We’ve all heard over the loudspeaker “we need more volunteers!” Instead of frantically rushing to find last minute volunteers, now there’s an app for that.
Rocking Horse, Galway Downs, Great Meadow, Carolina International, The Fork at Tryon, Plantation Field, MDHT, and Jersey Fresh International: what do these shows have in common? They all use the online management portal, EventingVolunteers.com (also available as an app for iOS and Android) to organize volunteer participation and ensure volunteer happiness. Happy volunteers equate to happy show organizers which results in happy competitors, happy judges, happy coaches, happy spectators, and so on and so forth.
The USEA Volunteer Incentive Program’s (VIP) Committee has set up incentives like national recognition, cash prizes, a chance to appear on the official USEA Volunteer leaderboard, and a “Volunteer of the Year” award, proving it should be a no brainer to sign up with EventingVolunteers.com. Not only does it offer incentives to our generous service providers, VIP Presenting Sponsor, Sunsprite Warmbloods has made it possible for all USEA recognized events to use the platform free of charge! Therefore, it’s free, your volunteers can set future goals, your shows will run smoother, and everyone will be happier.
This application is designed to help the volunteer who might be unwilling, unqualified, unexperienced, or is a friend of a friend who got suckered into volunteering for an hour (which can easily turn into four). The difference between one to four hours is significant for someone who is volunteering their time. This application tracks these extra hours down to the very last second.
Bonnie Kibbie is a dedicated volunteer, passionate vet, loving wife and mother, avid eventer, and in her free time she serves as Chair of the USEA Volunteer Incentive Program Committee. Kibbie has several thoughts on the online management system, “I can’t stress enough how user-friendly we have tried to make this program. In the last year we have had everything from small schooling shows of less than 100 entries to huge venues like the AEC using the app, it is that easy to tailor to your event’s specific needs!” To learn more about the use of this app (that was created by another dedicated volunteer, Nicolas Hinze) please read: Getting Started with Eventing Volunteers.
Regarding the application’s unique features, Kibbie states, “I love that the app sends me reminders about volunteer opportunities in my area, and I love being able to check the leaderboard and see familiar names of fellow volunteers.”
Whether your preference is to learn about dressage through the judge’s eyes (dressage scribe), enjoy the thrill of cross-country from the comfort of your seat (jump judge), or improve volunteer satisfaction, you can pick your preference on EventingVolunteers.com. All you need is an email address to sign up!
About USEA Volunteer Incentive Program
Volunteers are the lifeline 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 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, 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 (VIP).
The USEA would like to thank Sunsprite Warmbloods for sponsoring the Volunteer Incentive Program.
Karma is developing into one of the fastest and most-reliable cross-country horses in the West. The 9-year-old bay Oldenburg mare and James Alliston won their third-straight blue ribbon together at either the four-star or Advanced level in the CCI4*-S at the Twin Rivers Fall International in Paso Robles, California, with the only double-clear cross-country round on Saturday.
Most couples share a kiss and part ways at 8:00 a.m. as they head off to their own work days, but eventing power couple James and Helen Alliston do it all together. We gave our USEA members the opportunity to submit their questions for this West Coast-based couple, and USEA Podcast host Nicole Brown gets them to share all on many topics: eventing in the U.S. versus the U.K., who is the most competitive of the two, dealing with warmer temperatures, why James likes to drive illegally slow, and so much more!
The Plantation Field International CCI4*-S concluded today with the cross-country phase, and the final standings were nearly a matter of “last one standing.” As Tropical Storm Ophelia brought a torrential downpour to the area, a number of riders decided to opt out: of 39 competitors, only six completed, and 17 withdrew before the start of cross-country.
After 15 years of successfully cultivating and establishing the Future Event Horse (FEH) program for eventing breeders and owners, the United States Eventing Association (USEA) has merged the FEH program with the Young Horse Show Series (YHS). The updated YHS allows for a more comprehensive show series for sport horses in the U.S., as the YHS is now open to young talent with a future in eventing, as well as hunters, jumpers, and dressage.