United States Eventing Association

The 2026 eventing season has reached the halfway point, and the sports strongest supporters, its volunteers, have been out in full force already. As of June 25, 38,049 hours have been recorded through EventingVolunteers.com at 147 events across the country. The USEA Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP), which was formed in 2015, was created to recognize these dedicated volunteers through national and area leaderboards, which award year-end awards and prizes.

The VIP Medal Program also recognizes volunteers who consistently serve the sport, based on hours accumulated in EventingVolunteers.com since its inception. Medals were first awarded in 2020, and now, there are now more than 90 volunteers who have been recognized for receiving their Bronze (500+ hours), Silver (1,000+ hours), or even Gold (2,000+ hours) medals through the program. The current VIP Medal Recipients are as follows:

Gold Medalists

Susan Hart	Jim Moyer	Diane Bird
Angie Leihy	Dennis Davis

Silver Medalists

Jerry Buell	Art Bird	Debbie Hinkle
Shelley Ryan	Beth Diamond	Catherine Hale
Barbara Davis	Cynthia Smith	John Bandrofchak
Leah Fleming	James Newman	Lynne Buell
Micheal Smallwood	Dick Owen	Bambi Glaccum
Joan Harper	Margaret Potorski	Carroll Crowl
Masae Muramatsu	Karin Farrow	Sarah Airhart
Toni Marie Woods	Andrea Maddock

Bronze Medalists

Chris Hayner	Amanda Ang	Cheryl Steele
Roger Chick	Kimberlee Meeks	Carol Lee
Candi Kobetz	Mary Fike	Vicki Baumgardner
Scarlett Schall	David Slagle	Vicki Reynolds
Barb Bennett	Golly Martin	Mary McCarthy
John Marshall	Barb Fraley	Patricia Scott
Chrisanne Mortensen	Robinson Regen	Lynne Vetel
Ron McGinley	Karen Mumme	Kendra Zartman
Todd Van Lehn	Emma Hinke	Janet Dillon
Marjorie Hines	Doug Flick	Corinna Lewis
Cindy Jezerski	Tanya Ashinhurst	Joan Hilsman
Pat Noble	Rudy Vogt III	Rachel Courtney
Janice Holmes	Paige Ervin	Mary Tinder
Stacey Blyskal	Mary Ann Andres	Lisa Pragg
Bub Dillon	Lynn Nelson	Joe Hannan
Holly Covey	Mary Quarles	Daniel Stickney
Melia Langdon	Rick Resto	Pamela Kimmel
Julie Murray	Gail Allison	Laurie Hogan
Michelle Martin	Todd Killalea	Kristy Cartier
Erik Arnesen	Mary Margaret Drake	Julia Porcino
Darlene Eakle

Yet again, every volunteer that graces the Top 10 on the national volunteer leaderboard for recognized events is a VIP medal recipient. Two-time USEA Volunteer of the Year, Jim Moyer of Gig Harbor, Washington, is in first place yet again with a staggering 448 hours and 34 minutes approved since Dec. 1. In second place with 313 hours and 54 minutes of service logged is Jerry Buell of Leesburg, Florida. Finally, Susan Hart of Oxford, Pennsylvania, currently claims third place with 313 hours, and 43 minutes completed through the platform.

This year, the USEA announced the Volunteer Achievement Program (VAP), which celebrates volunteers for their expertise in key roles within the sport of eventing. This program has taken off, and more than 80 volunteers have already earned VAP badges. Here is an overview of the positions that have seen experts claim their badges thus far:

• Dressage Bit Check – 2 badges earned
• Dressage Score Runner – 11 badges earned
• Dressage Scribe – 10 badges earned
• Dressage Warm Up - 8 badges earned
• Show Jumping In Gate – 7 badges earned
• Show Jumping Jump Crew – 7 badges earned
• Show Jumping Scribe – 3 badges earned
• Show Jumping Timer – 2 badges earned
• Show Jumping Warm Up – 1 badge earned
• Cross-Country Finish Timer – 7 badges earned
• Cross-Country Jump Judge – 34 badges earned
• Cross-Country Starter – 5 badges earned
• Cross-Country Warm Up – 1 badge earned

Several factors can influence the number of hours each volunteer has, including the frequency of events in each area, geography and the ease of travel, and how many events elect to use EventingVolunteers.com within those parameters. Whether it’s 100 volunteer hours or 10, the top volunteers from each area deserve recognition for their hard work! Below are the top three volunteers for each Area, as they stand on June 25, 2026.

Area I
737 hours – 105 volunteers – 13 events

1. Heather McKenny – 30:01
2. Olivia Evans – 18:30
3. Grace Henry – 18:00

Area II
9,848 hours – 711 volunteers – 36 events

1. Susan Hart – 313:43
2. Dennis Davis – 233:05
3. Barbara Davis – 196:05

Area III
8,661 hours – 457 volunteers – 48 events

1. Jerry Buell – 313:54
2. Catherine Hale – 301:49
3. Lynne Buell – 281:16

Area IV
367 hours – 49 volunteers – 4 events

1. Kelly Cross – 21:15
2. MaryEllen Miller – 17:30
3. Amy Roberts Werner – 15:45

Area V
454 hours – 65 volunteers – 6 events

1. Danielle Villines – 15:50
2. Joy Motyka – 11:40
3. Annie Warren – 11:28

Area VI
2,298 hours – 193 volunteers – 10 events

1. Janet Goto – 85:10
2. Piyush Agarwal – 79:41
3. Nicole Horton – 62:57

Area VII
2,302 hours – 171 volunteers – 8 events

1. Jim Moyer – 266:00
2. Sarah Airhart – 82:10
3. Kendra Zartman – 79:01

Area VIII
12,349 hours – 1,043 volunteers – 9 events

1. Debbie Hinkle – 236:14
2. Chris Hayner – 180:00
3. Robert Pettit – 122:30

Area IX
790 hours – 115 volunteers – 10 events

1. Kayla DeHart – 56:38
2. Donna Johnson – 46:30
3. Rebecca DeFer – 27:11

Area X
239 hours – 32 volunteers – 4 events

1. Taharra Morris-Reid – 26:40
2. Barbara Wagenman – 22:58
3. Jana Flagler – 18:50

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 eventing alive. In efforts to recognize the dedication and hard work that volunteers put into eventing, the 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, which is also available as an app for iOS and Android.

Volunteer incentives include national and area recognition, year-end awards, a top 10 USEA Volunteer leaderboard, and a Volunteer of the Year award which is given to the volunteer who accumulates the most volunteer hours on EventingVolunteers.com at recognized events throughout the USEA competition year. Click here to learn more about the USEA Volunteer Incentive Program.

The USEA would like to thank Horse Illustrated for their support of the Volunteer Incentive Program.