From the the Marlborough Horse Trials Facebook page: “Getting our volunteers started young! Big th anks to these pony clubbers (and more) for helping with jump painting today! We ❤️our volunteers!”
It’s just about time for eventing season to start fresh — and that means there are opportunities aplenty for volunteering and helping your local event thrive. Since the launch of the USEA Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP) in 2015, volunteers have had the ability to keep track of their hours in order to be eligible for local and national awards. In 2019, over 45,000 volunteer hours from over 3,000 volunteers were recorded at events around the country. Can we grow that number even more in 2020?
With this in mind, I challenge all of you to step up and volunteer this year. It’s tough in our sport to find the time — we know eventers are a busy bunch. But consider helping with set-up in the days before an event, help with tear down in the mornings or evenings, or simply reach out to the event’s volunteer coordinator if you’re unsure how you can help. And don’t forget, you can always see available positions (and sign up for them) on EventingVolunteers.com, which is where you can track your time. Each week here on EN, we’ll round up the events in need of help for the coming weekend — but it’s never too early to plan ahead! Let’s get those volunteer spots filled this weekend — here are two events that could use a hand:
Event: Majestic Oaks Recognized Horse Trials
Date(s) volunteers needed: Today through Sunday, January 12
Address: 17500 N US Highway 441, Reddick, FL, 32686
Positions available: SJ Jump Crew, XC Jump Judge, Crossing Guard
Event: Carolina Horse Park Pipe Opener I
Date(s) volunteers needed: Friday, January 10 through Saturday, January 12
Address: 2814 Montrose Rd., Raeford, NC, 28376
Positions available: Event Prep – SJ, Dressage Steward
