Trial

“Late to your own funeral” a non-client Jill had invited to the property accused, apparently quoting the owner of the farm. Jill had just stepped in the barn for her unpaid volunteer supervisor shift -- which unfortunately, she was a half hour late for. She'd gotten mixed up with schedule, but never had a chance to admit that. She was sorry... but also frustrated and unappreciated.

She'd invited a potential pony buyer, and useful training/show rider hopeful to the farm because she knew the kid was a good rider. Her pony at home was difficult, and, and not the kind of natural athlete at the breeders. She'd hoped to be making future matches or at least planting sales seeds.


Jill always thought they appreciated her unpaid use of expertise and certification credentials to supervise such trial rides and related activities at their place. It was all for promotion of the breed of ponies that she would invite such guests! Admittedly, she treated it casually, but she felt affronted by the shrill accusation that replaced any sort of greeting!

Jill surprised even herself when she turned on her heel and got in the car and drove off the property. Obviously, she had decided not to volunteer/participate that day.  
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Jill felt humiliated and used, when the head coach took a payment from the same formerly freebie-friend- rider's mom to participate in the testing arranged for one of Jill's actual students.   

As an instructor but not an examiner, Jill knew she should not have been allowed to see the test papers.  She knew it would be out of place to point out to any of the governing sport offices that the exam said "tell 10 items of the grooming kit" when the current year's text had never listed or explained more than 9, nor had any prior year's text.  Luckily both of the riders she'd worked with had heard from Jill about many grooming kits items beyond those listed in the manual.  

It also frustrated her that the head coach/examiner gave Jill's paying student 9/10 on the question, while the free-ride celebrity guest got 10/10, when their answers were so remarkably similar.

Worse, she surprised Jill by asking her in front of everyone to set the required jump course for the added guests.  She did her best, instead of protesting, but, alas, it was less than perfect.

When the head coach/examiner was then also condescending about Jill's jugdement of the jump spacing, in front of both riders, their fans and families and other folks around the farm, she seriously regretted inventing and promoting the the rider testing in the first place. Not to mention lamenting her "take the high road" effort to make nice in public and set jumps as the ungrateful pretend boss rudely requested.

But she wasn't going to make a bad situation worse by making a stink.  As she moved the heavy wing standards yet again, while everybody watched, she did not to comment that she didn't have students at the facility that jump! Where she was actively coaching students over fences, she used the 8ft between arena pillars to guide jump spacing. She wanted also admit she'd never found striding her strong suit, and would normally keep a reference chart/worksheet in her pocket for pre-planned course setting occasions.

All this treatment was from the very coach who had suggested to her once she needed to stand up for herself more. 


Jill stood up, but did not speak out. She simply made it a good natured learning experience for everyone in the moment.

The pleasant clients paying top dollar for her teaching time on the weekend soothed Jill's aching ego with the feedback that “the farm owners must be so happy you are here.” The student's father was a principal of a school and sounded happy she was and she knew her student was too.  He wanted her (not the head coach) to come to the classroom for some special initiatives!