It’s time to bEInvolved!
As part of your membership conditions, all members aged between 18-75 years are required to volunteer at a number of events each season — three in the Northern Region and two in the Southern Region. And you don’t have to volunteer in your own region!
Our events simply cannot run without volunteers. From fence judging, to car-parking, dressage scribing to sheet collecting, site-preparation to pole-picking… the smooth-running, in fact, the running of all our Events depends on people giving their time and goodwill. Many of our current volunteers aren’t Eventing Ireland members – organisers are often relying on friends, family, and neighbours to step in — and that’s why your commitment is vital.
The Regional Forum, including Organisers and the Board have made it very clear: volunteering is not optional and the rules regarding volunteering will be enforced. Members who do not fulfil their volunteering commitment to a venue will face penalties. The penalty for not volunteering or nominating someone to volunteer on your behalf will be that you (or your athlete) will be stopped competing before your final phase (either show jumping or cross country). This means you will NOT get an MER.
To help make this process more straightforward for both members and organisers, each Region has appointed a Volunteer Co-Ordinator and these Co-Ordinators will contact members who have put their names down to help at an event two weeks before that event to confirm attendance and ensure volunteers are onsite on the day. They will also be contacting people who have not yet confirmed their volunteering commitments.
All your volunteering activities will be logged, and failure to attend an event after signing up will be recorded on the website.
We understand that many of our members struggle to find time to volunteer. There are options! Organisers appreciate help before and after the event – setting up or dismantling dressage arenas and signage. Or, you may nominate someone to volunteer on your behalf on the day. If you can only commit a half day – that may be enough to do a stint as dressage call-up, or relief fence judging. Every little counts.
Volunteering isn’t just a requirement — it’s a chance to give back, support your sport, and help ensure our events are safe, successful, and here to stay. It’s also a great way to catch up with friends old and new. Put simply: EVENTING CANNOT RUN WITHOUT VOLUNTEERS.
And if that wasn’t enough, by volunteering at two or more EI National Event in 2026, you will be in with the chance to win an incredible trip for two to the 2027 European Eventing Championships in Avenches, Switzerland with our Official Travel Partner Best In Show.
If you haven’t already, to volunteer at an event, simply log into your account via the Members Area, and click “My Volunteering” (located In the top right-hand corner). Then click “Volunteer for an Event.” Select your chosen venue and click Add. If you wish to nominate someone to volunteer on your behalf, select the option there. If you have already volunteered for an event that you can no longer attend, you can change the Event by clicking “Edit.”
We have a lot of volunteering information on the website including some videos, which you can watch HERE, or type in Volunteer into the search bar.
If you have volunteered at an event, firstly Thank you! We would really appreciate your feedback so we can make volunteering more enjoyable and would be grateful if you could take less than 2 minutes to fill in an anonymous feedback form HERE
Thank you for your support to Eventing Ireland and we look forward to seeing you at an event very soon!
