Note to Organizers
There must be a properly equipped EMT, paramedic, or other medical personnel with CPR certification and training or experience in pre-hospital emergency medical care on the grounds from the start of the event, including dressage. If you have no emergency medical coverage, your insurance through MeCTA will be withdrawn. In the event of an accident, you’re on your own.
Thank you for volunteering! Here are a few items to keep in mind while fulfilling your role of TA:
Here's a quick re-cap of your duties as a Technical Advisor:
1) Familiarize yourself with the USEA Rules. Re-read the most current Rule Book! There are some new rules and some nice new clarifications. At MeCTA events, all USEA safety rules apply. We can be more generous when it comes to technical issues, but should be sure the competitors know what the USEA rules are.
2) Team Leaders need to contact the organizer of the event they are assigned to and set up a date for the Pre-Event Check. The pre-event check involves walking over the facility, checking the XC course & fences for height and safety, and sitting down with the organizer to consider questions raised in the Planning Assistance Form. Make sure your event organizer realizes that they must have qualified medical personnel* on the grounds for all jumping, or their MeCTA insurance will be withdrawn. Overall, be tactful and helpful; help the organizer to use their imagination in this pre-planning, as it will pay off in the long-run. *Qualified Medical Personnel = “A properly equipped EMT, paramedic or other medical personnel with CPR certification and training or experience in pre-hospital emergency medical care.”
3) Find out when the organizer would like to see you on the day of the event; a good rule of thumb is to arrive an hour before the first ride. If travel is a problem, not all the TA's need to be there right away, but someone must be there to check the dressage arena (size, letter-placement, etc.) and begin the XC check.
4) Be prepared to brief the XC jump judges. This does not mean scare them to death, but make clear to them that they have more responsibility than to just sit and watch horses go by. They should be prepared to signal (to whom?) in case of trouble, and to keep spectators out of the way of competitors. They also need to write down what happens if there's a stop, run-out, etc. They will be called to answer questions if the rider inquires about their score. Check the Jump Judge Briefing Sheet for help!
5) Keep an eye on the scoring. Some events have experienced, organized score-keepers, while others have novices. If there is a question, check the rule book first, then the math. Most competitors are very kind about having scoring errors corrected, even after ribbons have been awarded. Do your best.
6) Do check the stadium course(s), especially after they get re-built. Make sure heights are appropriate, and things like ground lines and oxers are set correctly. It's easy to make mistakes in the hurry of re-setting a course between divisions and after knock-downs.
7) Sit down immediately after the event with the other TA's and fill out the Report Form to the best of your ability. This is how we help events to improve, so try to be honest and constructive.
8) If at all possible, get a copy of the FINAL SCORES and placings before you leave the grounds to send to Elizabeth Sanborn at [email protected]
9) Pack up the TA Box and Radios. Who should they go to next? Check inside the lid of the box. If you have questions, call Kris Nicola 848-5310
There must be a properly equipped EMT, paramedic, or other medical personnel with CPR certification and training or experience in pre-hospital emergency medical care on the grounds from the start of the event, including dressage. If you have no emergency medical coverage, your insurance through MeCTA will be withdrawn. In the event of an accident, you’re on your own.
Thank you for volunteering! Here are a few items to keep in mind while fulfilling your role of TA:
- Please do ask your organizers to decide on a policy for dealing with eliminations before the event begins. Who will decide whether the eliminated rider may continue? On what grounds? It is recommended that most people be allowed to complete the remaining phases of the event unless they are deemed unsafe.
- Remember that only running and Irish martingales are allowed, even in the warm-up areas, and especially on the jumping courses.
Here's a quick re-cap of your duties as a Technical Advisor:
1) Familiarize yourself with the USEA Rules. Re-read the most current Rule Book! There are some new rules and some nice new clarifications. At MeCTA events, all USEA safety rules apply. We can be more generous when it comes to technical issues, but should be sure the competitors know what the USEA rules are.
2) Team Leaders need to contact the organizer of the event they are assigned to and set up a date for the Pre-Event Check. The pre-event check involves walking over the facility, checking the XC course & fences for height and safety, and sitting down with the organizer to consider questions raised in the Planning Assistance Form. Make sure your event organizer realizes that they must have qualified medical personnel* on the grounds for all jumping, or their MeCTA insurance will be withdrawn. Overall, be tactful and helpful; help the organizer to use their imagination in this pre-planning, as it will pay off in the long-run. *Qualified Medical Personnel = “A properly equipped EMT, paramedic or other medical personnel with CPR certification and training or experience in pre-hospital emergency medical care.”
3) Find out when the organizer would like to see you on the day of the event; a good rule of thumb is to arrive an hour before the first ride. If travel is a problem, not all the TA's need to be there right away, but someone must be there to check the dressage arena (size, letter-placement, etc.) and begin the XC check.
4) Be prepared to brief the XC jump judges. This does not mean scare them to death, but make clear to them that they have more responsibility than to just sit and watch horses go by. They should be prepared to signal (to whom?) in case of trouble, and to keep spectators out of the way of competitors. They also need to write down what happens if there's a stop, run-out, etc. They will be called to answer questions if the rider inquires about their score. Check the Jump Judge Briefing Sheet for help!
5) Keep an eye on the scoring. Some events have experienced, organized score-keepers, while others have novices. If there is a question, check the rule book first, then the math. Most competitors are very kind about having scoring errors corrected, even after ribbons have been awarded. Do your best.
6) Do check the stadium course(s), especially after they get re-built. Make sure heights are appropriate, and things like ground lines and oxers are set correctly. It's easy to make mistakes in the hurry of re-setting a course between divisions and after knock-downs.
7) Sit down immediately after the event with the other TA's and fill out the Report Form to the best of your ability. This is how we help events to improve, so try to be honest and constructive.
8) If at all possible, get a copy of the FINAL SCORES and placings before you leave the grounds to send to Elizabeth Sanborn at [email protected]
9) Pack up the TA Box and Radios. Who should they go to next? Check inside the lid of the box. If you have questions, call Kris Nicola 848-5310