BE world in shock

I was competing at Gatcombe once. Novice section, and it was so tightly stewarded that everyone for SJ and XC was in order and on time.

The SJ had a second warmup with a max of 3 horses in. You could not go up until it was 3 to go, by the time you got there one had gone in, so your final warm up was effortless.

The XC had the next few numbers on a huge board that were on hooks. As one went in their number was removed and the others hutched up. It was amazing!

Never thought I would hear of that ever again!!!
 
I used to pride myself on running the xc collecting ring so everyone knew exactly when they were going, barring accidents on the course.

But don't get me started on aggressive pros with multiple rides demanding they be fitted in when they chose!

Or the day I got caught by Pippa Funnel having a pee in a bucket under a counter because I didn't have cover to leave my post to get to the loos 😂

Volunteers at these events deserve every pat on the back the get, good thread Bob.

..
 
Goodness, that makes it so much better with horses that can be a pain to start. We had one that needed to walk to the start box and enter so that it had the minimum amount of time actually in the box, trouble was he didn't need much warm up either, a quick pop over a jump, into the box and go. It was almost never achieved despite me constantly checking on how the timings were going! Well done the ladies at Chilham!
 
oldie48 said:
Goodness, that makes it so much better with horses that can be a pain to start. We had one that needed to walk to the start box and enter so that it had the minimum amount of time actually in the box, trouble was he didn't need much warm up either, a quick pop over a jump, into the box and go. It was almost never achieved despite me constantly checking on how the timings were going! Well done the ladies at Chilham!
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I had one like this I tried to fit in quickly once, successfully as I recall. It went into the start box and promptly exited straight over the side rail. It was a great jump 😂.
 
oldie48 said:
Goodness, some jump but were you eliminated?
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Sorry, I meant I was the xc warm up marshal. I could only look on in awe as the rider popped the side rail really neatly on about the count of seven, came round and put the horse back in the box, and started bang on the 'go'.

At the time, the rules said you didn't have to stay in the box, you just had to be in it and cross the start line to exit it any time after the clock was started at 'go'.
 
My proudest stewarding moment was running multiple dressage rings of a Combined Training pretty much to the minute all day. This required German Efficiency, of course, but also the ability to politely bully the judges (helped by making sure runners were keeping them well fed and lubricated with coffee), and cool resistance to any frosty "Don't you know who I am?", which, thanks to my general level of obliviousness and inability to remember faces and names in combination, I could usually answer honestly with, "Nope, and it wouldn't matter if I did, your time is still at XX:XX!" And of course the willingness to be flexible, so as to juggle the chaos emanating from the SJ area. There was a lot of chaos over there, IIRC!
 
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