Drones have come up here several times.
In the fireworks thread everyone talks about how scared their horses are of drones.
Interesting to me that people here don’t think that will be an issue.
How would a chase vehicle work?
The course(s) I am used to, there are areas that a vehicle can not get to, with out going out of the way. How would the stream of chase vehicles make it back and forth with out causing issues?
How would they get electricity out on the course for the timing pads?
At Chatt in the past, they had a vendor that would sell you your XC round from a drone video. Since they have done that, I think that at a certain distance, the horses wouldn’t notice. I’m not sure how close you can get before horses notice the drones though. Just brainstorming how to use less volunteers.
How would a chase vehicle work?
The course(s) I am used to, there are areas that a vehicle can not get to, with out going out of the way. How would the stream of chase vehicles make it back and forth with out causing issues?
Florida schooling shows has figured out how to make it work. Maybe something that maybe fences 1-6 can use 1, they wait for you to go jump 7-8 (jump judges viewing because vehicle can’t follow), pick you up at 9-14? It may also be something else that is considered when designing a course. Just trying to come up with ideas the reduce the number of volunteers needed. And maybe it would only work at certain facilities, but why are the same shows using the carts for schooling shows not using them for recognized? (They may know something I don’t, it is just an idea)
How would they get electricity out on the course for the timing pads?
https://www.raceresult.com/en-us/support/document?name=System_Datasheet#page=4
The datasheet for this timing system seems like the system runs off battery power. I think many would be similar? This is just the first system I found showing that data, the 2nd system I clicked on, so I don’t know that electricity is required for timing pads. They use timing pads in many places that don’t have electricity for cross country running & mountain biking I believe.
I think someone could rent out the equipment per weekend, not have each show have to purchase their own. I am just trying to come up with options that may not have been thought/talked about enough.
If it’s not possible, it’s not possible, but if the question is how to get more volunteers, I think there can be an additional question on how to cut the number of volunteers needed.
It seems like the current rulebook prohibits the use of chase vehicles because of how the unauthorized assistance rule is written:
That is the price of renting it for the weekend along with the support staff to set it up and run it.
Yeah, drone footage is pretty common at big events now too and I’ve never seen a horse appearing bothered by one. I have a drone and have horses at home, so I have messed around with it and once it’s above eye level they generally don’t notice it. I’ve also taken aerial photos of farms professionally, and other than takeoff and landing nobody even knows it’s there. I go around a corner for takeoff/landing, then get up to height and do my thing. It’s quieter than a tractor or ATV. Obviously if I lowered it to ground level and chased the horses, they would be scared. But there’s no need to operate low if monitoring a galloping horse. I would guess that above 100-150 feet would be ideal. At that height you can still hear a larger drone if there’s not much ambient noise and it’s maneuvering, but I think there’s zero chance of it being problematic. And for XC videos/monitoring you wouldn’t need a large drone capable of a heavy payload.
Here’s an example of the cute donkey being the only one of four equines to even notice the drone, and that was probably at only 30-40 feet or so with no ambient noise, while they were quietly grazing:
After just volunteering this weekend, at least in Area III, if you can provide a few hours let the venue know! They will take you! (Ex: Boukart Equestrian, previously Chatt Hills) Penny will take you. We were super short on volunteers. In return for volunteering we get a xc pass, lunch, and drinks/snacks provided.
I am not a regular volunteer-er. I would side myself with many of the posters above: I don’t have time, my weekends are so precious to me, and actually all day is kindof hot & sweaty.
But after this weekend, when there was literally no one stepping up. We were supposed to be done at 2:30PM, but then there was a storm delay for dressage until 6PM… 6. We sat for three and a half hours. Skipped dinner plans, riding my horse, so the last 8 riders could be ushered into the dressage ring.
I wouldn’t wish that experience on anyone. All the more reason, I will be putting in a few hours when I can so someone else doesn’t have to go through that. I feel like a convert. I always say “thank you” to volunteers, but they are sittting it out in the heat for free for us to go do a little prance in the sand. If I have a 3-hours I can volunteer myself to man a dressage ring.
(And what got me, and I do think some people just don’t know. This is a venue where most competitors stable. No one went up to the office to see how they could help. So while my friend and I sat on our bums for three hours to wait , the other competitors/family are sitting at their stalls, hanging out. We didn’t want to be there, but I surely wasn’t going to leave the venue with no one.)
If even 4-5 more people put in half days, it would probably be a fun experience. Grab a friend, double-volunteers makes it easy to track everyone.
I find it hard to believe half days are not a thing. I always put in for a whole day because I don’t really have a life, but if I asked for a half, I am sure I wouldn’t be turned down. When volunteers are so hard to find, I would think they would absolutely do that! We always get t shirts, and they provide snacks, water and bathroom breaks. I cannot imagine not doing that. But I am not aware of a big party for volunteers. And if they had it during the competition, I wouldn’t go, because after being there all day…um no.
I agree! I really wish they would provide that option – I think the only problem is with jump judges since those who worked the afternoon shift would miss the jump judges meeting in the early a.m. I’m wondering how they could fix that?
Funny story about videotaping horses while they are on cross-country: Carolyn (at Loch Moy) and I go back a ways – I was there for her very first events 18+ years ago, I bring all my students there to compete, and my DH and I volunteer quite a bit - needless to say, we are regulars!
I did the Twilight Eventing a few years ago and had no help and no videographer (DH usually does that job, but he wasn’t there); Carolyn volunteered to videotape me: taped my dressage test and my SJ round, then followed me around cross-country on a golf cart, videotaping me as I did cross-country 
Of course it was not zoomed in so you couldn’t really see much, but I was so incredibly appreciative that she took the time to do this for me! 
They really do treat their volunteers like gold (my picture is on their volunteer wall; it’s of my horse and me after winning one of their winter Cross Derbies) - so we will just “choose to forget” schooling passGate…
I wasn’t meaning jump judges-since that number declines during the day. And I am in the mnidwest. We only have two events a year, and nothing above prelim. At the meetings in the last couple of years, there are usually only one or two people who have never done it before. When it is hot, (or rainy or particularly unpleasant weather conditions,) the hard core best ones need to go out for an all day jump judge session. IF it is reduced to half day sessions, send the more experienced ones out that might not need anything but a quick going over or the rules. But, on the other hand, since we never have more than say 140-150 rides I cannot imagine 200+ rides, and half days might be nessesary. Up until this last event last month, I have always been scheduled for a whole day.
This one is where I get stuck. I’m not an eventer but these issues happen in other disciplines too.
I think a lot of people on this board live in competition rich areas, but if there are only 3 shows per year within an affordable driving distance (trailering is $$$$ when you have to pay someone else!) its hard to give up even one of those precious opportunities to go volunteer (where you’re as likely to be chewed out by the show organizer here as one of the competitors).
Years ago I was riding in a clinic near a military base. In the middle of jump instruction, several A10’s flew very low over head, and some F-15’s higher up. The horses didn’t even seem to notice because we were all so focused on what we were doing.
I was speaking from personal experience, and the quote really struck home because of it. I evented for decades - current horse prefers jumpers, and I love to jump, so we don’t event. I really think that the pros need to step up to the plate and put some work in. It’s charming when a 10 or 15 year old or newbie thanks me for volunteering. The people who can’t volunteer because they compete several horses every weekend? That rings a bit hollow.
So how to attract them? Sure, thank the volunteers and feed them and be nice to them.
But make it something everyone does - make it fashionable. Make it something the pros do. Get a picture of the big shots out painting jumps, or mowing the course, or better yet sitting at a log in a field while the BN jump around. That might get the youngers involved.
I just don’t think it’s reasonable to ask them to give up a weekend’s worth of income to volunteer, or expect the events to give up so many entry fees between their horses and the clients they bring with them. We need these people to stay in business as coaches and trainers to keep the sport going - just because they aren’t volunteering doesnt mean they aren’t contributing in a meaningful way. We’ve put forward several ideas on this thread for incentivizing pros to support in other ways, like pushing their clients to volunteer, recognizing the programs that consistently send volunteers, taking on some of the mid-week prep jobs that don’t interfere with prime money-making days, etc. Getting annoyed at a rider who says thank you because they aren’t volunteering on that particular day, with no way of knowing how else they may be contributing to the sport, is just unfair.
I appreciate a thank you from anyone who says it while I am volunteering.
Some of the pros I know volunteer in other ways. Bring their whole team to do some form of set-up ahead of time, etc.
I totally know what you mean, but, I actually would be very interested in meeting new people. I don’t volunteer because a) I feel intimidated (I don’t show, don’t jump, am strictly a pleasure rider, and am no longer connected to a big barn as I left the big barn when horses retired, and I’ll never be able to get back in), and b) I would want to be given even a few minutes’ training and some introduction to the other volunteers to feel more sense of community.
If possible, I kind of would like to be asked by a human, to get over A and B, vs a vague generic email, though I get that this may not be do-able.
I do not care in the least about gifts, lunches, parties. I can bring my own lunch and it would not be the first time I have pee’d behind a tree or a jump. All I would care about would be that I could be fairly sure of walking away feeling like I had had a good day with friendly horse people who I might actually run into again sometime.
there is ALWAYS a meeting for jump judging. Even though most everyone has been through it before, there is always a newbie. I am somewhat uncomfortable waiting for the meeting to start. I just don’t mix well, and have no contact anymore with them except for the 2 events. I want to speak to people but I have nothing to say. But if I was near a newbie, and I knew they were new, I would give them tips. If you have never evented, I can kind of see it. I have never for example, ridden western, or done anything like a long distance Tevis cup sort of thing, and wouldn’t be inclined to be involved with that. But if you used to event, and it was less than say 75 miles away, wouldn’t you be interested? I do hate the Dashboard, but I have to be contacted by a real human first.
I volunteer fence judge across various events here in the UK and we are absolutely valued by the organisers, they cannot thank us enough for helping. We get limitless cakes, tea and coffee (brought around by an organiser in a car), as well as sandwiches, chips, chocolate and water in our lunch bag. As we leave we get a bottle of wine each and a box of shortbread. We are always in pairs (I can’t understand how you can manage at a fence alone when a serious accident happens, you always need two) and can drive our car to the fence and either sit in it or sit in camp chairs.
I can’t even fathom the person up thread that said they’re not allowed bathroom breaks, that’s just unacceptable. Our organisers put portaloos up around the course for judges and spectators. One year a judge was 7 months pregnant and said that she was worried she couldn’t walk too far to pee, about 15 minutes later I saw a tractor lifting a portaloo into position about 10m from her car. 
The disappointing thing is that the majority of competitors completely ignore us as they walk the course, won’t even make eye contact, but the Olympic riders and those of that level always say thank you for giving our time.
Sign me up!!!
If on average we got HALF of this kind of treatment I think we’d have people tripping over themselves to volunteer 
HOLY COW! 
Yes – sign me up! Do they include airfare from the US?
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