GIVING BACK
Tales of a travelling volunteer The best way to sum up Andrea Webb’s dedication as a volunteer official in equestrian sport is by looking at the odometer reading in her car, writes JO MCKINNON.
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n just five years, Andrea Webb has clocked more than 300,000kms travelling to events all over Australia in her role as an FEI steward. She also racks up plenty of frequent flier points journeying to various parts of the US and Europe to officiate at competitions.
A major highlight for Andrea was being invited to work at an event earlier this year in the Netherlands. It was hosted and organised by Australian legend Boyd Exell (OAM) who is a seven-time FEI World Cup Champion, and the current and four-time World Champion Four-inHand Driving.
Deservedly, she has received various accolades for her huge commitment to horse sport with one of her proudest achievements being named Equestrian NSW Volunteer of the Year in 2011.
“If I didn’t have that I don’t know what I would be doing. I’m on my own so it gives me a great social network.”
when she moved overseas I wondered what I was going to do with my time, and I realised it would be a really good opportunity to give back to the sport so I decided to move forward through my stewarding,” Andrea explains.
Andrea first became involved in the sport through her daughter Connie, a keen rider and competitor: “I love it because my daughter started riding back in 2001 and when she began moving up the ranks in 2008 I really got into it and started to help her out. Then
In 2011 Andrea became an FEI accredited steward and nowadays specialises in various disciplines including eventing, jumping, vaulting and dressage. She also works as an official at major driving events in Australia and throughout Europe.
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“Carriage driving is like eventing on four wheels, but it’s where you get to sit down for the whole time. I think what they do is amazing. When they are trying to get those carriages around the marathon courses the precision is incredible,” she says.
Recently Andrea was appointed as a member of the Equestrian Australia Driving Committee and is now ranked as a Level 3 FEI Course Director for Driving.
“I do a lot of miles, let’s put it that way. It keeps me busy which is the way I really enjoy being,” says Andrea. Most weekends Andrea is committed to working at an equestrian competition somewhere around the country and says she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Although she labels eventing as her favourite discipline, she says driving comes a very close second.
... you make some great friends. It becomes like a family...
“That was a really exciting moment and highlighted that giving back really does provide you with opportunities down the track.” She puts in enormous hours but says it’s all worthwhile: “It’s early starts and late finishes. You are on the ground from dawn till dusk to make sure everything is running in accordance with what the OC (Organising Committee) wants.” “I love seeing riders and helping them. It’s also a great networking opportunity and you make some great friends. It becomes like a family,” she adds. Andrea travels to every single event she attends with a mascot called Stewardberry, a stuffed toy horse. This is in honour of UK eventing rider Hannah Francis who died at a young age from cancer. Before her death, Hannah’s family created Willberry the Wonder Pony as her cancer mascot. Now, proceeds from the sale of Willberry the Wonder Pony
