United States Eventing Association

For decades, Jim Moyer has been one of the most familiar, and most valued, faces in the eventing volunteer community, supporting horse trials across the country with tireless dedication. After being named the 2023 USEA Volunteer of the Year, he’s done it again, becoming the first-ever two-time winner of the award after receiving the honor in 2025. Moyer was also one of the first ever USEA VIP Volunteer Gold Medal recipients this year for over 2,000 hours of volunteer serviced logged in the USEA Volunteer Incentive Program.

We sat down with Moyer for a Q&A to talk about his volunteer journey, his favorite roles, and why giving back to eventing continues to be such a meaningful part of his life.

What job would you suggest to someone who has never volunteered before, but wants to get started?

Jump judging for sure. It truly is a very easy job. If you are jump judging, you still get to be a spectator and get an up-close look at the competition, while still helping out. It’s a great way to get comfortable with volunteering. Another first job might be score running or helping out with hospitality. Those are all great ways to get involved and learn and then try something else.

What are your tips for a full day of volunteering?

I’m a full day volunteer during the competition. I always get up in the mornings and check the weather so I have what I need in terms of clothing. You want to think about, if it might rain, bringing a rain jacket or if it is really sunny, I will have my sunscreen. Because I bring my dog to the competitions with me, and he stays in my motor home, I always work with the volunteer coordinators beforehand to make sure that there is a break in the day, most of the time it’s a break between classes, so I can let him out. That is something that is typically easy to coordinate if you need 10-minute breaks throughout the day!

Can you talk about other ways people can volunteer outside of during a competition weekend?

Another way people can help out an event is by helping set up for the competition. Typically, I’m at an event at least a week or two before the competition to help out with things like staining fences, setting up dressage arenas, or decorating on cross-country. Those things can be done on an individual’s personal timeframe too and it’s a great way to get involved and help out if you can’t volunteer during the event.

What are your interactions with the competitors like at a competition?

I’m always encouraging. If I am out jump judging, I stay pretty quiet, but if I am ring stewarding, I try to work with the riders and always wish them the best when they’re out there. I try to make it less stressful for them, because there are a number of riders that come into the warmup under stress so I like that I can keep them calm out there warming up.

What keeps you coming back as a volunteer event after event?

For me, it's fairly simple— I absolutely love being out there working and doing this stuff. I really don't have much of another life. I'm home for the December through January timeframe, and I'm sitting in front of the TV and taking the dog out for a run every day, but it's not the same. When I'm out there helping people at the events, and getting things set up, and volunteering, doing the competition, it makes my life so much fuller. I don't golf. I'm not a boater. Going to these functions and volunteering that's what I enjoy.

What are some other ways you are involved in the sport?

There are a number of horses here on the West Coast that I follow. My late wife and I sourced a number of foals. I try to buy a foal once a year, and then have it raised for resale, and then I get to follow it through the competitions. That’s another reason that I enjoy going to the competitions. I love getting to see those horses.

Do you have an event that you volunteer at that feels very special for you?

Probably Aspen Farms (Yelm, Washington), and that’s because John Elliott has been a part of the family since he was 10 years old when Jean, my wife, was giving him lessons as a kid. But each place has its own beauty and value. I like helping at the events that don’t have tons of money coming in—those smaller shows that are struggling a bit to get the numbers to keep the show running. I think it's important to keep volunteering at those places and encouraging people to come compete there.

Why do you think it’s important for competitors to volunteer?

There is so much that you can learn about this sport through volunteering. For example, if you are jump judging you learn so much about the rules that you may not know through sitting through the morning briefings and seeing all the horses go through. If you wind up volunteering at an FEI, you get to learn the ongoings of those kinds of events or you get to help a vet with the vet checks which is huge. I think it is so beneficial for everyone to be a part of the volunteering system.

What is next for you on your 2026 schedule?

This month I am going to head south and then east a little bit. I want to go to Florida and check out what’s going on there and volunteer there. One of my friends, Sarah Sullivan has a couple of horses that I sourced for her, and they’re doing very well, and she’s going there for a few months to work with Kyle Carter, so I just decided to pack up and watch her and cheer her on.

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, commitment, 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.