United States Eventing Association

Cindi Carrell and Rick Resto: USEA's Volunteers of the Month Presented by Athletux

It always helps to see a warm and friendly face when heading to warm up for that all-important test or jump round. In this series, the United States Evening Association (USEA) is partnering with Athletux to feature those around us who help make these events happen, the volunteers. Without them horse shows and programs could not succeed, and these volunteers go above and beyond to make sure every rider feels comfortable and confident. Do you know a volunteer who should be nominated as Volunteer of the Month? We are looking for our next feature. Email your tips to [email protected].

Volunteers. Eventers know that volunteers are the backbone of our sport. I could go on and on about the endless things that volunteers do to keep our events up and running – but that is an article unto itself. This month I’d like to introduce you to two of Area VII’s most hard-working and faithful volunteers.

Meet Cindi Carrell and Rick Resto, Area VII’s Volunteers of the Year in both 2017 and 2018. Resto and Carrell each logged well in excess of 100 hours of volunteer time each year. I can only imagine how many hours they’ve put in over the years in total!

If you are a competitor in Area VII, you are likely very familiar with the smiling faces of these two amazing volunteers. Organizers know if Resto and Carrell volunteer that they are hard-working and reliable, fellow volunteers love working with them as they are kind, professional, and energetic, and perhaps most importantly, as a rider, I know when I see their smiling faces that I am in good hands. Nervous on the way to bit check for that dressage ride or being told you’re next up in the jump ring? Carrell’s bright smile and encouraging comments always impart a sense of calm. “Rick and I both love to help others so volunteering to us is natural. We are both organizers in life so when we see an opportunity to make something run more smoothly, we are there to help," Carrell said.

In their “real” lives, Carrell has been a registered nurse for 34 years. She works in a surgery center at a Seattle hospital and loves her job and the doctors with whom she works. Resto is a Chief Information Officer for a large seafood company in Seattle.

Carrell got started in eventing when she bought a horse and the woman who helped her with training happened to be an event trainer. Carrell and Lindy Cogswell were always together with the horses and the rest of us are lucky that Cogswell brought Carrell into our eventing fold.

Carrell has been competing in eventing off and on since 1988. She tries to compete in five or six events each year and volunteers at every event in which she competes. She said, “I make exceptions for volunteering at Aspen and Equestrians Institute - meaning I go and volunteer at them even when I don’t compete. Rick got into eventing when I wanted him to know what I enjoyed so we went to the Whidbey Island Horse Trials. He loved the horses running fast and jumping into the water. From that experience he decided I needed a different horse so bought me a new horse. He since has learned to ride and been super involved with helping me get ready for each stage of the competition and been there to watch. Recently he has put more hours into volunteering since I get nervous and pick at how he gets my horse ready.“

When asked why she spends so many hours volunteering at events, Carrell said, “I enjoy volunteering. I learned about how important it is from Aimee Witherspoon. I find it very rewarding to help our sport out. Last year when I injured my back, I was able to volunteer more hours and still be around the wonderful people in our sport. The people of our sport are kind and gracious. They thank volunteers, but truly it's an honor and privilege to volunteer and help our sport. Volunteering is also a way for my husband, Rick, to feel involved in the sport. He also finds it very rewarding and enjoys using the VIP website for tracking our volunteer hours.”

Volunteering is a family affair for this pair. “Rick's 87-year-old mother understands how important eventing is to both Rick and I and has spent an entire day on the cross-country course with us so she could understand why it is important. She came back three years in a row!”

When asked “why eventing?”, Carrell responded, “I love eventing because it is a sport where you do more than one discipline and put it all together on one horse. Eventers love their horses and have a special bond with them. We have to trust each other will be there in order to safely navigate the three disciplines. Even on the worst of days, when you have to think about and believe in another living thing it makes you focus on something beyond yourself and not be so self-centered, which is what our eventing world teaches us. Eventers are amazing. People are willing to lend you equipment, give positive encouragement, warm me up when no coach can be found, wipe my boots off for a better appearance, and give people a leg up. Really whatever needs to be done to help and calm people.”

So, what’s in their future in this sport? Carrell has enjoyed competing at the Novice level for many years, but says she is ready to challenge herself by moving up a level and hopes to compete both of her horses at Training level this season. Naturally, she and Resto will continue to volunteer as much as possible and we look forward to seeing this reliable pair out and about in the future.

Carrell’s ultimate goal is to become a Technical Delegate. I know that when that time comes, I’ll be honored if she asks me to write one of her recommendation letters! Thank you, Cindi and Rick, for all you do!

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.