When I work horse shows, the questions I hear the most are, “What is a steward?” and, “What do you do?”

The job description isn’t quite as straightforward as that of a baseball umpire or a football referee. As a U.S. Equestrian Federation C1 ‘R’ steward, I do those jobs and many more. The USEF guidelines for steward and technical delegate duties state that stewards are representatives of the federation, with the duty to address, resolve and thoroughly report what occurs at a federation-licensed competition. Sounds simple enough. And yes, we do write reports on things that occur, but there is much more.

The USEF Rule Book is a daunting tome that is way too long and involved for anyone to memorize. Stewards learn how to find answers to rule questions and learn which rule takes priority in each situation. Every time a rule is changed, or a new rule is proposed, we study how it will affect us in the field. We train as apprentices to help us become familiar with where to find the rules that might pertain to a subject, and how USEF may interpret a given rule. We learn when to contact USEF, and who we need to speak with about different subjects. We learn how to fill out the many required reports so that USEF understands what happened at each show, and we often hear back from USEF staff wanting clarification on something that may have occurred many months earlier. That’s why it is important that we take good notes and record anything that might have future consequences.

Educating participants is another major part of the job. Exhibitors, parents, show managers and judges all have questions about rules and rule changes. Rules are updated or changed regularly, and not always with enough notice for everyone to understand the reasons or background. Our job is to help answer questions and interpret to the best of our ability, in conjunction with USEF.

A typical show day does not really exist for a steward. There are usual ways we each start the day—checking in with the show manager in case anything has happened while we were off the show grounds—but then the day can deviate in many ways. If there was an incident, we follow up and report as needed to USEF. Serious accidents, both human and horse, have a timeline to report to USEF, so we want to get ahead of any paperwork that may be needed.

We regularly check the longeing and warm-up areas to make sure everyone is following the rules. Unfortunately, we cannot stand there all day, but letting exhibitors know we will be checking in helps them step up when issues arise. The recent rule change requiring all horses and handlers to be wearing their competition number when longeing, schooling or showing has made it a great deal easier to follow up with concerns. Some shows are now hiring longeing area supervisors, which really helps with safety for all using the area. Trainers who take the time to teach their grooms how to longe correctly make the area safer as well.

Checking in with the judges and starters at each ring allows communication lines to remain open. The warm-up rings are there to be used as preparation for the class in progress. People who monopolize a jump to give a lesson are not helping the show proceed, and we will often speak with them about allowing others to use the equipment. The starters at each ring are tasked with keeping the show running smoothly, and a lack of cooperation by others makes their jobs much harder than they need to be.

Personally, I also serve on the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association Stewards Committee, and I find its meetings to be a wealth of knowledge and a great source of information. Not only do we share what is happening in the field, we also propose new rules and rewrites of existing rules. The group consists of experienced stewards who have worked at all levels of shows. Their collective ability to foresee how proposed rule changes may affect us in the field allows us to make valuable recommendations to the USHJA board.

The longer I stay in this role, the more appreciative I am of equestrian sport. We are fortunate to work with amazing athletes at all levels. We enjoy a conversation with a new rider’s parents as much as we do one with a gold medal athlete. Stewards are there to assist everyone on the show grounds with any questions, and we are happy to share our knowledge. Please stop by and speak with the steward at the next show.

Cricket Stone was fortunate enough to grow up in the horse country of Middleburg, Virginia, where her passion for all things equine grew under the coaching of talented trainers. She attended Skidmore College (New York) where she rode on the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association team, competing at the 1985 IHSA National Horse Show. After turning professional, she worked for private barns before turning to the education sector where she taught in the equine programs at St. Andrews University (North Carolina), Sweet Briar College (Virginia) and Averett University (Virginia). She also directed the equestrian program at Chatham Hall (Virginia) for 12 years, coaching students to numerous local, state and national wins. She has been a USEF steward since 2014 and enjoys continuing to educate equestrians in this role.