AEC's 2019 - NO LL live streaming!

[retreadeventer]

@trubandloki

My take on the juniors and the crowd in the tent was similar to what @yellowbritches . Was it loud in there? Yes at times. But the people were making all the appropriate noises at the appropriate times. Kid drops a rail and everyone ahhhhed, kid makes it over after a refusal everyone cheered. When a kid finished everyone cheered more.
I did not see or hear anyone making noises that were not appropriate for what was happening.
I personally was impressed by the kids who went out there and showed under the lights like it was just another course. Very impressive kids they were!

I admit, I have never thought to talk to a jump judge on cross country while I am out there. I figure they are doing a job (yes a volunteer job) and I would not want me talking to them to be the cause of them missing something.
I do say thank you to the other volunteers. Even when I was just walking around I would thank the people doing the crossing, etc.

Thanks for mentioning that. I know it may be somewhat intimidating to speak to a “stranger”, but the polite thing to do is to stop, wait for the oncoming rider to go thru the jump, wait for the jump judge to be finished with her radio and score sheet, then look up and politely acknowledge them by saying Hi, or asking if they are volunteering, and then thanking them for their service on the day. Even if you walking your course, you still have to stop to let a rider go by and if you are stopped, say something to the jump judge, or the steward or crossing guard, etc. A smile or wave or thanks for being here goes a LONG WAY to making someone’s day!

[Anna_Politan]

@horseshorseshorseshorses

I think the staff who are in charge of these shows can make a HUGE difference.

The last show I volunteered at I will not be doing so again. The show was disorganized, the show staff wasn’t pleasant … I felt like I was taken for granted by the show staff. I wasn’t riding but I came out to help because my other volunteering experiences had been so positive.

As a volunteer I am not looking for much. Just check on me beyond the cart grabbing scores (those guys are nuts and work so hard at every venue)…

THIS!!! I haven’t volunteered in 2 years even though I can’t show all fall because the last season I did it ticked me off so much. One show I was the (only!) crazed score collector on the cart. I wasn’t even given the time to familiarize myself with the whole XC course before we started, let alone figure out the safest, fastest, most unobtrusive way to get around without impeding anyone’s trip, so I was paranoid about that. On top of that, all I heard from the (paid) announcer was how long it was taking to get the scores. I reminded him politely on the radio it was just me, kept my foot on the gas and asked for help but by the third time I was biting my tongue to not tell him off. Eventually the show organizers found some bandwidth to get another cart out to help me but I left there thinking. “I could have stayed at work and gotten paid to be treated like this.”

Later that season I signed up to volunteer on jog day (a work day) of a major event in Area 2. It’s a couple hours away, but I wanted to help it be a success, and they kept saying how much they needed help. I signed up via the EV app, drove up there, dressed to be captured in the background shot of a social media post. :). I arrive, and the volunteer coordinator has no idea who I am. She sends me to the head ground judge who tells me they have more than enough people to manage the jog. I’m ****ed because I gave up a day I could have done something to earn money to help. But I’m already there, so I find something to do. Ended up moving flowers around as best I could in my dress… I didn’t even go back for the rest of the weekend to use my volunteer ticket because how many 4 hour round trips can you make in 1 week? And I left there thinking, “Fool me once…”

I’m thinking of going to the LRK3DE, and I’m thinking of offering to volunteer… But I couldn’t get myself to pull the trigger…