Sunday Soapbox: On favoritism and volunteering

If you are even a little bit involved with the model horse hobby, you already know that last week was spicy. And when I say spicy, what I really mean is angry, dramatic and filled with the same tired accusations we've all heard a million times. 

I'm not going to get into the specifics because, really, it doesn't matter. What it boils down to is a lot of disappointed people lashing out at the people who make events like BreyerFest and BreyerWest happen. 

On the one hand, I get it. This year's volunteer horse is really nice and also, quite valuable. Of course, everyone wants one. Who wouldn't?

But, you know, there are a lot of things everyone wants. So, so, so many things. Part of being an adult is accepting that you aren't going to get everything.

The people who run these events want them to succeed. To that end, they are going to pick the best staff they possibly can. Key positions are going to go to people with a proven track record of getting things done successfully and without drama. Are some of these people also the event managers' friends? Of course they are. After all, if you can't count on your friends, who can you count on?

This year, I had two volunteer jobs at BreyerWest, and I will also have another virtual volunteer job at BreyerFest. I take those jobs seriously, and do my best to support both the event and event holder. Still, it's not lost on me that there are people who resent my "privilege". As someone who has devoted so much of my life to making the hobby a better place, I find this hurtful and frustrating.

My friend, Jackie Arns Rossi feels much the same way. Even more so than me, she is a long time hobby volunteer. Over the last several decades, she has worked her tail off to make this hobby a better place, often for nothing more than the satisfaction of giving back to her community. Here's her take on the week's events. 

On Favoritism and Volunteering

by Jackie Rossi

We are on the run up to BreyerFest and I guess everyone is getting spicy about it. I’m seeing a lot of things about “mean girls” and “favoritism” and I’d like to remind people, as I assume I’m a Favorite Mean Girl, that when you talk about people like this in places where they can see them, yes, it hurts. 

I really don’t show anymore. I’ve drifted. It’s fine. It’s just evolution of my life. I have found something else that scratches the itch showing did. 

I still love collecting and playing my own way. I still love gathering with my horse nerds, but I’m more selective about where I do this as most events are centered on showing…which I don’t prioritize. 

I get asked to help a lot. I’m happy to do it. It does mean that maybe I can’t do the things I’d originally planned to do, but I also know that I can do a good job and serve my hobby in a way to make it better. 

This whole thing isn’t actually new. I have previously been accused of ruining the hobby with my work with NAMHSA. I have had a big hand in some of the better Nationals we have had, and there was the same complaining about how people who spent months on that show were not doing it right or the way people who would not help - even when honestly invited to do so - wanted it done.

Like. The way to get a volunteer job is to be a good volunteer. Be an adult. Be ready to help even without compensation. If you are doing this just to get a horse, the people picking volunteers will see that. Most of the time those are the people who are not doing a good job because they don’t care about the thing they are doing. They just care about the prize at the end. 

For the love of whatever you hold dear, stop crapping on people who do a ton of work so you can have a good time. We have so many amazing things in the hobby these days because of the volunteers. I’m not asking you to kiss anyone’s ring, but save your hurt feelings for a private friend chat or have the stones to address it in person. And if you choose the latter, be in a place to listen to what that person has to say instead of just lashing back in anger and frustration. 

It is truly hurtful to realize that people I genuinely thought were friends were just using the relationship to get something. 

Thank you, Jackie, for sharing your thoughts on this sensitive topic. Even though I will not be in Kentucky this year, know that I appreciate you and everything you do for the hobby. I hope you have the wonderful BreyerFest you deserve.