Aspen Farms Horse Trials in Yelm, WA hosts over 300 competitors each June and September who travel from the Pacific Northwest and beyond to compete in the sport of eventing. Eventing is a demanding equestrian sport showcasing the grace of dressage, the courage of cross-country, and the precision of show jumping in an exciting three-day competition. But none of it would be possible without our dedicated volunteers! Our volunteers are the gate stewards, the jump judges, the parking attendants, the scribes, the score runners, and the smiling faces that keep the event running like clockwork.
Their time, energy, and enthusiasm make all the difference. They don’t just make the event happen, they make it more meaningful–helping to create a space where riders and horses can do their best and feel supported. We thank ALL our volunteers for their generosity, skills, and unwavering commitment to Aspen Farms and eventing in the Pacific Northwest.
At Aspen Farms Horse Trials June 13-15, 2025 we spoke with some of our wonderful volunteers about what inspires them to volunteer, what they enjoy about volunteering at Aspen Farms, and their advice for prospective volunteers.
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- Debbie Cook, Aspen Farms Volunteer of 11 years | WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT VOLUNTEERING AT ASPEN FARMS? “I like the people. I’ve meet so many interesting people here. I like watching the riders and the horses. Also, I’ve watched some of these kids grow up–from Junior Riders at Beginner Novice moving on up the levels. It’s really cool to see. And, I like that I get to hang with my best friends!”
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- Marney McGovern Aspen Farms Volunteer Since the 1st Horse Trials in 2007 WHY DO YOU VOLUNTEER AT ASPEN FARMS? “I like to volunteer because I like to give back. The eventing community lives off volunteers. I think giving back to the community is important. And I like spending time with friends. And just helping Jon and Suzy out. They put on a great event here. Trying to help out and make the event better year after year is fun and rewarding. I’m happy to be a part of it. It feels like we’re giving back to the farm.”
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- Kendra Zartman Aspen Farms Volunteer for 7 years WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT VOLUNTEERING AT ASPEN FARMS? “At Aspen Farms, what’s not to love?! It’s green, it’s gorgeous, everyone here is so nice, and Mt. Rainier is out!” WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR SOMEONE CONSIDERING VOLUNTEERING FOR THE FIRST TIME? “Don’t be scared! Especially jump judging, I know it can be intimidating the first time. But don’t be scared. Everybody is trained. Everyone will take care of you. The TDs check, Eva checks on you, Laurie checks on you… They will check on you to make sure you’re good. And by the way, Aspen Farms has the best volunteer lunches out of anywhere I go!”
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- Anthony Stevens Aspen Farms Volunteer for 5 years WHY DO YOU VOLUNTEER AT ASPEN FARMS? “My partner Eva is the volunteer coordinator. 🙂 But I enjoy volunteering here because I like contributing.” WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU HAVE FOR A FIRST-TIME VOLUNTEER? “Don’t be afraid to ask questions.”
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- Kathy Bodner Aspen Farms Volunteer for 15 years WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT VOLUNTEERING AT ASPEN FARMS? I love volunteering at Aspen because everybody is so hospitable–I love the people, and I love the dogs and I love the horses, of course! It’s just so warm and friendly. WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR SOMEONE THINKING ABOUT VOLUNTEERING FOR THE FIRST TIME? “I don’t think you need to think about volunteering; I think you just need to do it.”
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- Tara Dunford Volunteer Since 2012 WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEONE WHO IS CONSIDERING VOLUNTEERING? “It’s really rewarding to give back. It’s also a good way to meet like-minded people who share common interests.”
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- Patti Mize Aspen Farms Volunteer for 10 years WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT VOLUNTEERING AT ASPEN FARMS? “I’ve been volunteering here for 10 years; mostly jump judging, but today is my first time in the Start Box! I learn something new every year. The people are amazing. Aspen treats their volunteers excellent. It’s a beautiful facility… What’s not to love?!” WHY DO YOU VOLUNTEER HERE? “I do it because it involves horses, and jumping, and all the good things I love!”
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- Sue Gardiner Aspen Farms Volunteer for 4 or 5 years WHY DO YOU VOLUNTEER AT ASPEN FARMS? “The first year I volunteered here it was a downpour! I could barely write the scores down–that is how wet it was. But it must be good here because I did come back. I’ve been volunteering for about 4 or 5 years. I love watching the beautiful animals and the riders. And I love the atmosphere–it’s so peaceful out here. My sister got me started on this. So now it’s me and her, and my granddaughter–I roped my granddaughter into it as well! It’s a family affair now–we all come out to volunteer.”
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- Ashley Winterroth Aspen Farms Volunteer for 6 years WHY DO YOU VOLUNTEER AT ASPEN FARMS? “This is my sixth year volunteering here at Aspen; I come twice a year and drive all the way from Snohomish County. Eva [Elliott] is by far the best volunteer coordinator that I have ever volunteered for. I have volunteered at other events within USEA AREA VII… They are great, but nothing compares to being a volunteer here at Aspen. Eva does a great job taking care of her volunteers and making sure we have everything we need.”
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- Mary Brady (pictured left) Aspen Farms Volunteer Since 1st Horse Trials in 2007 WHY DO YOU VOLUNTEER AT ASPEN FARMS? “I’ve been volunteering here since they started. I used to take lessons from Jon [Elliott] a long time ago. I just enjoy being in the show atmosphere, seeing the horses, and helping out here!” Sarah Airhart (pictured right) WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT VOLUNTEERING AT ASPEN FARMS? “I love everything about volunteering at Aspen. They make me feel like an absolute rockstar. They treat us so well. And this place reminds me of home. I just love being here!”
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- Alisa Sprouffske Aspen Farms Volunteer Since the 1st Horse Trials in 2007 WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT VOLUNTEERING AT ASPEN FARMS? “I was the original stabling coordinator for the first event here in 2007, and I’ve never not done it since. For me, I love the atmosphere of the show… It’s so much fun to hang out with friends, to see people riding, and to have a good time. And we volunteer because we love Jon and Suzy–we have been friends for years and taken lessons with them–we enjoy being part of the farm.”
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- Jenny Ferro Aspen Farms Volunteer for 3 years WHY DO YOU VOLUNTEER AT ASPEN FARMS? “I think it’s really important to give back. I run my own shows, and I really need volunteers to help me so I’m not the one who is doing everything. Giving back to the event community is important to me… Being out there, showing that you can do it, that volunteering is valuable–this is how we can keep events going everywhere.”
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- Laurie Williams Aspen Farms Volunteer for 15 years WHY DO YOU VOLUNTEER AT ASPEN FARMS? “First of all, why wouldn’t you volunteer at Aspen Farms?! This is my home turf; I live just a few miles away. I love supporting the sport. Jon and Suzy are awesome. There’s so many wonderful riders and friends in this community, so I just want to be here to make this a great event for them and do anything I can to be involved.” WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEONE CONSIDERING VOLUNTEERING FOR THE FIRST TIME? “Jump right in! You’re going to get a lot of support. You are not going to feel uncomfortable. We’re going to educate you. We’re going to feed you. We’ll take you around in a golf cart. It’s a beautiful facility, there’s beautiful horses, and real supportive people.”
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- Dave Fierner First-Time Volunteer at Aspen Farms! WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO VOLUNTEER AT ASPEN FARMS? “My daughter. She is getting well into the equestrian aspects of horses… Show jumping, cross-country, dressage. My daughter is into all of it, and she decided we are going to be here this weekend. She’s with one of the teams here right now. I figured I better get involved too.” WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEONE CONSIDERING VOLUNTEERING FOR THE FIRST TIME? “Do something that is right in the thick of it–like volunteering in the show jumping ring or jump judging on the cross-country course. Be involved. Don’t just hang out at the back; be involved at the front.”
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- Lisa Kovner, 2nd Time Volunteering at Aspen Farms | WHY DO YOU VOLUNTEER AT ASPEN FARMS? “Why wouldn’t you volunteer here!? It’s so important to support the sport. If you’re not going to ride it, you should be volunteering. This is one of the few horse sports that has such a vast footprint that without the volunteers, it is impossible to stage these shows. One of the ways that I give back to the sport that I love so much is by volunteering. If we want the quality of the sport to grow in our area, then we need to collectively make that happen. That is more than training horses and riders, it’s more than schooling… It’s making sure we have a bench of support. If I’m going to come back into riding in the sport, then I need to support it–this is one of the ways I can do that.”
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- Roger Chick Aspen Farms Volunteer Since 2012 WHY DO YOU VOLUNTEER AT ASPEN FARMS? “I volunteer at five different horse shows. I enjoy volunteering because… I do! I don’t know why. But I really enjoy Aspen Farms because of the family atmosphere–it really is a team, a family, that puts on the show. Jonathan and the family are so good to the volunteers. I’ve been volunteering at the show jumping gate for years. An interesting thing is that people think that I must watch the jumping rounds and be really involved in who is going to be the best jumper. But actually, I don’t care about that… I’m focused on the things I have to get done, and I enjoy talking to the riders. I can see the tension in their faces before they go in. I want you as a rider to know that you should have fun, and maybe I can put a smile on your face before you go in the ring.”
We would love to have you join our volunteer team for our next Horse Trials and USEA Area VII Championships on September 12-14, 2025. You can learn more or sign up to volunteer with us online, here.
