LIEC SHOW ORGANIZATION
Teamwork Gets the Job Done!
Your present executive plays a very large role in all LIEC competitions working closely with the Entry Secretary and the Volunteer Coordinator.
Before you come on board, the Executive has already booked the judge, booked the venue, and applied to HCBC for the show permits for the Bronze Level competitions. With the exception of the September 20th show which will hopefully be held at EBLES, all the competitions are at the Saanich Fairground. There is a generic Entry Form for Percentage Days and Bronze Level competitions on the web; these have also been distributed to all of last years' members in the first newsletter. The Prize List for the 2009 Junebug will be available at the April 18th show, and on the web from then on.
Deb Wellburn (250 655-4050) is the Treasurer and will be at each show to take care of paying for permits, ring rental, the judge and related expenses - keep all your receipts for any show related expenditures and give them to either Deb or the Show Office for reimbursement.
Richelle Hitchings (250 216-0740) is the Show Secretary and runs the show office. On competition day she hands out the numbers, collects any money still owing, assists the scorer, and distributes the test sheets at the end of every class after scores are recorded and placing assigned. She also advises the judge, whipper-in and scorer of any scratches or no shows. Richelle also orders the rosettes and brings them to the show along with all the supplies necessary for the show office.
Dianne Moore (250 652-5189) is the Entry Secretary and picks up the entries from the Post Office and will keep you well advised as they come in to make your job of coordination an easy one. On the Tuesday evening preceding the show, Dianne will meet with you to check the postal marks on the envelopes and together assign the times and the numbers. The entries can then be typed into a table format for posting to the web and distribution to the judge and Show Secretary.
Mr. Tube Steak is responsible for the show concession and is booked in advance. Richelle will provide the judge’s snacks but anything else the judge/scribe wish can be obtained from the concession and put on the LIEC tab.
When the Entries close, 10 days before show date, start coordinating your volunteers. Dianne will keep you informed of the Entries and jobs they volunteer to do as they are submitted. You will be given a membership list to facilitate this task. The following is a list of the positions you will need to fill:
Scorer: You will need one scorer for morning and one for afternoon – sometimes it works well to use 4 scorers throughout the day changing at breaks in the schedule. This person will work in the show office with Richelle who will be able to offer assistance. The scorer, along with Richelle, adds up the scores on the test sheets and double checks; assigns placing according to EC rules; attaches the appropriate rosette to the test sheet; and records scores on the provided show score sheets.
Scribe: This is often the most difficult position to fill and, in an ideal world, it is nice to assign a non-competitor but certainly not always possible so we do the best we can. The scribe records the judge’s marks and brief remarks on each test sheet – marks and comments made by the judge are to be treated with strict confidentiality. The scribe makes sure the tests have the proper competition number of the horse and rider when they enter the competition area. The scribe ensures that a mark for every movement is recorded and the test is signed by the judge before giving it to the runner. All entries must be made in pen, not pencil. Although most judges like to have the same scribe all day, this is difficult to fill so usually two volunteers are required, one for morning and one for the afternoon. The scribe must have knowledge of the tests being ridden – someone scribing for the first time cannot mark above second level. EC judges may act as scribes. A scribe must not be an owner/coach/trainer or family member of a competitor/horse in the class in which they are scribing (Article E 7.21).
Runner: The runner collects test sheets from the scribe after 2nd or 3rd test and brings them to the scorer at the show office. This person can also take refreshments as required to the judge and scribe. A 2 - 3 hour stint is long enough and often you can fill this position from parents or spectators at the show. Once the times are done you can slot riders in before or after they show. It is the least important of the jobs to fill because the show office can pick up the tests if and when necessary.
Whipper-In: This person makes sure each competitor is advised when they are “on deck” and ensures riders get into the ring at the right time and in the proper order. They open and close gates from the warm up area to the show ring and advise the judge and scorer/show office of any scratches. They also keep an eye on the warm-up area to make sure it does not get over crowded and have the authority to ask a rider to leave the area if their horse is misbehaving or creating problems for other horse/rider combinations. It works well to have 4 people divide the duty – 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. This is a job for an adult or an older junior with lots of self confidence as maintaining safety in the warm up area is a prime concern.
Rakes: You will need someone to rake at breaks during the day and at the end of the shows in April, June and July as the dressage arena will be set up for 2 days.
Ring Set-Up/Tear Down: The surrounds are presently stored at Dianne Moore’s home – 91 Durrance Road; please call ahead to arrange a time for pick up. You will need a volunteer to haul the trailer to the venue and another to return it after the show. For the past few years, Ruth Lick and Liz Brachman have assisted with the take down and return of the surrounds. The letters and rope to assist in the set up are with the trailer.
You will need 5-6 volunteers to assist you in the Set Up. Please make sure there are a couple of rakes brought along to put on the finishing touches.
When setting up the surrounds, the first corner to construct is the one closest to the gate where the judge’s vehicle will be (the end of the ring nearest the main buildings). The location for the corner is 5 fence posts down to allow for room for the judge’s vehicle (on the bleacher side of the fence). If you look at the fence by the gate at the end of the ring facing the main buildings you will see 2 nails in the bottom fence board mid way between the first 2 fence posts – you now have your corner marker. Please remember to erect the surrounds with 2 rails facing in.
You will notice there are 2 short (1 M) sections of fence. When you set up the “A” end of the dressage arena, these are inserted 1 at each end by each corner section on the 20 M side – this allows for a 2 M gate at “A”.
The dressage letters should be ½ M back from the surrounds.
Once the dressage arena is set up, divide the ring in half to delineate the warm up ring. We have in the past used poles from the hunter/jumper supplies, with their permission, stored at the back of the indoor arena and it is important to make sure they are returned after the show.
You will also need a vehicle for the judge and scribe to sit in. A truck or SUV is preferable because it gives a height advantage for better visibility. Please ensure that the vehicle is clean. The vehicle owner will receive $10 for a car wash from the Show Office at the end of the show.
Arrange for 5-6 volunteers at end of show to take the ring down and load it onto the trailer. As well, it is extremely important to do a sweep of the grounds - remove manure from the show ring (and the grounds and parking lot if we are at EBLES) and put all garbage and recyclable items are in proper containers. Before leaving the grounds ensure the buildings are locked and tools are properly stored.
Please note that for the April and July shows, there will be no need for a tear down crew as we are leaving the arena in place for the VSC show the next day and they will be responsible for tear down and clean up.
When you have lined up the volunteers for the above, please send a completed list to both Richelle (richelleh@gmail.com) and Dianne (diannemoore@shaw.ca).
In addition to the above, you will need the following volunteers for Junebug.
Stable Manager: This person assigns stalls as needed. They should check that stalls are clean before the show and check to ensure they are left clean before returning the clean stall deposit. Stall signage should contain pertinent information (owner, vet, farrier, emergency phone contact) and be safely displayed. The Stable Manager keeps track of the total number of stalls used so we can pay the Fairground and looks after the barn tools and wheelbarrow belonging to the Fairground ensuring they are returned to indoor arena at the end of the show.
Announcer: This person should come during set-up to familiarize themselves with the PA system provided by the Fairground. They announce each competitor as they enter and leave the ring and the placing in each class. The Announcer works with Richelle to set up and play any Freestyle music - LIEC has a portable sound system for this purpose.
It is also important to visit the Fairground the week before the show to ensure the ring is dragged and watered if necessary. Keys to the Show Office can be picked up at this time.
Other things to consider:
-for the May show, arrange for a farrier on call
-because Central Saanich Animal Hospital is close by, notify them for vet coverage
-time of year and weather permitting, you may want to decorate the competition ring with flowers, shrubs etc.
On with the show! Arrive early on show day or perhaps you have assigned this task to someone else so you can ride. Check to see that everyone is doing their job and reassign positions as necessary. Be prepared to do ring repairs as necessary (have rake will travel). Do not hesitate to ask spectators or parents to pitch in for odd jobs as the need arises.
Most importantly, give yourself a big pat on the back and enjoy your accomplishment.
Amended Feb. 09.