United States Eventing Association

Scattered among the eventers and horses at the MARS Maryland 5 Star horse inspection in October were volunteers dressed smartly in matching red shirts. While all eyes were on the athletes, they worked behind the scenes, ensuring the event ran smoothly. The event was particularly special for volunteer Rebecca Proetto, who kept records and guided the athletes at the end of the jog strip.

This month’s VIP Volunteers are a mother and daughter duo who have a unique tradition that started over four decades ago: volunteering at the Kentucky Horse Park together. While both Marjorie “Marji” Hines and her daughter, Robinson Regen, have a pleasure riding background, and Hines used to work cattle with her father on the family farm, they knew very little about eventing when they first started volunteering.

Eventers are generally quite good at creating a welcoming community for people of all backgrounds and abilities, whether they’re brand new to the sport or competing at the five-star level. It’s not uncommon to see an upper-level rider taking their time to say an encouraging word or extending a hand to a new competitor.

The United States Eventing Association, Inc. (USEA) is thrilled to announce Santa Cruze Animal Health as a “Bronze Sponsor of the American Eventing Championships (AEC),” “Sponsor of the Adult Team Championships,” as well as a support sponsor of the AEC volunteers. They will provide gift certificates for the top three teams in the Adult Team Championship divisions and 350 UltraCruz Natural Fly & Tick sprays and coupons for the AEC Volunteers!

If you’ve ridden at Fair Hill International (Elkton, Maryland) in the last decade, you’ve most likely ridden at an event put on with the help of volunteer Dennis Davis. Davis and his wife, Bobbie Davis, have been volunteering at Fair Hill for the last 11 years.

You might not know her name, but chances are, if you’ve competed at an event in South Carolina, Virginia, or other venues across the eastern United States, you’ve met Diane Bird.

Do you have plans to attend the USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds at the Kentucky Horse Park this Aug. 27 – Sept. 1? Make your mark on the event by signing up to volunteer! Volunteer positions are open to everyone, including competitors, trainers, owners, fans, friends, and family that are making the trip to Lexington, Kentucky, later this summer, and the USEA highly encourages its members to find the time in their busy schedules to give back. These Championships cannot run without the support of hundreds of volunteers that donate their time.

There are a lot of moving parts behind every horse trial, but one of the most important facets to an event running smoothly is the dedication of the volunteers working the event. Let’s face it, our sport would not be what it is without the time offered up by these individuals. Without the contributions of volunteers, it would be impossible for an event to operate in the way that it needs to and at a cost that competitors could afford. That is why it is so important that we continue to not only recognize the amazing volunteers who give up their weekends to support our sport, but also carve out time in our schedules to volunteer as well and give back to the sport in that manner.

Stuart Landrum and Laurie Garner have been helping direct riders to the dressage ring at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event for nearly 30 years, maintaining a calm and collected atmosphere for each pair in the final warmup ring before they head down the chute to the Rolex Stadium.

Since the mid-’80s, lifelong horsewoman and professional artist Debra Sue Waters has devoted countless hours to the sport of eventing, and last year topped the rankings of the USEA Volunteer Incentive Program in Area V. Assisting behind the scenes at an event just comes naturally to the Millsap, Texas, resident.