Eventing Backstage Team

Have you considered being a part of it?

Do you like eventing or are you just dragged along to events by family or partners. Have you considered getting a little more involved from the non-competitive side. To run a horse trials involves a whole team behind the scenes.

This team consists of Event Directors through to Marshalls. Some jobs are very time-consuming, and others may only require a few hours over the weekend at an event. Let us show you what’s involved and maybe you might find something to do.

Event Director is the person who oversees the whole competition. Event Secretary whose job it is to coordinate all the paperwork and with the Event Director bring the competition to life.

Marshalls - Dressage, Jumping or Cross Country are the people who keep the event running on time and inform competitors of what is happening.

Cross Country Jump Judges, without these we cannot start the cross country phase of the competition, their job is to observe the riders, note the number of the rider, whether they went clear or not. But don’t worry, as a jump judge you are not alone.

Sector Control, their job is to look after a section of the cross country, to make sure jump judges are in position and to help the jump judges if there are any problems. As a sector control, if you are not sure you can always ask the Technical Delegate. A Sector Controller is usually someone who has done jump judging and feels they would like to move up to a new challenge, may be with the view to be a Technical Delegate in the future.

Technical Delegate or Assistant Technical Delegate - The Technical Delegate or TD is responsible for the safety of the riders while ensuring the event runs in accordance with the Equestrian Australia National Eventing Rules. Assistant TD’s as the name implies are there to help the TD and are often developing their skills to become TD’s in their own right.
Course Designer is the person who sets the challenge on the cross country course for the riders, they also responsible for all ground preparation from car parking to dressage arenas to show jumping areas as well as designing those all important cross country jumps.

Course Builders are the hard-working people who take the course designers ideas and turn them into real obstacles.

For some of the jobs such as marshalling, jump judging and sector control, all you have to do is turn up on the day. Other jobs like the TD or CD require some commitment before the event. Positions such as Event Director and Event Secretary or Course Builder require large investments of time as a volunteer. All of these jobs are worthwhile and rewarding.

Eventing Queensland committee would love to show you what’s involved and hopefully you might be able to take on some of these roles. This may not be something you’d like to do straight away, maybe for when you finish riding or perhaps once or twice a year but please consider taking up a position as without this back stage team it is impossible to run events.