Sep 03, 2020

Bub and Janet Dillon: USEA’s Volunteers of the Month

By Jessica Duffy - USEA Staff
Bub and his daughter, Olivia, at the Poplar Place Farm Horse Trials. Photo courtesy of Janet Dillon

Bub and Janet Dillon used to race sailboats, and when their daughter, Olivia, was old enough to tag along, she would accompany her parents on sailboat races. For Olivia’s birthday one year, Bub and Janet rented out the “Pony Pavilion” where Olivia met an old pony named Lightning. “Olivia roped that poor pony the whole day,” Bub recalled. “After that, Janet found a trainer to teach Olivia to ride and then came a leased horse, then a bought and paid for horse, then tack, garments, trailer, truck to haul the trailer, vet bills, farrier costs, board, and my sailing budget went by the wayside and I followed my girl with tears in my eyes.”

Olivia started out taking hunter/jumper lessons but eventually made the switch to eventing. Bub recalled that one of her first events was at Pine Top Farm, and he and Janet became involved as volunteers right from the beginning. “I think we understood from the very first show that it takes a village to put on a successful show and we wanted to be a part of it,” Janet said.

“Dressage is the great mystery in eventing and I thought the best way to understand dressage was to scribe for some of the judges so I could gather a little intel and help my daughter when she came out of the ring in tears,” Bub continued. “Well, I volunteered as a scribe and was able to learn a little about that aspect of the sport, but could never use it as I had hoped! . . . We also are usually at the events on Sunday so we thought it would be fun to jump judge for cross-country.”

Bub (left) and Janet (right) at the FEI World Equestrian Games. Photo courtesy of Janet Dillon.

Janet volunteers her time as Pine Top Farm’s dressage steward, and also jump judges on cross-country. “I really enjoy dressage stewarding because it gives me the opportunity to interact with the riders and get to know them,” she said. “We see many of the same riders, from beginners to advanced, return to Pine Top each year.”

Bub loves working the start box on cross-country for a similar reason. “I get to interact with a lot of the riders prior to them taking off on what many consider the most exciting portion of the entire weekend!” he said. “There are smiles on some faces, nerves on a lot, and the various game faces are extremely interesting to read. And there are also the moms and some dads that need a little reassurance. It’s all very interesting. Also, the cold beer at the end of the day ain’t bad either!”

“Eventers are some of the nicest people I have met,” Bub observed. “Like in golf, they are in competition with each other, but really it’s you and your partner against the various courses. So, the eventers tend to be very supportive of all the riders they know. That is not something you see in other sports enough. Another thing is that there is not an age limit to the riders in this sport so they can play into their 70s and 80s."

Janet (left) and Olivia (right). Photo courtesy of Janet Dillon.

Bub is always encouraging the next generation to get involved in the sport as a volunteer. “I talk to the younger riders whenever I can about volunteering, particularly as a scribe,” he said. “Where else can you have alone time with a judge for five, six, sometimes seven hours and bounce questions off of them? It really is a great way to take the mystery out of dressage.”

Janet’s favorite part about volunteering is not only getting to interact with the competitors but watching how they interact with each other and the other attendees at a competition. “I love the interaction with everyone involved, from organizers and other volunteers to the riders and their grooms,” she said. “Eventers are so supportive of each other. Sure, they are competitive, but the encouragement and respect riders have for their peers is amazing.”

“I have to say that our involvement in eventing, and particularly my daughter’s involvement, taught her about responsibility and problem solving and helped her maturing process tremendously,” Bub concluded. “There is something about seeing your 15-year-old climb aboard a horse and suddenly mature to around age 30 as she gets to the start box. I have not been around a sport quite like it.”

About the USEA Volunteer Incentive Program

Volunteers are the lifeblood of our sport, the unsung heroes, and the people who make it possible to keep the sport alive. In efforts to recognize the dedication, commitment, and hard work that volunteers put into eventing, USEA formed the Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP) in 2015. In 2017, an online management portal was designed for volunteers, organizers, and volunteer coordinators at EventingVolunteers.com (available as an app for iOS and Android).

Volunteer incentives include national and area recognition, year-end awards with ribbons, cash prizes, and trophies, a top ten USEA Volunteer leaderboard, and a Volunteer of the Year award which is given to the volunteer who tops the leaderboard by accumulating the most volunteer hours over the USEA competition year. Click here to learn more about the USEA Volunteer Incentive Program.

The USEA would like to thank Sunsprite Warmbloods for sponsoring the Volunteer Incentive Program.

May 27, 2023 Eventing News

Auburn Leads, USC Aiken in the Hunt After Cross-Country at the 2023 USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship

Chants of “War Eagle” were heard from end to end of the White Oak cross-country course as the overnight leaders and defending champions from Auburn University tore between the red and white flags Saturday to remain atop the leaderboard of the 2023 Intercollegiate Eventing Championship at the Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC).

May 27, 2023 News

Horse Owners Urged to Participate in Economic Impact Study for the Equine Industry

The last three years have been a time of great change throughout the country for homes, businesses and industries. Rising costs of living, shrinking of assistance and changes in demographics have affected so much of our world, and that includes the equine industry. However, not all of the changes are easy to identify. This is why the American Horse Council (AHC), together with the U.S. Equestrian Federation, has kicked off what could be one of the biggest studies in more than 50 years with the 2023 National Economic Impact Study (EIS) for the equine industry.

May 26, 2023 Intercollegiate

Tigers on Top: Auburn University Leads 2023 USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship After Dressage

Twenty-three teams from 13 colleges and universities have traveled far and wide for the seventh annual USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship held at the Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) in Mill Spring, North Carolina.

May 26, 2023 About Us

Meet the USEA Staff: Programs, Partnerships, & Marketing

If you have been involved at a higher level with the USEA, you probably recognize the names of the two ladies that spearhead all of the efforts of the USEA’s Programs, Partnerships, and Marketing department: Kate Lokey, Director of Programs and Marketing, and Kaleigh Collett, Marketing Coordinator, but a new member of this team has also joined the USEA staff in Heather Johnson, Programs and Inventory Assistant. If you have considered advertising with the USEA or are involved in the USEA’s Young Event Horse, Emerging Athletes U21, New Event Horse, Adult Riders, Young Riders, Classic Series, or Grooms programs, you probably have or most likely will interact with one of these staff members.

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