Ignorant fun riders

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toppy72

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Hi all hope you have had a good weekend. I am just off to do evening stables but before I do felt that i had to vent my frustration and disappointment.

Between us my husband and I have spent most of the day (10.00 to 3.30) marshalling on a local fun ride. The fun ride is very popular every year and they normally have around 450 riders through the course. However we have of this number only around 20% of the riders said thankyou to us or even hello. I realise that people have paid to go around the ride but nevertheless it is a charity event and we give our time for free, without volunteers most of these rides would not take place.

Fun riders take note, in the interests of future fun rides and as representatives of the riding community DON'T BE SO IGNORANT.
 
That's so awful, especially when you have given up your time for free :(

I always say thank you to marshalls, dressage judges and writers and anyone helping with events that I see as i know without you guys we wouldn't have great events.

Wherabouts were you? There was a big fun ride near my yard in Essex today.
 
That's terrible! If I'm at an event, I always make a point of thanking the organisers and volunteers as I know how much hard work has gone into it, and that the people involved are giving up their whole day to make sure the event takes place. It's just common courtesy.
 
interesting. I stweard at a couple o fun rides per year and TBH dont expect people to thank me infact after lots and lots of thanks it gets a bit much. No one makes me go and do what I do I just enjoy the fact I am helping others to have a good day out. Just my opinion.
 
badgerdog said:
That's terrible! If I'm at an event, I always make a point of thanking the organisers and volunteers as I know how much hard work has gone into it, and that the people involved are giving up their whole day to make sure the event takes place. It's just common courtesy.
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Agree! I always thank everyone who's involved if I can - the catering ladies at our local shows always seem surprised that someone says thanks:rolleyes:
 
Horsesforever1 said:
interesting. I stweard at a couple o fun rides per year and TBH dont expect people to thank me infact after lots and lots of thanks it gets a bit much. No one makes me go and do what I do I just enjoy the fact I am helping others to have a good day out. Just my opinion.
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Interesting point of view! I always thank people myself as I think it's polite, but when I volunteer at shows and hunter trials I don't do it to be thanked, but it's nice when people do!
 
I marshalled at the Essex one today and most people were very polite and thankful, some not so much but I don't think unless people have marshalled themselves just what it is like.
We were sat directing, number taking etc etc for 6 hours today in a windy field and unless you have actually done it yourself I imagine its easy to take it for granted that there will be people there to help you at these events.
 
People might not do it for the thanks, but i think it is good manners to thank them anyway, if someone has given up their free time to help me enjoy my hobby, the least I can do is ensure they don't feel taken for granted when they go home. I used to organise competitions for my local riding club and it was always nice when people came at the end of the day to say they had enjoyed the event.
 
Doesn't surprise me. I used to be on the committee of my local riding club and we asked for volunteers to spend just half an hour before the show to help put everything out, during it doing things like litter picking and bin emptying and then after for putting everything away. How many did we get (bearing in mind the club had over 100 members)? Thats right, a big fat zero. People want everything doing for them but complain like mad if something isn't quite perfect. So there was me with my dodgy back, hauling jump wings and poles out of their storage area and building the courses. Half the parents at shows sit around doing nothing all day. But clearly 30 minutes was just too much. You see the same thing everywhere. My friend's husband is a scout leader and organizes camps for the kids. Believe it or not, several parents won't even come and collect their children afterwards and expect him to be drive them home!
 
That's a shame. I've stewarded a few times at hunt fun rides and have always found people to be very pleasant! Had a handful of moaning people last year because they said there was too much roadwork (crops weren't in so farmers didn't want to open up the land) but otherwise people are usually lovely.
 
Whereabouts?

I did a fun ride yesterday and made sure I thanked everyone we passed. They put an awful lot of work into the organisation of the event and it was so well run on the day!
 
It is a shame you feel bothered by it. I try and always say thanks to those who help out at events I ride at - isn't always possible though as sometimes I have my hands full or am so stressed out I totally don't notice people!

I have to admit though, I don't see the point in giving your time if you are going to be upset if people don't say thanks? You are just going to end up depressed by the whole thing! It is something you choose to do, not because of what you will or won't get back from it?

I write for judges at dressage and I just don't expect people to say thanks. I do it because I really enjoy it and it is my choice to spend my time in this way. If someone says thanks then it really is lovely, but it isn't expected.
 
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