A plea form a fence judge!

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Thistle

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Yesterday I fence judged at a PC Area event.
My friend Nicky and I gave up our day so the kids could compete. All day people walked past us, close by mostly, for the most part accompanied by team manager and/or parents. NOT ONE PERSON SPOKE TO US, THANKED US OR EVEN SMILED AT US!!!!!!! It was like we were invisible, some even patted the dogs whilst ignoring us. The only people who acknowledged us were from our team.

How are these children ever going to learn manners if the adults (particularly the team managers) don't bother to thank or even smile at the fence judges who are giving up their time so the kids can compete?

Please anyone reading this remember that FJ's are people too and a smile or thank you or good morning, goes a long way!
 
That's a shame Thistle :( I think at comps that are sometimes bigger and more pressured than the children are used to, the nerves take over and they forget.
In RC's it is part of the Team Managers brief to remind the team to thank organisers and volunteers, I'm surprised it's not in PC.
 
I dressage stewarded recently at an event and almost everyone had a smile and a thank you, a few had time for a quick chat, the pro riders who were riding more than one horse made a point of taking time to do so , it made the day go more quickly and you feel it was worthwhile.

When course walking we often stop to speak to the fence judges, without them there would be no competitions, as you say a smile of acknowledgement goes a long way and costs nothing. Maybe you could send a comment to the organisers pointing this out they could remind people in future that the competition is run by volunteers and without them giving up their time there would be no event.
 
We pointed it out to the Chief Steward yesterday.

I do quite a bit of stewarding and FJ with BE and generally find most are polite and friendly, as you say particularly the pros.
 
Oh how unfortunate Thistle :( It is very rude (from the adults) not to even acknowledge you, fair play to the kids though if they're nervous.

I always make the effort to smile/thank people at any SJ competitions I go to, particularly the person in charge of the warm up/poo picking/shouting numbers/generally organising everyone !
 
Were you on the ditch palisade thing? We tried to do a reverse loop after Al had finished and thank the fence judges and Tina (because when she was walking she was busy turning very green!) but lots of you were up to your eyeballs in loose ponies and crying children. We did lots of smiling though.

Sorry that no one properly thanked you. Very rude, and something we'll have to remember for next time as normally Al does try and at least smile and wave.

And enormous THANK YOU now from us. It must have been an amazingly stressful day from the scoreboard- not a single fence was problem free!
 
That is very sad to read.

We should all be aware and very grateful for the valuable contribution of our volunteers, without whom our sport could not exist, so from me a big thank you to all.
 
yes, the fence in the tree line. We had 2 cute terriers with us (not mine)

My colleagues tell me it got even worse in the Novice (90cm) after I had left. With one mother arguing with the fence judge about number of refusals!

It was a tricky fence to judge as there were 3 routes to keep clear, fence direct, L fence direct and fence to L fence after refusal.

I had one parent argue and shout at me when I asked her to step back as she was walking straight across the route to the L fence as a pony was approaching. OK she prob didn't know the L fence was there hidden in the trees, but I am the fence judge, I know it's there and I need to keep it clear. Point was proved as rider went straight to the L nearly taking the mothers toes off!

No apology, just loud muttering about rude bossy FJ. Next time I'll let her be run down by 1/2 ton of galloping horse!
 
Thistle said:
I had one parent argue and shout at me when I asked her to step back as she was walking straight across the route to the L fence as a pony was approaching. OK she prob didn't know the L fence was there hidden in the trees, but I am the fence judge, I know it's there and I need to keep it clear. Point was proved as rider went straight to the L nearly taking the mothers toes off!

No apology, just loud muttering about rude bossy FJ. Next time I'll let her be run down by 1/2 ton of galloping horse!
Click to expand...

I had that kind of attitude when stewarding at a PC Tetrathlon a few years ago, the parent was so rude I went to find her afterwards and asked (in full view of everybody) whether she had ever actually volunteered at an event, and did she know what was involved. She was speechless and suitably embarrassed! ( I might add in addition to stewarding the run, I was also in charge of 2 10 year old girls who were competing!)
 
PC mummies are a law unto themselves, I find them embarrassing to watch. Somehow, buying a million pound pony for their child means they are above everyone. PC areas is the worst for it too.

At mum's ODE, she ended up saying that anyone who approached a fence judge, or any other volunteer, without her present would not have their appeal considered to try and stop pushy parents harassing them. It worked but it says a lot she had to do that.
 
While I am in no way defending the behaviour of these people I can see how fence judges get ignored. At our local unaff ODE's I have come across a couple of rather rude FJ's and these few individuals do not set a good example. Having said this I know many of the fence judges and the main person who was rude that I am thinking of has not been asked to return.

This being said I do think he PC's have a duty to inform the kids of the importance of the fence judges and the fact that without them they simply do not get to compete. No volunteers.......no competition!

I do try and give at least a smile on my way past the fence judges. At dauntsey I went round after the comp to speak to the judges and see how the fences had been riding, I wasn't brave enough to ask that question before I competed :D the one thing I found incredible helpful was the simple encouragement of ''well ridden'' that the FJ at fence 13 shouted at me as I completed the combination, it was very welcome to hear and I made a point of going back to that judge after to thank him for it. He seemed a little surprised I went back to say thank you but he obviously didn't realise how nice it was of him to comment.
So THANK YOU to all fence judges, stewards and all other volunteers, without you we can't compete :D
 
That's not good, I was at an event today and while I didn't speak to fence judges as they weren't there while I walked the course and I had my hands full later... I did always thank all the stewards and secretary. To me its part of what makes eventing such a nice place to be, good manners, people helping out and wishing people good luck.
 
I fence judge at lt downham quite a lot and tbh it doesnt really bother me when competitors dont speak to me, i try and say hi when im walking a course but sometimes im concentrating on trying to remember where im going. Luckily ive never had anyone being horrid to me though, i wouldnt know what to do!!
 
I did a carriage driving Trial today and thanked every steward at every obstacle It's only good manners and when I go to a Flyball Tournament I always thank the organisers .
I fence judge at BE quite often so I know where Thistle is coming from.
 
Becky, I FJ and steward there for BE too and at a normal event it is totally different. What made it worse this time was the fact that most of the kids course walk with a team trainer or manager. These people really should be aware that the event depends on volunteers and should be polite to them, a quck nod in the direction of the FJ and a smile wouldn't affect concentration or take time.
 
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