges. There they sit, hour after hour,
in all kinds of weather from 40 degrees and windy, to rain or even snow, to 90
plus degree heat and burning sun, simply to insure that competitors get the correct
scores at the end of their rides.
Some Fence Judges get complicated and busy assignments such as water complexes
with several elements. Others sit alone at some unheralded single fence off in
the woods with only red ants, mosquitos and other buzzing insects for companionship.
Fence Judges often have to double as Traffic Cops, making sure that the paths
to obstacles are unobstructed by loose dogs or baby carriages. Worst
of all, the only time anyone pays any attention to these long suffering folk is
when a competitor disagees with a call on a disobedience or a fall. Haven't you
heard these whining refrains, "That was NOT a refusal. He simply hesitated
and then jumped." or "He did NOT fall. He only went to his knees."
Having to defend one's decisions when one's feet are numb with cold or one's arms
are burning and scarlet with sun burn is about the only time a Fence Judge gets
any attention at all! Ted
and I had particular reason to be grateful to two exceedingly helpful Fence Judges
last weekend at Pine Top. The public address system could not be  heard
at the water jump where Ted spent the entire day and I spent about half the day.
Hence it was often either very difficult, or impossible, to identify competitors
while also photographing them. Just to complicate the task, horses infrequently
came in their listed order. (Who gave Bill Whitehead a leg up after his fall?
- Fence Judge Luann German, of course.) Luann
German and Carol McClellan were endlessly and patiently helpful in telling us
which competitor was coming next. They were receiving radio reports from earlier
fences as to the rider numbers which were approaching. A radio report would come
in, " Number 13 clear at fence four." Luann or Carol would report to
Ted, "Number 13 is next here." This was done while taking care of their
regular chores. Thank you ladies - your help was invaluable! Beyond
the usual fishing out of bell boots and errant pieces of greenery knocked off
a fence, Luann helped a rider by giving him a leg up after a fall. When the entire
competition was completed. Luann and Carol spotted an Event Watch floating in
the water near the "B" Intermediate fence. Carol took off her shoes
and socks and waded in to retreive the valuable watch and turned it in to the
Secretary's Office, hopefully to be reunited with its owner. The
next time any of us goes to a competition, please let us remember there would
be no competition if it were not for volunteers. Please give a volunteer a kind
word or a "Thank you". Often they do not get the appreciation they deserve. Cora
C. Cushny, Editor | 