Volunteering - do you? Would you?

FestiveSpirit

FestiveSpirit

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Just looking at the BE 2010 calendar and thinking 'sigh, I wont be doing any of those' cos I have decided to try dressaging instead
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Then I started picking out all the places I usually fence judge/volunteer who will no doubt be ringing up and e-mailing me next year - so I was wondering, do you volunteer in your chosen discipline? And would you continue to do so if you didnt compete in that discipline any more? Just vaguely curious, I expect I shall carry on doing my bit
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i volunteer for our local riding club more than i do for bigger events, even though i compete in bigger (ish) events myself
 
No and No - I know I should put back into my sport what I've taken out but now I've (temporarily) semi retired from competitive riding, I've totally lost interest and do other things with my time

Am I a bad person? lol!
 
I would like to but with small children it is hard enough getting them looked after while I am competing never mind any other time and them being there would be a complete no go - attention span of a goldfish
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One day when no longer actively competing I would like to put something back though!
 
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No and No - I know I should put back into my sport what I've taken out but now I've (temporarily) semi retired from competitive riding, I've totally lost interest and do other things with my time

Am I a bad person? lol!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes
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You are a very very bad person indeed
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Mind you I will have to volunteer when I join the riding club too, so maybe BE might not get as much support from me in 2010
 
Since I will no longer be standing in the middle of a PC field getting soaked several days a year, I shall be helping at the 4 BE events within 1 hour of me and perhaps the odd big one a little further afield although I have got my name down to volunteer for 2012 - I put it down 2 years ago
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!
 
The season just gone was my first that I havnt competed in due to now being horseless at uni and Ive helped at the same 3 events for the past few years and I will continue to do so, I also expect the calls/emails/letters next year! Also help at our pc ode.
This is my only contact with the horsey world anymore and I love volunteering every year even if it means arriving at 7am and not leaving untill 7pm!
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This year it was a bit hard watching everyone compete at my local venues and me not being able to but hey ho its still fun and great to see people I dont see very often anymore
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At least I'm honest!

I ran the dressage for several years at a local BE event - booked judges, writers, put up arenas etc plus attending loads of committee meetings. Cost me personally nearly £200 each year in unreclaimable expenses. Never got thanked, felt deeply unappreciated and resigned with great relief and delight last year.

Not rushing to volunteer again
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Cant blame you TBH, I have fence judged at a few places where they have hardly even managed to say thank you - so I havent gone back again
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Other events are just fab mind you
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Odd how people dont realise that a bit of acknowledgement and gratitude makes so much difference with volunteering
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I did a fair bit of BE volunteering this year, did some dressage stewarding (twice), XC collectiong ring stewarding, fence judging and start box helping! All organisers have been pretty appreciative and I'll definitely be doing my best to keep it up at a few events next year, even though I'm hoping to compete more myself than I did this year.

I enjoy learning about the stuff "behind the scenes" and it makes me feel good to be able to give something back. Also, if no one did it, we'd have no sport.
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I'd count myself as a Showjumper but the closest I get to any helping out there is grooming for my friend as she competes BSJA every week whereas I can't afford to re-register at the moment so am off games for a little while.
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I do, however, do a fair bit of writing for dressage. Our yard is a BD venue & the comps are usually a Wednesday which is my day off so I usually offer to write for the first class or two. I actually quite enjoy it & I keep telling myself I might learn something!
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It is complusory for EI members to volunteer at 3 events - and most people do willingly because without the volunteers the event cannot run. You do it yourself or get someone to do it on your behalf
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tbh it is only 3 saturdays/sundays of the year and if you cant help out or get someone to help for you then you probably shouldnt be competeing imo
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I feel quite strongly about this one and would like to defend why I have never volunteered:

I have always intended to but I have no events closer than an hour and a half. My nearest event is at a college which uses students anyway. I have to work one weekend in every 3 or 4 and if I have a couple of horses eventing that usually takes up most of the remaining weekends in the month. If I'm competing at an event on a Sunday I think I'd probably get divorced if I also went to help on the Saturday (husband bizarrely thinks that the marriage certificate gives him the right to see me occasionally!
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) plus I'd have to pay someone to do the horses for me .

I help at RC, run several events for our Hunt, volunteer at 5 PTPs in the Spring and sometimes can't find a spare weekend day between March and October! Not complaining, it's my life and I like it but just trying how to explain how helping at a BE event isn't always top of the list.

Again, I shall make it my resolution for 2010 as I'd really like to give a bit back, but don't be surprised if it doesn't happen yet again!
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On another note I ran the Hunt show last month and sent everybody involved personal thank-you letters. That one wee thing seems to have impressed people more than anything else, even the free food and drink!
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I'm on the area BSJA committee, and also on the committee for our local Ag show. It doesn't take up a ton of my time for most of the year, but running up to events can be a bit chaotic! I also judged at a local show this year - got fed and watered and had a lovely day - hope I get asked back next year! I appreciate that not everyone has time to volunteer to help out with stuff and it can be a pain in the ass (3 out of the past 4 years I've been away down south with work the week running up to our area show, cue lots of hurried phone calls outside conference rooms...) but it's nice to give something back when you can!
 
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I feel quite strongly about this one and would like to defend why I have never volunteered:

I have always intended to but I have no events closer than an hour and a half. My nearest event is at a college which uses students anyway. I have to work one weekend in every 3 or 4 and if I have a couple of horses eventing that usually takes up most of the remaining weekends in the month. If I'm competing at an event on a Sunday I think I'd probably get divorced if I also went to help on the Saturday (husband bizarrely thinks that the marriage certificate gives him the right to see me occasionally!
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) plus I'd have to pay someone to do the horses for me .

I help at RC, run several events for our Hunt, volunteer at 5 PTPs in the Spring and sometimes can't find a spare weekend day between March and October! Not complaining, it's my life and I like it but just trying how to explain how helping at a BE event isn't always top of the list.

Again, I shall make it my resolution for 2010 as I'd really like to give a bit back, but don't be surprised if it doesn't happen yet again!
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On another note I ran the Hunt show last month and sent everybody involved personal thank-you letters. That one wee thing seems to have impressed people more than anything else, even the free food and drink!
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I don't think that counts as not volunteering!
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I managed to volunteer at 4 BE events last year whilst also competing. It does tend to mean a busy weekend. It works best if I compete the first day and help out the second as my horse can have the day off. The other way round just leaves so little time to exercise the day before the event.
I would like to think that I would continue to help out even if I gave up competing.
 
When I semi retired from BE I decided that I would still continue to help out . Unfortunately I've had a couple of incidents now that have put me off. This year I didn't do any.

Next year I will be in a new area so I think I will volunteer again as it will be a great way of meeting new horsey people hopefully.
 
I have helped at BE for the last couple of years and absolutley loved it. i do three events a year (the only onces within about an hour of me) but am hoping to up it to a few more this year. At the momnet i don't have a horse who is ready to event so for me it is a great way to be involved.
 
I do start box at quite a few BE events local to me. Its a fab day, usually get loads of food, free stuff from sponsors, a bit of money to cover fuel and get to chat to an old friend who got me into it. I take my mum too so we get to have a good catch up on the way there. Fence judge at weston and occasionally others.
 
Im lucky as we have a good number of events within and under an hour.
Last year I only did Blenheim and have done for 6 years.
When I was eventing i would volunteer for at least 4 events throughout the year.

I also use to report on said event whilst competing there too.
 
I usually help at MK when i'm not competing, i'm lucky being just round the corner from it! You get treated really well and get vouchers for venue hire which have saved us ££s over the years!!
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QR: I don't tend to have time to volunteer at events - but this year I volunteered to help at a few - all said yes, not one bothered to come back to me. Puts you off a bit!

I do however make an effort - one year I had said on my entry I could help at Aldon and they rang me up at the last minute and asked me to dressage write, so I took a day off and helped, and this season the entries sec at Monmouth managed to change my class at the v last minute and so I evented in the morning then left horse on lorry and volunteered for them all afternoon.
 
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