Carroll Crowl shares some of her experiences as a longtime volunteer @ SGF

Our first “Volunteers Views” contributor is from good friend and long time volunteer Carroll Crowl.  She started out as a jump judge, served as secretary, course decorator extraordinaire for many years and finally scorer.  But in between all of that she made airport runs, ran to the store for me, bought food and socks.  Yes socks.  I didn’t have time to do laundry or search for socks so Carroll brought me socks which in turned helped me to keep my sanity.  She has been invaluable and I am so grateful for her help and friendship.  Enjoy…

As one of Stone Gate Farm's oldest (years and longevity) volunteers Jackie asked me to jot down a few reminisces while I still am able to remember them!  (Carroll’s words not mine)

·         I began volunteering at Jackie's first horse trial as a jump judge.   That was the year dressage was down near the track at the Canfield Fairgrounds.  The sulkies going past the ring above the horses eye level was pretty exciting but nothing compared to the rush they got when the drivers discovered they could really liven things up if the applied the whip strategically as they went past. 

·         I remember one of our Pony Club members getting eliminated because she between two different level fences and the POG could believe someone could fit through that tight space.

·         I remember the year I judged under a cooler with a 102 fever in a downpour.  That was the year I decided to find an inside job

·         I remember the year I signed up to assist the experienced scorer Jackie had lined up and the scorer didn't show.   I really had no clue how to do the job and Jackie's instructions were delivered on the fly and in less than 60 seconds. 

·         I remember a pregnant Jackie on a four wheeler on two wheels

·         I remember unloading straw in Lisbon with two hungry babies (Kev and Laura) and no bottle

·         I remember the year the tornado went through north of Salem and there was no route to the farm from the north for about an hour.

·         I remember cooking soggy dressage tests in the oven,   10 min @200' did the trick

·         I remember telling a young lady she wasn't getting a refund because her mom "had to get married" (yeah had) wasn't an emergency.

·         I remember telling a mom her daughter wasn't getting a refund because the daughter spent her rent money on an entry.

·         I remember asking a wife if her husband wanted off site stabling with his traveling partner or to be split up.  The wife was unaware of the traveling partner and I'm pretty sure a different sort of split occurred!

·         I remember keeping the kitchen island between me and a large irate father.

·         I remember Jackie in meltdown mode.  (age has definitely mellowed me some

·         I remember Jackie telling me that she gave my 10 year old daughter Jenny & her friend a very easy fence to judge and they wound up holding a very large Preliminary horse after a crash on said easy Training level fence.

·         I remember the same daughter being upheld on an elimination her first year of jump judging (8 maybe) when someone jumped the wrong fence.  The competitor still didn’t believe her until shown the photographer’s picture of said person jumping the wrong fence

·         I remember Laura's first Prelim on the course where she first rode in the open

·         I remember the year Jenny scored and was secretary.  She's much better than her mom.

·         I remember waking up early on cross country day to an inch of snow thinking "well we'll cancel".  Jackie didn't and I had the XC sheets.  I broke a few speed limits.  (Carroll exaggerates…about the weather not the speeding)

·         I remember the year Kevin came off Mercedes in the xc warm up and ended up being life-flighted to Akron Children’s Hospital.

·         I remember the first time we used Start Box scoring system.  Jackie learned you can't just change the schedule like she was accustomed to and I learned..... well a lot. (Can’t live without Start Box now)

I remember the year Jackie and I didn't talk to each other for several months after an event and we both learned that shared history and friendship is more important than being right. (it only felt like a couple of month’s and I had almost forgotten about all that) I've moved to the wonderful state of Kentucky but I remember my friends up north and that is why God willing I'll be back scoring at the Winona Horse trial this spring.