United States Eventing Association

As parent of a horse-crazy daughter, Kendra Zartmana admits she didn’t know what she was doing when she started taking her to events.

So, instead of hanging out at the barn and getting in the way, she started volunteering at Area VII events.

While her daughter, Kaleigh Zartman, no longer rides, Kendra stayed close with her trainer, Anni Grandia-Dodson, and has become one of Area VII’s top volunteers. Based in Gig Harbor, Washington, Kendra will also travel to Area VI events to give back to the people and the sport that’s become her family.

“I have stayed partly because I love not just my barn family, but the horse show family,” she said. “Area VII young riders; just Area VII as a whole. I've started traveling down to Area VI some and helping down there as well—Temecula and Paso Robles. I still have my daughter's horse, but I'm also an owner of a couple of competition horses for Anni. Being an owner, I get to go and watch my horses go, as well as volunteer and help.”

In her eight years of volunteering, Kendra’s favorite job is dressage scribing—"I just learned so much, and the judges are so nice.”

She’ll usually go help out with the cross-country finish once she’s done with scribing

“The reason I like to finish time is because that's when you catch everybody at their happiest, finest moment, and you get to see all the smiles and stuff,” she said. “They're used to seeing me there, so it's just a lot of fun.”

Once her children were grown and out of horses, Kendra sold their house and bought a camper, which she lives in on Grandia-Dodson’s farm. She and the other riders at the barn, who call themselves “Team Chaos,” will volunteer at every show they go to.

“We are all supporting and giving back to the sport,” she said. “If Anni can't do it, then somebody else from her barn needs to do it. I like to represent that way as well, and it just keeps us busy in the community and in the area."

Now retired from her full-time work as a business manager, Kendra has a history of volunteerism for organizations like the YMCA and local nonprofits. When she’s home, she work’s part-time as a production manager and in HR for Grandia-Dodson’s husband, Mark Dodson, who runs a haunted outdoor forest attraction in October.

Inspired by being around horses, she bought herself a Quarter Horse a year ago. “He's just a solid citizen,” she said. “He's 12 years old and takes care of me, and I finally am on him, and I'm learning to ride and communicate with him. We do some trail riding and stuff. I'll never compete. I'll never do what these guys do. But just the fact that I'm up there and doing—it's absolutely incredible. So yes, at 56, years old, I learned how to ride a horse! Never would have thought it.”

Kendra loves volunteering at Rebecca Farm in Montana and other Area VII events, but Aspen Farms in Yelm, Washington, holds a special place in her heart.

“Aspen Farms is just incredible. It's just beautiful. It's amazing. And they have the best food for volunteers,” she said. “They give us the lunches. They just treat their volunteers well. Every place that I volunteer is amazing, but Aspen really is one of my favorites.”

Kendra is currently second on the USEA’s VIP Leaderboard for Area VII, behind leader Jim Moyer. She recently earned her bronze medal for 500 hours. While she says she doesn’t volunteer just for the prizes and glory, she enjoys the friendly camaraderie of the leaderboard.

“It's a running joke because Jim Moyer always will be no. 1, and there's just no way that any of us could ever catch him,” she said. “And Jim is just amazing and wonderful. My daughter took lessons from his wife, Jean. And then it's always a running between me and Sarah Airhart [currently in third place] for who is second and who is third, and she and I just go back and forth. But it's all in good fun. And Sarah and I try to keep it friendly, just to inspire everybody to try to catch up to us.”

Kendra understands the importance of volunteers in eventing and is concerned there won’t be enough to continue running the sport in the future. She hopes to encourage others to come check out a local event, even if they’re not a horse person.

“I don't know how we afford this sport without people volunteering. That's the only way these shows can continue going,” she said. “Plus, it's fun. I know a t-shirt or a hat, or a mug is not everything to everybody, but you get lunch, you get to talk to people, you get to see all the horses. The most important thing is that the shows can't go on without people volunteering. It's the most important thing that we can do to give back to the sport. So don't be scared. Just get out there and do it.”

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.