ADA FLAGSTAFF Volunteer Coordinator

Please contact:

Peggy Farmer

psfarmer@q.com
H: 602 942 6062, C: 602 885 4804

free t-shirt to wear at the show.

free meal ticket for the venue food concession

snacks and refreshments for your enjoyment.

raffle ticket for daily cash drawing For each morning or afternoon shift worked.

For scheduling purposes, we ask that volunteers serve either a morning or afternoon shift. Each shift lasts approximately 4 to 5 hours. Morning volunteers please arrive as early as 7:00 or 7:30 am.

Afternoon volunteers should arrive 30 minutes prior to the start of their shift and be prepared to stay until the end of the show day - usually 4:00 or 5:00 pm.

We are delighted when a volunteer will work a full day or even two! Friday help is always welcome before a show to set rings, put up signs, banners and ring decorations.

**Help the ADA keep our entry fees as affordable as possible!**

ADA needs people on our Fundraising Committee to contact our many reliable contributors and show program advertisers about two months prior to the show.  We have developed a database of these contacts ... no "cold" calls necessary ... and we provide fundraising forms and guidelines. 

 A skilled position requiring previous experience to scribe at a recognized show.  The Scribe sits with the judge and records the scores and judge comments for each movement on the score sheet. 

** Watch for ADA Scribing Clinics to Gain Experience**

Some scribes prefer lower level tests and others prefer the FEI upper levels.  We match the experience and comfort level of the scribe to the appropriate classes.   Many scribes are happy to work for a full day (having developed an immunity to writer’s cramp), but we will also schedule half-day assignments for scribes. 

We provide lunch and refreshments to scribes, whose schedules must coincide with that of the judge they are sitting with.

The Ring Steward is there for the horse. It is one of the most responsible jobs at a show. USEF requires that a Ring Steward monitor every competition, warm-up and lungeing ring. This is to ensure safety for competitors and to ensure that horses are not mistreated.

The Ring Steward has a list of the competitors and a show schedule for the ring they are assigned to. They help keep the show running on time by advising competitors of the order they are to go in and how many rides are ahead of them. They communicate with the show announcer via radio to say who is in the competition ring and with other ring stewards if a rider is running late or missing in action. They may also be asked to check bits and whip length and will receive information on what equipment is legal. **However, it is not the responsibility of the Ring Steward to enforce rules.**

Finally, Ring Stewards are the front line for show safety and may alert show management when a rider falls or an unsafe situation arises. They receive a briefing on the show emergency plan should an accident occur.

Runners pick up tests from the competition rings and deliver them to the Scoring Office. This is a very important link to a well-run show. The tests are strictly confidential and should be delivered promptly, preferably after each ride, so that the Scorers can calculate and post scores in a timely manner.

Runners should use proper etiquette when collecting the score sheets so as not to disturb the judge, and may be asked to carry messages, schedule updates and take lunch or refreshment orders from the judge and scribe. The runners are able to observe the show and some of the rides, and this is probably one of the more enjoyable assignments for those who like the active nature of this job.

Every show has a busy Scoring Office.  The Scoring Office may have four to six scorers working together.  Each test is scored twice by two different Scorers.  Test results must agree before a score is posted. 

When classes are completed, the order of finish is determined and posted on day sheets mounted near the Scoring Office accessible to the competitors.  When this is completed, the tests are delivered to the Awards Table. Over the course of two days, the Scoring Office may handle 500 score sheets. 

This job does not require a lot of experience, but does demand the ability to work quickly with extreme accuracy.  This is a job for someone with good attention to detail who can concentrate and work with a team.  At a well-run show, competitors can expect to see scores posted within 30-45 minutes of completing their ride.

Our goal is to keep our judges happy. We try to
hire the best judges available. When they are well taken care of (or not), the word gets around in our small world of dressage.

Judges are given 10-15 minute breaks every two hours and a lunch break of at least 45 minutes. When five rings are operating, it is critical that we get judges wherever they need to be in a timely manner whether they are going on break, having lunch or changing rings. Judge Hospitality team members make sure that lunches are ordered and ready. They drive judges around the show grounds in golf carts at the beginning and end of shows or for breaks.

The rings are on breaks at different times so there is a bit of orchestration and attention to detail involved with this job. We need at least two people to help with this activity at each show.

On the Friday before a show, two, three or more
dressage courts must be set up. It takes about 1-1/2 hours to set each ring, so this is a time-consuming activity. More hands make quicker work and we can always use help setting up rings.

We also decorate rings, hang banners and post signs on the day before a show. Friday show workers also get a free lunch!

After the show we must take down and pack up everything that has been set up. This goes faster, but extra help is always needed or the poor show and grounds managers are in for a late night on Sunday!

The Awards Table volunteers file and distribute score sheets and hand out ribbons and first place prizes. They may also be involved in selling ADA Merchandise that is usually set up at a nearby table.

It's a fun job congratulating the winners and giving them their well-deserved ribbons and prizes.