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►Officials
From Page 16 approve someone who just came in out of the cold.”
“There is no formal testing or strict qualifications officials have to meet in order to be approved,” Mr. Colgan continues. “Wherever possible though, we try to get people interested in officiating to apprentice in order to learn what goes on.”
In some areas officials are easier to find than in others. Fortunately, in Virginia, there are a lot of people closely involved or interested in steeplechasing and finding officials is not difficult. In areas such as New Jersey, the quest for officials is not always so easy.
The NSHA’s officiating procedure at race meets is an old system that has evolved over a long period and is time proven. All officials are volunteers and enjoy their jobs, for most it is an honor to be chosen.
“You have the best seat in the house,” says Dr. Joseph M. Rogers of Hamilton, chairman of the Morven Park races near Leesburg and an official at several Virginia hunt meets. “It involves work, but I like any aspect of racing.”
The work isn’t always easy or pleasant, however.
“You have to work hard to avoid being prejudiced,” says Dr. Rogers. “Sometimes you have to judge your friends, and sometimes you have to be hard on your friends. You have to stay on your toes.”
Like the officials in any sport, those in steeplechasing are sometimes criticized. Most of the criticisms are that the officials are not strict enough, according to Mr. Col
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