Volunteers are a precious commodity of AERC and we are blessed to have some of the best. Even though the horses and ri­ders make up the essence of endurance riding, the volunteers are the heart and soul of our sport and organization.

Without volunteers, AERC would not be in existence in the way we know it today. These wonderful folks devote many hours, weeks, months -- or even years -- just trying to make the AERC a better organization or trying to make an event a more enjoyable experience for each of us.

I can't thank the volunteers enough for all the services that they provide which make it possible for the members to ride, compete and keep AERC moving forward.

Ride managers. Ride managers have one of the toughest jobs within AERC. Many of them work throughout the year trying to make their annual events a success. They have much to lose and not a whole lot to gain. They are at the mercy of the weather, the economy and the riders. My hat is off to all of them. They deserve our applause.

Ride volunteers. The ride managers are forever grateful to the volunteers who help their events run smoothly. Some faces we will see over and over thoughout the year, sometimes at almost every ride in the region. These volunteers know us by name and often even know our horses' names.

It is always gratifying to see current competitors giving up a day to help out at a ride instead of competing. I am always surprised by how many non-horse people volunteer at endurance rides. I also see many volunteers who are on the "injured list" or are getting up in age but continue to stay involved in much-needed positions.

I know a couple of volunteer icons who show up to every ride in their region to do the timing. We all know how challenging that position can be but these people seemingly do this with little effort. They have the patience of Job when it comes to dealing with many of the riders who can be a little excited during the heat of the competition. They can do many different tasks at the same time and are amazing to watch in action. When it comes to these folks, I have nothing but praise.

Veterinarians. Our veterinarians have also devoted much of their time and effort to help with our endurance endeavors. We offer them only a token of what they are worth as we cannot afford to pay them what they deserve. These professionals show up at our events because they love the sport and the horses that perform in them. They also become very familiar with each horse and rider. Many veterinarians are involved behind the scenes with research that may help us in th future. We will be forever grateful for their services which they willingly provide to the endurance community.

Board of Directors and committee members. Each person who has chosen to serve on the AERC Board of Directors or an AERC committee also deserves a debt of gratitude. These positions take up many hours of these members' time but will make a difference in the efficiency of the inner workings of the organization. I appreciate each of you that have jumped into these positions.

Without volunteers, AERC would have evolved very differently. Events would be unaffordable for the average rider -- even if we only had to pay volunteers a fraction of what they are worth. So when you see endurance's volunteers be sure to say thanks and let them know how much they are appreciated.