Longtime readers will already be super familiar with my penchant for volunteering at horse trials around Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. And also my somewhat cynical view that the current model of volunteer reliance in our sport is unsustainable without further investment and support from the USEA.
they ordered perfect weather for this show!
I’m worried about the coming year too — given everything else that’s going on in the world. It’s already an expensive and demanding sport. Finding the spare time (and gas money) for a day of jump judging may feel increasingly unrealistic for many folks who might otherwise be inclined.
this unique venue’s xc course basically cascades down a giant hillside, complete with ruins natch
It’s possible my pessimism is a direct result of this weekend’s experience, too: one of Area II’s most iconic venues (and home to an absolutely fantastic Fall 4* International), Plantation Field, was so hard up for volunteers this weekend that they risked not being able to run at all — with organizers forced to make personal phone calls right up to the day before the event soliciting prospective volunteers for even half a day’s time.
Chris Talley’s MBF Firebrand looks like how doozy imagines herself
These events can not run without volunteers. There are not enough paid stewards and members of the ground jury to facilitate horses through the phases (especially in a timely manner when individual riders may be competing multiple horses), and safely oversee the cross country event.
Sure, a single jump judge can often manage multiple fences (especially at a venue like Plantation, with its expansive hillside profile)… But combinations with accuracy questions or narrow faces, like corners and wedges etc, often need the judge positioned strategically to observe the horse passing clearly through the flags, and be close enough to put those flags back in place when they are inevitably knocked down throughout the day.
intermediate trakehner rode great all day, as shown here by Caitlin Reamy & El Patrone
Other fences, like frangible and MIM style jumps, similarly need the jump judge to be close enough to actually inspect the device any time the jump may have had a hard knock.
Obviously, tho, the absolute most fundamental job of the jump judge is to be the warm body with eyes on the rider and radio in hand in the event of an accident. It is unimaginable that something catastrophic could happen at a recognized event and go undetected for lack of sufficient jump judge coverage.
and local legend Sally Cousins with Truly Wiley
Whether or not you feel like the USEA should do more in facilitating and incentivizing the volunteer pipeline (as I do) rather than relying on each individual organizer and venue to cultivate their own volunteer pools… Anybody who participates in the sport and appreciates the relatively low costs for membership and entry fees (compared to say, typical rated h/j stuff) might worry about venue owners shifting away from eventing if running horse trials feels increasingly complicated, risky and expensive.
and Canadian team rider, Lisa Marie Fergusson on Raytheoin Quality Imp! (all you Welsh Cob lovers out there should look up her longtime partner Honor Me!)
And, of course, there are more specifics related to this particular case, too. You might remember a giant controversy a few years ago when, in the wake of the George Floyd murder and the Black Lives Matter movement’s ascendency in national consciousness, Eventing Nation took a moral stand against Plantation Field bc of connotations with the name.
My understanding is that things got heated and personal behind the scenes, and of course social media was aflame with strong feelings.
next up — a MIM table on the prelim course! these frangible devices require a jump judge to be positioned close enough to do regular checks throughout the division in case of hard knocks
Not gonna lie, tho, guys — it always felt a bit like misplaced anger to me. Especially when you consider the same publication, Eventing Nation, has since done significant sponsorship work with Morven Park — another incredible iconic local venue down in, uh, Leesburg, that… actually does include owning and housing slaves as part of its history as a plantation.
Not trying to cast aspersions on Morven Park here, either, guys. It’s a lovely place that I’d go to way more often if it weren’t on the other side of DC from me.
Lee Maher’s HTF Charming Cooley wasn’t touching it tho!
But rather, my point is that this publication — with whatever influence it has — took a very public stand against a venue whose historic use of the word “plantation” relates to tree farming, and continues refusing to this very day to name or cover the event itself. Instead it’s listed as the “Unionville Event” (for the venue’s location) and otherwise basically ignored.
another local (adopted) legend, Australian rider Ryan Wood with Cooley Maestro
Which… Fine. Every publisher is allowed their own standards. From the most modest bloggers (like me!) to national legacy print media, we all get to choose what we cover, how, and why.
i could only stay thru modified, so my last assignment was this crazy roller coaster, ridden here by Tiffany Wandy & CV Outlaw
But I was recently rereading Originals by Adam Grant, and he introduces a topic of “horizontal hostility” that really reminded me of this exact scenario. His case study was on Lucy Stone and her role in the women’s suffrage movement — and the rivalry that broke out between her and other suffragists at the time. A rivalry that risked fracturing the entire movement.
According to Grant, “horizontal hostility” arises in group dynamics, and is reflective of the small differences that drive apart otherwise aligned groups. A typical dynamic includes the differences between purists and more moderates. Issues with the “true believers” and folks who might be more peripheral. Another example he shared was the frequent friction between vegans and vegetarians, with vegans often spurning vegetarians as not being “true” supporters of the cause.
Elle Stephenson & Treasury Stock made it look easy too
That passage immediately reminded me of countless other instances where I could think of people who might otherwise appreciate the same things, like the same sport, share the same values, instead find themselves at odds bc of disagreements on the details.
There seem to be countless ‘tribes’ among equestrianism, too, right? Shod vs barefoot, bits vs bitless, stalls vs turnout… and that’s before you even get to the particulars of any given sport.
it was Conrad Alexander and Just My Style, tho, who won the class
And I guess I’m not really necessarily trying to get into all that, or pick the scab on a sensitive and nuanced issue in our society — at a time when ‘nuance’ and ‘sensitivity’ themselves seem to have been completely discarded by the powers that be.
Except to say that… Listening to the book’s segment on “horizontal hostility” got me thinking about all the times in my life where conflict, friction or controversy has arisen between friends, groups or similar associations in ultimately devastating and counter productive ways. Whether for me personally, or for issues I care about.
I honestly don’t even really know if there’s any relationship at all between that and Plantation’s severe volunteer shortage this weekend, either. It’s probably a fluke. Or one of those random convergences of many small issues (for example, changes in key operational roles within the venue in the last year leading to gaps in coverage, etc).
Or ya know. Maybe it’s just Mother’s Day weekend and people are busy. Who knows, right?
all in a day’s work!
It got me thinking, tho. And so here I am writing about those thoughts.
So. Eh. If nothing else, there are pretty pictures and some cool video clips of amazing horses and riders doing their thang. Or this could be the reminder you needed to remember to sign up for a volunteer shift at your favorite venue sometime soon.
Or, maybe, it’s a reminder to myself — for any of us, really — in this weird strange and ominous era, to be more thoughtful in looking beyond purity tests among those who would otherwise be friendly and/or aligned with our vision for the world we want to be a part of. To focus on the values we share, the areas that bring us together, and our common goals.
US Eventing launched the Volunteer Incentive Program in 2017 to make volunteering at events easier for both volunteers and organizers -- in addition to recognizing the contributions of time and energy that make our sport possible.
how it started @ Shawan Downs back in 2015, pre-dating the volunteer portal and medal recognition program
The VIP Medal program was developed from this framework and recognizes volunteers for their cumulative lifetime hours (since 2017).
that's a lot of time spent at horse shows
This weekend at the Maryland 5*, I finally hit that first threshold for recognition in the Medal Program -- reaching 500hrs of volunteering at recognized events for the Bronze Medal award. Woot woot!
show jump steward @ Loch Moy
In the grand scheme of things, it's maybe an arbitrary and sorta silly "accomplishment," except that I really really enjoy the time I spend at horse shows.
xc jump judging @ Loch Moy
Especially during the last few years with Charlie being lame more often than sound, and with feeling a little fragile about competing... Volunteering really helped fill that void in my horsey experience.
so many great local venues!
There's just something special about that horse show atmosphere, ya know?
FEI dressage steward @ Fair Hill
I was completely new to eventing when volunteering for the first time in 2014 -- just months before my own first ever entry in a three phase starter trial (almost exactly 10 years ago, wow).
event prep @ MCTA Shawan
But since then, the Volunteer Portal has helped me explore all sorts of new venues and the various volunteer roles that are critical to the organization and administration of our sport.
stewarding is my favorite!
It's no secret that volunteers are the backbone of eventing, but it's been eye opening to see just how many warm bodies are needed in all phases of show execution.
Like preparing for the event -- painting fences, decorating the course, setting flags.... However long you think it takes to flag tracks for the event, double it. And the roping.... so much roping!
vet box @ Loch Moy's FEI
And then on show day -- every single xc jump needs to be observable by a set of eyeballs attached to a radio. And not just for fairness in scoring penalties -- but by the basic necessities of safety in the event of an accident.
There are also the documentary tasks like scribing and scoring -- easily overlooked but, again, critical to smooth operations. And key traffic control jobs like in/out gate coverage, jump crew, and crossing guards.
event prep @ Fair Hill
My personal favorite positions, however, involve interacting directly with the riders. Warm up rings always have such cool electric vibes -- riders who are excited, nervous, tense, all the feelings!
I love all that atmosphere -- esp when *I'm* not the rider. Like, just normalizing all that excitement and energy has helped me come to grips with some of my own psychological responses to the stimuli of competition.
i've prioritized recognized events in recent years, but can never entirely neglect the starters!
In the post-covid years, I averaged about 100 qualifying hours annually, and was usually in the Top 25 Area II volunteers, and Top 100 nationally. There's no special recognition for any of that, obvi, but I liked it anyway.
event cleanup @ Great Meadow (for the Tokyo Olympic Team's mandatory practice!)
This year, tho, well... Things are a bit different now with Doozy in the picture! I obvi want to prioritize my weekends for riding and showing myself -- what a concept lol!
dressage scribe @ Loch Moy
So I made a plan early in the year to figure out just how many days / commitments it would likely take to hit that 500hr mark, and substituted advance sign-ups for my favorite jobs with more last-minute sign-ups for whatever was still needed -- often xc jump judging.
i like to mix it up between normal national classes and the big internationals
And in this way, just in time to close out the year, I hit the mark. Whew!
I'm sure I'll continue to volunteer in the coming years -- maybe even somewhat close to monthly during the competition season. I love my favorite venues and am more than happy to contribute my time in exchange for schooling passes or entry credits too! But there are definitely no plans for trying to aim for the Silver Medal threshold (1,000hrs, yeesh!).
YEH scribe @ Loch Moy
It's been a fun, rewarding, educational and fulfilling 500hrs for sure. But it's also pretty exciting to get back to keeping the main thing, the main thing.
So here's to putting that time back into the saddle in the years to come!!
You may have heard that the Maryland 5*, one of only two such rated competitions in North America (and the penultimate international 5* of the year) was this weekend at Fair Hill!
early morning view from the YEH volunteer's tent
Obvi being locals, my friends and I always like to make a big to do of the event. My typical habit is to spend the leading Thursday and Friday volunteering as jump crew for the associated event, the Young Event Horse Championships.
Anna Jones making easy work of the **triple bar** set as Jump 1 for the 4 and 5 year olds
The event holds classes for qualified 4 and 5 year old horses, with conformation, dressage, and jumping phases. The horses are judged on their potential as future upper level superstars and most entries are piloted by professional riders (tho not all!).
omgosh look at this Doozy Doppleganger in the 5yo class <3 <3 her name is Nausicaa, owned and ridden by Daphne Soares (jc Look Up to Heaven)
The jumping phase is my favorite -- it's set up a bit like a derby, starting with a mini show jumping course, then transitioning to a short xc course with limited technicality. The 4yos compete over novice (0.9m) sized fences and the 5yos over training (1.0m) level.
Each entry gets 3 minutes of ring familiarization (including being allowed to walk up to all the fences and through the water etc) and then complete the course -- with each individual jumping effort receiving a score, plus overall scores on rideability, gallop, way of going, and potential.
pictured: #goals for Doozy LOL
For my purposes, I just like watching the class! It's really cool seeing the Big Name Riders out there with their greenies and then watching those same horses develop over the coming years. One of the most impressive this go-round was Blacklist, ridden by Allie Knowles. They didn't win, but he's one to watch out for in the future!
onto the main event --- XC day tailgating tent, all set up and ready for the party to arrive!
Anyway, the other benefit of volunteering in the lead up days is that I get a free general admission pass for the rest of the weekend, including the feature event -- Cross Country Day! This is the third year my friends and I have hosted a tailgate and it's just so much fun.
We've got our system down, we like our location (Timber field for the curious), and it's a great opportunity to meet up with all our horsey friends that we don't regularly see otherwise!
friends from Charlie's barn joined the party too <3
This year was particularly special bc obvi a lot of my horse friend group scattered into the four winds this past summer, with the mass exodus transitions from the last boarding barn. Obvi we all try to keep in touch and talk regularly, but this was a really fun reunion party! PLUS -- changes in everyone's boarding situations meant there are a lot of NEW faces in the friends group!!
legit the only video i took from XC day, this is the 5* course
Having the tailgate location is particularly useful at a venue like the Maryland 5* too, bc it's VERY spread out. Like the distance from the main arena to Sawmill Field is very very far. It's nice to have a meetup space replete with food and water for the weary!
We typically hang out and mingle during the 3* competition, with folks wandering around to nearby jump complexes and the shopping zone... But once the 5* starts, we're on the move! There weren't many entries in the 5* this year, and even fewer finishers... But we saw a lot of great action -- including Tamie Smith and Mai Baum making tidy work of the tricky angled tables in Hay Field before opting to call it a day after climbing the big hill into Sawmill.
Finally, tho, after all the xc is finished, we usually gravitate back to the tailgate for a little rest / snacking / drinking before packing it up for the day. Bc there's still more to do! Final day of the weekend is yet another whole new flavor -- show jumping day!!
The nice thing about the last day of the event is that all the action is much more centralized, for anybody who may have been a bit weary (or blistered and/or sunburnt) from a lot of walking on Saturday.
Show jumping obviously happens in the main arena, surrounded by grandstands (pro tip: definitely splurge for the covered ringside stands bc you never know what the weather will be!). And all the shopping encircles the whole area. We like to arrive early to shop, then catch the 3* show jumping in full, then shop* some more, and then obvi watch the 5* jump.
(*I was super boring this year for shopping, tho, and only just got a pair of Kerrits paddock boots to replace my falling-apart Blundstones).
Again, being local means a lot of the riders are familiar to us -- like Sally in the 3*!! -- so it's really fun cheering everybody on. Plus, lots of cheering for the top placed American in the 5* -- another local, Buck Davidson!!
Obvi it would have been even cooler to see the title go to an American, but overall it was an awesome event from start to finish! Every year gets better and better as the organizers fine tune and tweak the set up and arrangements, esp including logistics like shuttles and parking etc. It's still a relatively "new" event (it's organized by a different group from Fair Hill's former Fall International 4* and 3* events), so still working out some kinks, but overall a really fun time.
We'll definitely be back at it again next year ;) Have you been? Or are you planning to go?
"how could you do this to me, tho??" -- charlie, definitely trying to hide how much he loves getting fussed over haha
still a handsome horse, tho, chuck!!
"i'll see myself out :( "
probably commiserating on the difficult life they lead LOL
unrelated. enjoy some gifs from volunteering at fair hill last weekend! here's a shot of the USEA Volunteer Program's first gold medal winner -- 2,000 recorded hours wow. (my thoughts on this program remain unchanged, for those curious)
Sally Cousins & Wizard sailing through the Intermediate coffin complex
Laine Ashker & Call Him Paddy make easy work of the Prelim coffin
why go all the way to Paris when the Olympians are right in your back yard??? here's Boyd Martin & Joey Fiddlesticks on the Modified track
Caroline Pamukcu & HSH Sebastion wrapped up our day in the Training division
I'm doing a lot less volunteering this year now that I actually have a riding horse, omg haha. Ya know. The whole "Keep the Main Thing, the Main Thing" deal. But it's still fun to get out to my favorite venues once a month!
Might actually be jussst enough to button up my bronze ranking (500 hours at recognized events) in the Volunteer Medal Program!! Gotta get that pin and certificate, yo.... lol....
Happy Monday, y'all! It's been... whew, a long weekend. After what was a long week, not gonna lie. I spent most of last week in a hotel conference room in the Twin Cities for my company's bi-annual staff retreat.
It was time very well spent -- I've worked remotely since 2016ish so it's always really great to see my colleagues in person! But it was also a densely packed few days of meetings and social gatherings. Was happy to get home again!
she missed me <3 <3 <3 (obvi so did charles, who was mucho pitiful after not getting his daily grooms!)
My animals seem to do well enough in my absence... The cats suffer most since they're used to having me home for work, but the horses did just fine. Charlie was crusty and sad from lack of diligent grooming, but otherwise managed to keep all his bits attached with just a touch of his perennial demon, mud fever / scratches on his white sock.
farm strollies on le fresh TB!!
Doozy, meanwhile, seems to have had a wonderful week off! I was happy to give her the time physically, esp after so many intense days at horse shows and dealing with saddle fit issues. Felt like a good time for a little rest.
wisteria along the driveway!!
She impressed me, tho, with being able to basically more or less get back under saddle again after a full week off! We started with just a very basic hack about the farm -- no pressure, no rings, and no company. Just me and my Fresh AF red mare, out for a stroll! Not for very long, and not without a few skitters and pops lol.... But just fine.
mmmmmm luscious bridle paths
Second ride was a more purposeful flat ride -- still solo but this time in the dressage ring, and in the rain, natch. Doozy was very very good. It had just started raining relatively lightly so the footing was damp on top and dry underneath, meaning it was really easy to see our footprints. Which was perfect for practicing the spirals we worked on in the Sprieser clinic!
Doozy actually really settled into the work at the walk, despite feeling a bit sharp and wild. Like, it was honestly amazing, probably the most relaxed on the aids I've ever ridden this horse on my own. But, eh, the rain kept coming and Doozy's quarter kinda ran out. We managed some ok enough trot and canter, but she felt maybe a little trapped and like she needed a bit more freedom but was guaranteed to use all that power quite irresponsibly. So I got a few good praise-able moments of trot and canter and called it a day.
best frens!! who would never ever kick each other trying to win the race in for dinner...
Realistically, being able to have a solo w-t-c ride in the dressage ring with some shining moments wasn't exactly realistic two months ago. Even more realistically, we never even really rode in the dressage ring before February / March. Let alone solo + cantering. So I'll take it as a win and be satisfied with it!
ahem. ok. yea. rosette definitely kicked her on the way down for dinner, womp...
Obvi I planned to just keep on incrementally layering on the schooling rides throughout the weekend, but Doozy had other plans. This is at least the 3rd time she's been kicked by her bestie on the way in for dinner. And like.... c'mon, at what point will she learn to like.... maybe don't run up Rosette's butt??
The girls like to come galloping over the hill down to the gate (see this post's first pic for a visual), and the whole silly episode was witnessed by my friends who were at the gate calling them in.
the kick produced an almost immediate geyser of blood
This was useful given the wound was a real bleeder. Ugh. Phone calls were had. After hours vet consulted. Pros and cons weighed carefully... And ultimately the counsel was that, since the horse was completely sound, let her stay in the pressure wrap the evening shift folks had managed to get on, and forgo the emergency visit.
The after hours vet (who has treated both my horses over the years and is extremely practical and thoughtful) felt like conservative management would be sufficient and stitches not likely necessary. My own vet followed up later in the evening saying she assumed we'd already moved forward with a treatment plan but she agreed it was likely just a skin bleeder and not serious.
and poor doozy coped with her first day of stall rest since i've had her. well. "cope" is a strong word. here she is almost murdering us both in one fell swoop while working off some energy before i could change her wrap
All the same, we opted to keep Doozy stalled the next day to get a full 24hrs in the pressure wrap. I was volunteering at Waredaca's recognized HT, so headed over afterward and immediately flew my wild red kite out to a paddock to let off some steam before she could be reasonably handled. Poor pony, this was her first stall rest episode with me, believe it or not!
"I AM THE CHAOS" -- doozy, licensed to kill us both, and probably the fence too
The folks who did the original wrap did a very nice job, tho. The wound had clearly continued to bleed through the inner layers of bandage material for some time... but it was completely dry 24hrs later, Even after all the shenanigans in the paddock. No swelling, no bleeding, and honestly not at all a significant wound. Funny how that works out some times!
'twas a close call, but we think she'll survive!
She'll get a course of SMZs to be safe, got some bute, and had the leg wrapped a second night but then returned to turn out today. Bc let's be real, keeping her confined is nobody's idea of a good time!
coping thru tack shopping!
So ya know. It's looking like the wound was more bark than bite... So hopefully I'll be able to keep riding again in short order. But in the meantime, obvi, I did what normal people do and bought more tack LOL....
what do you think? love it? hate it? too much bridle, or just right?
I didn't photograph probably the most important selling point -- the crown piece design. Doozy has like, a gigantic poll lol. Sometimes I kinda feel like her poll and ears are a bit squeezed in the bridle she normally wears. I'll get a pic of the design of this bridle, but it's a lot roomier and more anatomic. Also like the built in flash.
feels very modern haha, now to just ride in it! c'mon dooz, we got stuff to do!
It's a lot, tho, honestly. Haven't decided entirely what I think -- we'll have to ride in it to really see. We're also trying a new bit on this bridle, since the hackamore proved to be a total fail (womp lol). All in the name of experimentation, I suppose!
Anyway, hope you all had a nice weekend, or least eventful in better ways! Lemme know what you think of the bridle in the comments tho haha, for better or worse!
