20 August 2024
The VIP volunteer: Roger Chick has found his place in the eventing community
Eventers, in general, are quite good at creating a welcoming community for people of all backgrounds and abilities, whether they are brand new to the sport or competing at a five-star level. It is not uncommon for an upper-level rider to take the time to offer an encouraging word or shake hands with a new competitor. This welcoming spirit extends to the volunteers, who have an even more diverse level of experience with horses. Roger Chick is one of those volunteers who, despite knowing absolutely nothing about horses when he started, has found a place in the eventing community.
Chick has volunteered at events all over his home area of Washington state, even at Rebecca Farm in Montana and the USEA American Eventing Championships in Kentucky, logging a whopping 681 hours of volunteer work, earning him a bronze medal on the USEA volunteer leaderboard. For those not mathematically inclined, that’s over 28 days, the equivalent of one day of volunteering in February without a break.
Many volunteers specialize in the work they enjoy most. Some write for a judge, others decorate cross-country fences. Chick’s favorite position is leading the cross-country warm-up, a position he got at Rebecca Farm when they were short a volunteer. “I started doing that and have been doing it ever since. They keep inviting me back, so they must like what I do. And now I lead the cross-country warm-up at every other show I go to except the Aspen Horse Trials (Yelm, Washington).”
Chick started volunteering in 2011. His oldest granddaughter, Samantha Hollow-Bist, had taken up the sport and he began attending her horse trials to cheer her on. “We took her to shows and I quickly realized she only needed me for two minutes while they got going. I got bored being there all day, so I started volunteering.”
While Hollow-Bist waited for her ride and prepared for the competition, Chick worked. Then, just in time for her round, he would hop on his bike and ride to the dressage, then the showjumping and cross-country to cheer her on, before returning to his post warming up for the cross-country. But those days are now in the past.
“She’s gone to the dark side,” he chuckled. “That’s what I tell people since she’s a hunter/showjumper now. She’d still really like to get back into eventing, but as long as she’s got this horse, she’s happy with what she’s doing.”
Eventing has slowly become a family affair. Chick’s wife, Anne Chick, got into the saddle when she was in her 40s, and he followed suit. “(Anne) was 49 when we bought her a horse. At the time, I was volunteering for Little League. I did that for the first six or seven years, and then I realized I really needed to start taking riding lessons so we could be together. I took just enough riding lessons so I even knew what a horse was, and then just rode with her on trail rides until the horse we had for me died. I haven’t ridden since.”
Roger’s commitment to supporting his wife and granddaughters’ passion for horses extends beyond volunteering. He now has five horses and a stable in his backyard. “I help my wife take care of them, and my youngest granddaughter, Natalie (Hollow-Bist), comes over almost every day now so she can ride in the backyard,” Roger said. “It’s work. I enjoy the work. I don’t want to give the impression that I’m being punished for having horses. I don’t want to say that at all. But I can’t say I feel close to the horses. I enjoy it because I help my wife with the work.”
Natalie has now taken Samantha’s place and competes in the horse trials while Roger volunteers. Although he has a competitive side, he is proud of his granddaughters no matter what. “I love watching their shows and their performances. And of course I’m always happy about whatever happens, whether they get a 45 or a 28 in dressage, whether they knock down a pole or not. I always support them whatever happens, as long as they do their best.”
Roger has always enjoyed volunteering, working for his sons’ Little League long after they were grown and moved out. Now that he’s turned his attention to the eventing community, he says his volunteer work isn’t motivated by a deep love of horses. Rather, he’s driven by his desire to support his family and the sense of community he finds at horse shows.
“Everyone asks me, ‘Wow, did you see that horse? Did you see that horse?’ You know, I have no interest in them jumping,” Roger said. “I have no idea what any of that means. I mean, I know they get points if they drop a pole and there are no penalties. I know the basics, but to really have a real interest in watching every horse jump and seeing their style and all that? I don’t do that. My passion for eventing is limited to volunteering and really seeing my granddaughters do very well.”
Like many horse show dads, Roger enjoys talking with the riders, their families and their trainers. “You become friends for that moment or that show, or anytime you see them anywhere else, you can say hi and talk to them,” he said. “And you know you know these people and you feel familiar. That’s the most important thing. I’m more gregarious than judgmental. I’ll talk to the trainers. I’ll talk to the riders and make them feel comfortable. You know, we’re all here to have fun. I think in every culture there’s a sense of togetherness, family and camaraderie.”
As they prepare for the cross-country warm-up, each rider feels like Roger’s granddaughter for a brief moment. They get a glimpse of his kind personality. “That’s one thing I tell everyone who goes in there: ‘Hey, have fun riding. But most of all, have fun.’ You know, we’re paying so much money, and when we’re paying so much money, the goal should be to have fun.”
Roger embodies the idea that everyone is welcome in the eventing community, whether you’re there as a passionate horse lover or someone who may not know much about horses but enjoys the camaraderie. “Some people have hobbies and hide out in their woodshop,” he said. “Some people have hobbies where they like to garden or whatever. I don’t have that, and that’s why I find it’s really a lot of fun to volunteer. That’s what it’s all about. I’m looking forward to the summers. I’m looking forward to the first horse race I volunteer at in May.”
Regardless of whether his youngest granddaughter continues to compete or not, Roger has no plans to stop volunteering any time soon. “As long as I’m healthy, I’ll keep volunteering.”
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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 the sport of eventing alive. To recognize the dedication, commitment and hard work that volunteers put into the sport of eventing, the USEA launched the Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP) in 2015. In 2017, an online management portal for volunteers, organizers and volunteer coordinators was developed at EventingVolunteers.com, which is also available as an app for iOS and Android.
Volunteer incentives include national and regional recognition, year-end awards, a leaderboard of the top ten USEA volunteers, and the Volunteer of the Year award given to the volunteer who accumulates the most volunteer hours on EventingVolunteers.com at recognized events during the USEA competition year. Click here to learn more about the USEA Volunteer Incentive Program.
