July 2020 Issue

Page 22 July 2020 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN Real Estate Plantation Field Kicks Off the New ‘Contactless Eventing’ admitted. Instead of allowing competitors into the secretary’s office on the day of the event, competitors were encouraged to email ahead of time with questions. For day-of issues, important phone numbers were posted around the event so competitors could call instead of going to the secretary’s office. “Trying to get everything set and settled prior to arrival was key, so then when competitors arrived they could just compete and didn’t have to deal with any administra- tive stuff. It was a huge culture change, but in a lot of ways it made the day of a lot easier.” ‘Contactless Eventing’ The silver lining of the new restrictions, Coldren said, has been entry into the age of what she calls “contactless eventing.” Entries, which she said are typically less than 50 percent complete come the morning of the competition, were 99 percent complete prior to the start of the event because of the need to avoid the contact asso- ciated with last-minute paperwork in the secretary’s office. “I’ve been trying to get riders to send me complete entries for 15 years!” she laughed. “We’re in the digital age now – we have online payments and everything can be submitted electronically.” As one of the first events “out of the gate,” so to speak, with the new COVID-19 regulations, Coldren said there’s still going to be trial and error as they work out how to do things as safely and ef- ficiently as possible. For example, Coldren made sure disinfecting wipes were available in show jumping warm-up to wipe down the poles and jump cups but forgot to make sure there were trash cans available for people to throw away their used wipes. “Luckily we had everything we needed here but trying to think of everything ahead of time was tricky.” “The competitors have been spectacular,” Coldren praised. “They’ve been completely patient with the delays in scoring, avoid- ing face-to-face contact, doing things digitally and electronically. I think they were all just so happy to be out here and they realize the struggles that we’re having to meet all these new guidelines and procedures.” “I think the thing that I miss the most is that Plantation usually has quite a hospitality aspect for all our volunteers and officials and everyone else,” Coldren said. “I think not having burgers on the grill or cinnamon buns for the volunteers in the morning and everyone hanging out having lunch together, that part of it I miss. But we just couldn’t do it this time. And to see the side of the hill here with no spectators on it – normally we have a good group of neighbors who come out and sit on the hill to watch the event and having had to say, ‘no spectators’ was tough to do, but everyone understood.” Officials and volunteers alike had to adjust to new procedures designed to help them maintain social distance in the area of the sport where people have the most face-to-face contact outside the secretary’s office. Plantation tack- led the issue of social distancing for the dressage judges by having the judge and the scribe park their cars next to each other and speak through the open window (or by walkie talkie if the weather required them to roll up their windows.) “Judging with a scribe has been a bit of a challenge,” said Anne Moss, one of Plantation’s dressage judges, “but it’s actu- ally worked surprisingly well. My scribe has been taking the scores on one sheet, and I have a separate score sheet where I do the collective marks, and then they get stapled together. We’ve been put- ting our papers in plastic folders that have been sanitized, my bell was sanitized, we’re all wearing masks when we’re within six feet of each other. It’s definitely a little different, but Mary Coldren has done a fantastic job organizing all this and thinking about the safest ways to move forward.” Moss commented that she was impressed by the quality of the work she saw horses and riders putting forward in the sandbox and that the extra time people had to do their homework really seemed to have paid off. “It’s been an interesting spring for all of us, and it was nice to see that every- one has had extra time to practice their dressage!” she said. “I saw some really lovely tests. I was judging Intermediate this morning and sometimes for those horses, maybe it’s their first season and they’re still struggling, but I saw a lot of strengths out there today which was great to see.” Kristin Schlachter, an eventer who operates Silverhorn Eques- trian just down the road from Plantation Field, said she was a little bummed she wasn’t riding this weekend but was happy she could come out and lend a hand as a fence judge for the after- noon. Fence judges were asked to watch the USEA Jump Judge Instructional Videos ahead of time and then were given a short orientation from the Technical Delegate over the radio once they were in place at their fences. “I’m so excited,” she said of being out at a horse show for the first time in months. “The weather is beau- tiful, the ground looks amazing – everything is wonderful. I wish I was riding, but I’m also happy to be volunteering.” Steve Berkowitz was the on- site veterinarian from Unionville Equine Associates at Plantation on Friday and observed that, with respect to the new COVID-19 restrictions, most everyone was (Continued from page 21) (Continued on page 23)