I’m volunteering this weekend and I usually jump judge but the a.m. time slots were full so I thought I would give being a ring steward for cross country a try.
I’ve ridden in enough shows to know what a ring steward does, but I’ve never been one so need to know the tricks of the trade so to speak.
I’m only doing it for a short time before I move on to jump judging, and they need two so there is a slight chance they might pair me with someone who has done it before. But rather than a five minute crash course before I start, I thought I would see if anyone more experienced can give me a rundown of what to expect.
P.S. This is at Woodside in case anyone will be there!
I’ve only done xc once, so more experienced volunteers will probably be more helpful than me. I just make sure I have my order of go, check off the numbers as I see them come in to warm up so I know who is present, check off that they have their armband, and make sure to call out their 5 minute warning and 2 minute warning so they know when to head to the start box. XC seemed to be easier to handle than steward for dressage or stadium.
Also, I find it helps if you call the riders by their first names rather than number, some are so. . . focused, nervous, terrified etc that they forget what number they are. It also personalizes the process a bit. Having information like optimum times is also helpful.
Don’t take anything personally - riders will be tense, parents anxious, and coaches polite but firm. They usually don’t MEAN to be short or snap ; )
Keep your radio ON and on your person at all times. It is your lifeline for info.
You will need: clipboard, order of go, 2 pens for when you lose one, a LOUD voice, and much patience/compassion!
Riders SHOULD come up to you when they enter warmup. Normally, you are checking for: number (on pinney, and one on the horse), medical arm band or bracelet, and of course vest. The RIDER wants to know how many horses are in front of them (how many go before they do).
The BEST stewards are calling out numbers, something like this:
Be polite but FIRM. If the TD has decreed that riders are going IN ORDER no matter what, don’t be swayed by a BNT, BNR, or anyone else. Explain this, and if there is a problem, call the TD.
You are usually the only person the entourage comes in contact with. They are sure you have all the answers - where the port a let is, are we running early or late, is there any fence that is causing problems, when are we starting the next division, etc. Answer to the best of your abilities, knowing that “I don’t know” is a perfectly fine answer if delivered with a smile. “I don’t know but I will find out for you” is even better!
[QUOTE=Remington410;7697817]
I’ve only done xc once, so more experienced volunteers will probably be more helpful than me. I just make sure I have my order of go, check off the numbers as I see them come in to warm up so I know who is present, check off that they have their armband, and make sure to call out their 5 minute warning and 2 minute warning so they know when to head to the start box. XC seemed to be easier to handle than steward for dressage or stadium.[/QUOTE]
I thought riders were supposed to check in when they arrived at warm up? The warm up ring at this show is fairly large and can get chaotic/crowded, but maybe that’s why they need two ring stewards.
This is a good tip, I think every time I’ve been in a warm up ring the stewards have used first names, so this is a helpful reminder.
[QUOTE=FlightCheck;7697831]
Thank you for volunteering.
Don’t take anything personally - riders will be tense, parents anxious, and coaches polite but firm. They usually don’t MEAN to be short or snap ; )
Keep your radio ON and on your person at all times. It is your lifeline for info.
You will need: clipboard, order of go, 2 pens for when you lose one, a LOUD voice, and much patience/compassion!
Riders SHOULD come up to you when they enter warmup. Normally, you are checking for: number (on pinney, and one on the horse), medical arm band or bracelet, and of course vest. The RIDER wants to know how many horses are in front of them (how many go before they do).
The BEST stewards are calling out numbers, something like this:
Be polite but FIRM. If the TD has decreed that riders are going IN ORDER no matter what, don’t be swayed by a BNT, BNR, or anyone else. Explain this, and if there is a problem, call the TD.
You are usually the only person the entourage comes in contact with. They are sure you have all the answers - where the port a let is, are we running early or late, is there any fence that is causing problems, when are we starting the next division, etc. Answer to the best of your abilities, knowing that “I don’t know” is a perfectly fine answer if delivered with a smile. “I don’t know but I will find out for you” is even better![/QUOTE]
This whole post is worth saving. Thank you, FC. I’m bummed you don’t come out to Woodside anymore, I was hoping to meet you!
I’ve never been a ring steward but I had one talk me off a ledge at my first HT (Elementary) last fall as I watched the rider before me have 3 stops at fence 1. So, hooray for ring stewards that are both organized and kind.
At a busy event, though, I doubt you’d have that sort of time
Yes, they should check in, but a lot of them don’t. We were short of volunteers that day, too, so I had to position myself so I could see start and the warm up entrance…hectic day, but I still enjoyed it more than any other position I’ve worked.
The only other thing to add is that you’ll usually be in charge of sending riders over to the start box. What I’ve done when I’m running warm-up is to tell folks they can head over when the rider before them leaves the box, so in most instances, two minutes out:
“#82, Suzy, 2 minutes away, You can head on down! #83, Lee, 4 minutes away! #84, John, 6 minutes away!”
Also, have with you a list of the optimum and speed fault times and any changes to the course (yes, they should have this at the start box, but folks will ask you). If you don’t have it, just let them know the Start will have it.
I have done the ring steward thing at Woodside for XC before!=.
Few points - it was my first time doing it, and nope, they didn’t really give my any pointers, and there was no one to hand hold for me! I have ridden in enough events I had an idea (from the rider’s perspective) of what to do.
Except for a few (like 5) riders did NOT check in. Make yourself visible. Riders WILL approach you and ask how many they have until they go. Also make sure you know the route to the start box, you will get asked that as well.
Have your list of riders handy, have your “big voice” ready!
I just made sure to stay organized, and had a system where I would make sure I could account for the next 5 riders (that they were THERE). Dot meant that they were there. Check meant that I called out to give them heads up that they have one rider before them. Lined through meant I have called them up, and that they had left the arena for the start box.
I set my phone to a timer - I needed to send down a rider every lets say 3 mins - so my timer went off every 2.5 mins. When the timer went off - I would call out a rider and send them down - and then call out to the next rider to let them know they were next on deck “John, No. 33, 4 mins! Stacey no. 23, you are after John, 6 mins!”
So on and so forth. Its FAST paced! Compared to jump judging this really demanded my full attention at all times. Like you, I did a “half shift” and I was glad I did - I would have been exhausted if I did it all day.
That said, everyone was nice, I didn’t get attitude from any riders. A few were flusters, late, confused, but I was usually able to tell them “no you aren’t too late - but go NOW!!! Your XC time is about to start!!” There was one rider who missed her ride time, but I was able to radio in for her, and they let her go last. be ready for little things like that.
Thanks for volunteering! and YES, water, SUNSCREEN, hat etc. Gosh, I think one of the worst sun exposure days I have ever had was doing a full day volunteering at the woodside horse trials - there is NO shade. I remember wishing that I had worn a long sleeve shirt. So sun hat and a nice thin, cotton long sleeve are my other recs!
Ah my favorite place!
Great advice, I would only add that you really do need to remind yourself to drink water, (one bottle per hour will help you survive), shade – of some kind including a hat or umbrella or something – and have TWO sources of time - your phone, and a watch, perhaps - and if you have a helper, have them look for riders for you.
Do you have to monitor warmup fences, too or is there someone else to do that as well?
In addition to what others have said, make sure you know the protocol and who to contact if a rider falls in the warm-up and needs to be checked by medical before going out on course. Also ask who you should call if someone pulls a shoe in warm-up and needs the farrier and a later ride time. Also, in addition to the xc channel on the radio, ask how to contact the secretary so you can find out if a missing rider has withdrawn since your order of go was printed. Smile, call people by name and be as helpful as you can while politely enforcing order and all will go well
You already have lots of good pointers. You will probably spend the first 20 minutes getting into a routine, and then you’ll get in a groove. Have fun!
Thanks for volunteering Jen and we’ll see you there.
As someone who coaches folks who can sometimes be a tad-ahem-nervous on their way to Xc, feel free to announce that folks should check in with you. I mention it several times between tacking up and waking in to the warm up, but sometimes it doesn’t really penetrate the consciousness lol. Especially in that ring that can, to the uninitiated, look like the Sahara desert in terms of size and scope. You the steward are waaaaaaaayyyyy away from where coaches, jumps, etc are and to do lists (such as 1) check in with steward, 2) breathe, 3) do not puke) can be forgotten as they traverse the distance staring at the course the ring overlooks.
[QUOTE=FlightCheck;7697831]
Thank you for volunteering.
Don’t take anything personally - riders will be tense, parents anxious, and coaches polite but firm. They usually don’t MEAN to be short or snap ; )
Keep your radio ON and on your person at all times. It is your lifeline for info.
You will need: clipboard, order of go, 2 pens for when you lose one, a LOUD voice, and much patience/compassion!
Riders SHOULD come up to you when they enter warmup. Normally, you are checking for: number (on pinney, and one on the horse), medical arm band or bracelet, and of course vest. The RIDER wants to know how many horses are in front of them (how many go before they do).
The BEST stewards are calling out numbers, something like this:
Be polite but FIRM. If the TD has decreed that riders are going IN ORDER no matter what, don’t be swayed by a BNT, BNR, or anyone else. Explain this, and if there is a problem, call the TD.
You are usually the only person the entourage comes in contact with. They are sure you have all the answers - where the port a let is, are we running early or late, is there any fence that is causing problems, when are we starting the next division, etc. Answer to the best of your abilities, knowing that “I don’t know” is a perfectly fine answer if delivered with a smile. “I don’t know but I will find out for you” is even better![/QUOTE]
All of this…
And I would emphasis be polite and firm… As a competitor yourself, You will get the hang of it faster faster than a non competitor. I generally keep everyone informed of delays and where they are in line… Cause I like to know that when I compete!
I love being rig steward… All that eye candy… Best tv ever!
Just a very small addition; you are likely also the only contact
for the friends of the rider at the ring. Should there be any
problem with the health of these folks, the onsight EMTs can
and will assist if not otherwise needed. I once had a granddad
of a rider take suddenly ill while watching the granddaughter
about to go into the dressage ring. We were able to get him
seated and provided with prompt medical evaluation.
Every 10 minutes or so let the warm-up ring know “start box is running on time”, if it is. If it isn’t, don’t say anything UNLESS start box is NOT catching up, and course control can tell you that. Many starters and course controllers are expert at catching up the time. But, for each individual rider, that last 6 minutes / 4 minutes / 2 minutes is the most important thing the riders need to know from the steward.
Especially if the event isn’t exactly on time, riders may be listening to the announcer or watching the numbers going in to know how much more warm-up they have. If a number is missing - let’s say #23 scratched - I make sure to tell the next two or three riders after #23. Especially #24. There is nothing to give already-strung-out nerves an electric jolt like hearing “you’re next” when you thought you had a few more minutes of warm-up and hadn’t yet done that last thing you always do before you go. I’ll tell the trainer as well, if they are standing close by. They’ve always been breathlessly grateful.
If it’s BN or N, and a rider who just arrived asks about order of go, I’ll tell them and also point out the horse that goes just before they do. Some of the newbies seem not to have thought of that! (When I ride I want a loud appy or a zebra as the one going just before me so I can easily see them sidling over to the in-gate or start box! I’ve been at a lot of events that do not run on time.)
If there is anything at all that is different or difficult about the conditions I will give the riders a heads-up. In Colorado it was common that riders needed a reminder “the wind is making it hard to hear, make sure you stay close enough to the starter”. I started doing that during a particularly windy horse trials when it was very hard to hear the starter over the wind, after getting complaints “no one told me they were counting me down!” AND the starter complaining “I don’t know where the riders are!”. Of course it’s the rider’s responsibility, but riders are nervous and starting to focus only on the course and the jumps.
If a rider asks for an extra call I don’t defer it to the trainer, since some of them aren’t paying attention to the time. I just holler out as if I were too dumb to see the trainer. Sometimes the trainer’s lack of connection with the clock is why the rider asked!
If start box is running well ahead, and both start box and course control are agreed to allow riders to go out of order when they are ready, I will tell riders individually that they have the option to go early IF THEY WISH but I reiterate that they don’t have to. Many riders really appreciate this and will prepare to go early once their horse is ready, and cut down on their wait. That helps the event and everyone finish a bit early. Others will stick with their ride time, and that’s fine, too. It all works out.
[QUOTE=FlightCheck;7697831]
The BEST stewards are calling out numbers, something like this:
Ask the organizer if you can have a bullhorn, and ask early the morning of the event.
The best part about being a steward is deferring the hard calls to the TD! :winkgrin: You don’t even have to stay involved once the TD is summoned. The individual with a TD problem is not your problem, it’s the warm-up ring that needs you.
What riders are supposed to do, and what they do, can be two different things - and coping smoothly is a big part of being a steward. Thankfully you are NOT there to teach any lessons in deportment or etiquette. Whatever they do, let it go, leave it to karma, and just keep on dealing with your end. Most eventers are great with the steward, but you may have a few who - aren’t. They are stressed !!! Keep a professional attitude - even though you are a volunteer!
If something crazy happens defer it to the appropriate official and take care of the warm-up ring. You can save it as a story to tell later! (Maybe without names.)
I don’t know if this is a universal but I find stewarding upper levels and lower levels are different ballgames. One thing I’ve found a tad unnerving about the XC UL’s I’ve done, in different places, is that many aren’t in warm-up until 15 minutes before they go. At most. It’s weird to be standing there beside an empty warm-up watching the minutes ticking away less than 20 minutes before the first start!
If a UL rider, or a BNR/BNT riding any level, can clearly hear you, the steward, but appears to be ignoring you - let it go. Once they’ve heard your call, it’s their problem to get to the in-gate/start box on time. They’ve done this before, after all.
[I once restrained a steward from chasing after Mike Huber in warm-up to “make him” come to the gate, not that long after he helped select the Olympic team. She didn’t know who he was but I assured her he knew how to get his horse through the in-gate on time. LOL ]
The BN’s are the most fun, I think. No one leaves warm-up more terrified, or returns from the course more delighted!
If, for LL XC, you can see the riders coming back to the stables after their course, look over there every once in awhile. The giant grins will convince you this is so worth doing!
Great advice already. Will only add to remember to speak loudly, very loudly. I often try to make eye contact with the competitors to make certain they know I am speaking to them. Keeping in mind that when I am competing my heart is usually thumping so loudly that I can’t hear anything.:eek:
at woodside, Judy Nagy’s usually got it down for stewarding, she’s a pro! so you’ve got some big shoes to fill - but you can do it!
In addition to the tips above, when I’ve stewarded your ring, some rules must be enforced:
1> no horses/people stand in the gate EVER. it is extremely dangerous because a loose horse will (and has, many times) come charging back into warmup off the field, so a grand pile up in the gate is to be avoided;
2> you may need to adjust order of go for the PROs who have more than 1 horse in more than 1 phase going simultaneously (you have the authority to get the Pro on the green horse thru so s/he can go warmup for showjumping on his/her UL horse. You may also have PROs with 3 horses to go xc in that very division);
3> make sure no one/horse blocks the jumps or jumps the warmups in the wrong direction - I have witnessed some terrible accidents in the BN “shark tank.”
4> make sure only horses in that division are in the warmup - occasionally someone feels entitled to school her upper level stallion in BN warmup -it’s crazy enough without the additional drama.
5> call the TD to confront/deal with competitors who are not compliant (sleeveless, prohibited tack, etc.)
6> armbands are required to jump in warmup, so when competitor checks in give 'em a once over for armband, fastened vest/helmet, etc.
thank you for volunteering and have fun this weekend.
