VOLUNTEERS! The Backbone of the Equestrian Sport

It’s a beautiful, sunny 75 degrees with a light wind rustling your hair and the leaves on the large trees surrounding you, your shoulders are a bit rosy from the sunshine.

Suddenly, the sound of thunderinghooves draws your eye to the tree line as a large white horse gallops furiously towards the green brush jump right in front of you. Bunching its muscles, eyes focused, the horse and rider soar forward, up and over the jump, speeding to the next obstacle as you call “114, clear 5.” You’ve just jumped judged your first rider on cross country at the Carolina Horse Park. Your heart is hammering in your chest from the excitement, the thrill, and you know you’ve got to do it again ... and soon.

Cross country jump judging is just one of 35 volunteer jobs available at the Carolina Horse Park. There are opportunities with every discipline from Eventing to Driving to Dressage. Some jobs include crossing guard, score runners, bit check, set up, scribes and ring stewards. There are higher impact jobs such as jump crew that require volunteers to enter the riding rings to reset fallen jumps and lower impact jobs such as timers who are placed on course to time riders. With over 300 volunteers working the 30 weeks of horse shows and events each year, Carolina Horse Park’s volunteers are the backbone of not only the Park, but equestrian sports around the world. During an event, riders and spectators don’t have to look far to see one of many helpful volunteers working tirelessly to produce top notch events. Since 2021, Maggie Cline has been the Park’s Volunteer Coordinator and she really enjoys working with her volunteers, “I have seen such incredible dedication from these volunteers, rain or shine. Selflessly giving up their time, at several events per year, to ensure the Park’s success and to keep the sport alive. Simply put, we would not be here without our volunteers.” Many volunteers return year after year to support the events. Dee Charbonnet, a longtime volunteer, was asked why she volunteers, “I started volunteering in the fall of 2016 after I moved here from

California. I enjoy eventing and this is a way to stay in the sport since I don’t compete anymore. I love finish timing on the cross country course. Seeing and hearing the elation as riders cross through the flags - the joy of parents seeing their kids finish, the whoops of the riders and their shouts of “that was so much fun!” and huge pats on the necks of their horses ... and often a “thank you for volunteering” shout out which is icing for me. It made me laugh once when a professional rider once asked, “Did I miss anything out there?”

Volunteering is a fun and easy way to explore current, or new, interests and passions. It’s also one of the best ways to make new friends and strengthen existing relationships, many lifelong friendships have prospered at the Park. The Park’s goal for every volunteer is that they have a great day with friends while enjoying our 315 acres and maybe even learning something new. Recently, Barnware, a local business based in Aberdeen for over 30 years, signed on as the CHP’s Official Volunteer Sponsor providing tee-shirts and drink koozies to all 300 volunteers! A perfect fit as Barnware engineers custom-built doors, windows, and grills for barns. The Park’s volunteers are also recognized at the Southern Pines Equine Associates (SPEA) War Horse Event Series Championship Awards Ceremony each November. The Volunteer Excellence Awards are based on hours worked at the Park. There are several categories that are honored such as the top 10 volunteers, top Jr. volunteer, top newcomer volunteer, top dressage/cross country/show jump volunteer, and “Behind the Scenes” and “Above and Beyond” volunteers. The volunteers that receive each award reflect the degree of dedication and passion of our entire volunteer corps, of our most valuable resource.