We always need volunteers, volunteer judges and helpers at competitions. They are an essential part of running an event that our club would not be able to function effectively without.
Volunteering at an event is a fantastic opportunity to learn about TREC and the great opportunities it offers to helpers, riders and their horses. Watching other competitors, gaining an understanding of how to judge PTV obstacles and run the MA are all great ways to learn about so many parts of the sport.
Please remember as part of your membership all WHTG Members are encouraged to help at both a Summer and a Winter Series event during the membership year.
You can help either as a member or volunteer by;
- PTV building and dismantling- offers to help always appreciated.
- Taking entries for the Organiser before an event
- Helping make up judges packs.
- Judging on the PTV course – guidance on scoring always given.
- Collecting scores on the course- helps speed up getting final result ready.
- Judging on the MA corridor.
- Checkpoint or Ticket support on the POR.
Please look in the event schedule or contact a Committee Member to offer your help.
At WHTG we look after our judges – free refreshments will be provided to all judges.
Judging
No training is necessary as you will be fully briefed by the Technical Delegate (TD) or another experienced TREC judge on the day. If you subsequently would like to attend official TREC GB judge training and possibly become a ‘probationary judge’ please contact the Club. It is very helpful as riders to see the rules from the judge’s point of view, and build your confidence when riding or judging.
POR Checkpoints
The TD or Tracer will explain the individual requirements when judging at a checkpoint. There will always be at least two Judges for each of these points and one will have judged on the POR before. You will be provided with necessary TREC equipment, including refreshments. It
might however, be worth taking your own folding chairs and be prepared for sudden changes in the weather. Taking a book or radio might help pass the time.
As each competitor or pair arrives;
- Enter the time they enter in full minutes as displayed on the clock (do not round up or down, just write the minutes displayed). The time is taken from leading foreleg crossing the line between the flags, the leading foreleg of the second horse if in a pair.
- Note down which way they entered (you may want to do a diagram and label A/B/C for different entries to help with explaining this later, or when you have multiple levels using your checkpoint). Do not enter into any discussions on whether they were right or wrong.
- If in your opinion they, when within sight of your checkpoint, made a deliberate attempt to significantly change their speed and therefore alter their score, note this down on the scoresheet.
- Work out the time they will leave. This will usually be at five-minute intervals between riders or pairs. Write this on your scoresheet, then ask the rider for their record card and also write it there. If the checkpoint becomes congested you usually have the discretion to reduce the time between competitors leaving to three minutes for safety, but let the TD know as it may cause issues down the line.
- Inform riders of the speed for the next section – you will have a card which you will usually display prominently at the checkpoint.
- Keep an eye on the scoresheet and tell competitors when it is time to leave the checkpoint.
- It is helpful if you can keep track of who you have seen by ticking names off on your competitor list, so that the TD has information about where riders have been if they happen to get lost.
- You may have further instructions if you are at the start or end of a bearings or grid reference section for Levels 2A, 3 or 4 – the TD or Tracer will explain what to do and when!
POR Tickets
There will always be at least two volunteers at a Ticket Point. One of the two will have judged at a ticket before. The TD or Tracer will explain the individual requirements of the ticket to you, along with any special instructions – please listen carefully and ensure that all flags are placed correctly on the ground. If you are not sure, please ask for clarification. You should be given at least one set of flags (red and white), clipboard with sheets on, list of competitors, emergency contact details and a pen, plus some refreshments. It helps if you can bring your own folding chair and a book or radio as it may be quiet, and sunblock, water or an umbrella as the weather dictates.
- Try not to be too visible!
- As competitors come through the flags, ask them for their number(s) and note this down on your clipboard.
- There may be several routes into/out of your ticket. Make sure that you note down which route each rider took.
- It helps if you can keep track of who you have seen by ticking names off on your competitor list, so that if any riders get lost the TD has information about where they have/haven’t been.
Control of Paces
You will sit or stand at a fixed point near the CP corridor with several other judges, and you are judging whether competitors touch/leave the inside of the marked corridor, or break pace out of either canter or walk – the quality of the pace is not judged and flying changes are allowed. Please stay well away from the edge of the corridor.
Electronic timing equipment is usually used, otherwise digital stopwatches and hand signals will agreed. The lead judge will co-ordinate how signals will be used. Usually only one person has a clipboard and stopwatch but at major championships every judge may have one so that hand signals aren’t used.
PTV
- Starter/finisher – you will be given a satellite-controlled clock and informed of the gap to leave between competitors – it may be setting each one off when the last reaches a set point on the course, or may be fixed times. This job can be done by anybody, no experience needed.
- Obstacle judges – every obstacle is different. You will be provided with an instruction sheet (please read it carefully!) and scoresheet. The TD, Organiser, or an experienced judge will brief you before the PTV starts.
- Reasonable experience of horses is required for almost every obstacle – being able to
tell what gait a horse is in and whether it changes, interpret the rules correctly in terms of effectiveness faults (refusals etc) and assess the rider’s use of aids/position/safety to give an accurate style mark.
If you deduct effectiveness marks or give penalties you should always write a note to explain it, for example ‘knocked 2x’, ‘one refusal’ or ‘brushed gatepost with bum’ for effectiveness; ‘got reins wrapped around gate latch – unsafe’ or ‘one stirrup down’ for penalties, in order to assist with any queries. If gait is involved in the scoring (eg corridor, low branches, bending) please note down what it was, including whether it changed.
Other jobs
There are many other very important roles to be played, many of which can be done alongside competing.
- Constructing or dismantling the PTV course – a big job that is heavy in manpower but can often be done before/after the competition so that you can still take part, check with the organiser about when they plan to put the course up.
- Organising the number bibs – a relatively simple job that really helps the organiser. They are kept in two shallow boxes made of clear plastic. If there are any missing please make a note and tell the organiser so that the riders can be asked to return them.
- Helping with prizegiving – sorting out rosettes and prizes into the right order.
- Looking after judges – taking round cups of tea/coffee/lunches.
- Horse-holding – on POR day if there are not sufficient tie-up points, horse holders are very useful.
- Removing signs – often there are lots of WHTG signs around the venue and on the roads leading to it which all need to be removed, a quick job for a couple of people with scissors to cut the cable ties and collect the signs up.
White Horse TREC Group 