It just would not happen without our volunteers!
Please contact Volunteer Coordinator:
Since the inaugural event in 1999, volunteers at Lendon’s Youth Dressage Festival (LYDF) have been the major force behind the staging of this unique, three-phase dressage show. Whether their commitment is for a few hours, or an entire year, more than 200 volunteers work tirelessly before, during, and after the show to make it a memorable learning experience for the competitors and spectators alike.
Welcome, and thank you for considering donating your time to help us make this great event a success. Lendon’s Youth Dressage Festival is the flagship event of Dressage4Kids (D4K), Inc.
Anyone can help – parents, coaches, siblings, grandparents and friends of riders, and fans of dressage!
D4K needs you to volunteer at the Youth Dressage Festival, August 8-10, 2024! Our many dedicated volunteers make YDF possible. There are many things to help with that require varying amounts of time and knowledge. Whether you have a few hours or a full day or more, your help will be welcomed and appreciated. View our volunteer job descriptions to find the opportunity that suits you. We look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your interest in Dressage4Kids.
Please contact Volunteer Coordinator:
To view brief job descriptions, please click on the job titles below.
For those of you with less dressage/horse knowledge than the competitors, there are many things you can do to help them, and hopefully learn a little along the way!
Volunteer Booth- This person is primarily responsible for helping the competitors sign up for their own volunteer jobs, and for keeping track of the competitors during their volunteer shifts. A chart and checklist makes this job perfect for the person who is clear and concise when giving directions to youth. This job needs staffing Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. This person should be an adult or older teen. No specific horse or dressage knowledge is needed.
Information Booth- This person answers general questions, gives directions, and smooths the way for competitors, parents, and others. This person works with the Volunteer Coordinator and the Volunteer Booth staff and has many resources to find the best answers to all questions. Best for an adult or older teen. No specific horse or dressage knowledge is needed.
Arrival Director- Otherwise known as a “Horse Trailer Traffic Director”. This person helps make the arrival of all horses and competitors a streamlined and safe process. This person will have access to the stabling chart and may have an assistant. This job needs someone Wednesday from about noon until 6:00 pm. Several shifts would be fine. Must be a confident adult with an eye for safety, no dressage knowledge needed, but some knowledge of horses and trailering is key.
Written Test Monitor- We need 5 or 6 adults to hand out tests and help the competitors stay focused. Thursday from 4:30-6:30pm. Some horse/dressage knowledge would be a plus.
General Helper- Do you need a good reason to be occupied for an hour or two? Either plan ahead and contact the Volunteer Coordinator, or pop in to the Volunteer/Information Booth and offer your services any time Thursday through Saturday! From set up to tear down, there are lots of non-skilled positions, and some skilled positions, that need to be filled. Tweens and older welcome.
Skilled Volunteer positions
Be careful of the bees living in the stone walls. Bee spray is available at the volunteer booth.
Ring Stewards The primary responsibility of a Ring Steward is to make sure that the competitors go in the show arena on time and in the correct order. Understanding the timing of dressage shows is key to being a Ring Steward. Understanding the needs of competitors and their coaches is also important. Being a Ring Steward requires a balance of firm adherance to the rules with compassion for frazzled competitors. This is a wonderful position to get to see the horses and riders as they warm up and compete. Stewards are needed Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
If you have never been a Dressage Test Scribe before, it is a challenging but rewarding opportunity. For those with Scribe experience, we need you! For those who have never scribed before, but have good note-taking skills and a fair amount of dressage knowledge, we still have scribe positions to be filled. Scribes are needed for every test, from Leadline, to walk-trot, to FEI levels and don’t forget the Prix Caprilli and Dressage Trail!
A Scribe allows the judge to keep his/her eyes on the ride at all times while still giving feedback on every part of the test to the competitor. Judges depend upon the scribe to quickly, accurately, legibly, and quietly record the scores and comments made for each movement. Scribes are needed Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
As a dressage test is like a written riding lesson/training session, scribing is just as educational!
For the best “how to scribe” information, please review the USDF Guide for Scribes.
