Friday, December 24, 2004

USDF Volunteer of the Year - Patsy Albers

We all know how important volunteers are to dressage in America. Our sport as we know it would not exist without them. To be recognized nationally, by receiving the USDF Volunteer of the year award, is a special honor.

This year's winner has served as her region's FEI Junior/Young Rider coordinator and Chef D'Equipe at the North American Young Riders Championships for ten years. She is always good natured, reliable, devoted to her duties, embodies good sportsmanship, is loved by the young riders and coaches, and has set an excellent example for our youth.

She does not have favorites, is fair to all, and creates an atmosphere where the riders have the support they need to do their best. She believes that just getting to the NAYRC is an achievement in itself. She sees "the experience" as the best education for the riders.

Her dedication to the FEI Junior/Young Rider Regional Coordinator position has been raised to a whole new level. In addition to spending one full week at the NAYRC and traveling to regional team meetings, she has prepared team mailings describing regional requirements for fund-raising and reimbursement, communicated with the USDF office and the riders, conducted fund-raising activities for the team, arranged for transportation of team equipment, tracked scores throughout the season, and collected money and submitted entries. She has coordinated a 50-50 raffle for the Team and sent all donors thank-you notes.

For over ten years, she has rarely missed any of the four Annual USDF Regional Meetings, and served as a Participating Member Delegate. She served for several years as the Chairman of the USDF FEI Managers Committee. In addition to her USDF work, she is one of the most experienced show secretaries in the U.S. For many years, she has volunteered at CDIs such as Del Mar, Los Angeles, Loxahatchee, Pebble Beach, Raleigh, Rancho Murrieta, and the USET Festival of Champions while lending her expertise to other organizations.

As FEI Event Director for Dressage at Devon for many years, she has strongly advocated to include classes for Juniors, and Young Riders. For many years, she has also served as the Dressage coordinator for the Fair Hill Driving event and as a member of both the USEF competition managers and competition secretaries committees.

How in the world does she do all this excellent work? For her boundless enthusiasm, she is well known as "the Energizer bunny." She is very well respected by her peers on the local, regional, and national level, and has served the sport of dressage extremely well as a volunteer for a long time. She hails from Chesapeake City, Maryland. It gives me great pleasure to present the 2004 USDF Volunteer of the Year Award to an especially-dedicated and talented person who has been an inspiration to our youth - Patsy Albers.

By Sam Barish, President USDF