When you’re a teenager or kid who rides horses, people tend to ask the same questions: Do you want to be a trainer? How would you do that? What are you going to do with horses when you grow up? and the list goes on. I am writing this series to explore careers myself, and also hopefully help any young equestrians who are exploring how they can make horses part of their adult lives or careers.

The horse industry is a tough place to get started in, and there are so many careers that happen behind the scenes that most riders never really think about. Horse shows need far more than just riders, trainers and judges. There are course designers, announcers, awards teams, show managers, stewards, ingate coordinators, and countless other people working behind the scenes to keep everything moving.

Lucy Bolton is one of those people.

Her first horse-show job was course designing for the Alabama Hunter Jumper Association’s season “Kick Off” show. From there, she started working for Elite Show Jumping, based in Atlanta, and has branched out from there. Today, she describes herself as a “jack-of-all-trades” when it comes to horse shows, able to do just about every job that doesn’t require a USEF license. Ingate is simply the job she gets hired for most often. She also enjoys announcing and coordinating awards.

I wanted to learn more about what actually happens behind the ingate, how Lucy got started, what riders might not realize about the job, and what it takes to build a career in the horse-show industry without necessarily becoming a professional rider or trainer.

What exactly does an ingate coordinator do that people might not realize?

A lot more than simply standing at the gate and calling numbers…

Lucy and the other ingate staff are constantly keeping track of conflicts, situations and conversations throughout the day. Staying organized and communicating are two of the biggest parts of the job.

But there is also a human element to it.

“I don’t always remember the person who showed at 8:15am who asked me to text them when I was 12 trips from the 1:45pm estimated undersaddle,” she says.

The ingate is essentially one of the communication centers of a horse show. There are dozens of moving pieces, and the ingate has to keep track of them while also making sure riders get into the ring in the correct order and at the right time.

What does a typical show day look like for you?

For Lucy, the day starts far before the ring does. She gets to the ring about an hour before it starts, “coffee in hand and dogs in tow.” She prepares her check-in sheets the night before so she is ready when people begin arriving.

Once the in-person check-ins are finished, she starts working through her text messages. During winter circuit and WEC Ocala, she has had upwards of 40 unread texts by 7 a.m.

After the initial check-in, she’ll make a barn call or two about the start time and remind people to check in if they haven’t already. Then the real work begins.

“We’re on the radios all day, calling numbers, asking the other gates if they have trainers who are meant to be showing with me soon, letting other ingates know when someone they need next are with me and how close they are to being done and moving on,” she says.

That means that while exhibitors may only see the person standing at the gate, there is an entire network of communication happening behind the scenes.

What are you paying attention to while horses and riders are waiting to go in the ring?

Lucy isn’t just looking at the order of go, she is also watching who actually looks ready. For example, her “on deck” rider might still be polishing hooves and discussing the course rather than standing near the gate, while the person one out is already prepared and knows their plan. That matters.

Lucy has also worked with many of the same professionals repeatedly, so she knows their routines. She knows what jump some riders tend to finish schooling over before they come to the ring-

“Sometimes a rub on a tall vertical, sometimes a big oxer with a landing rail. We know these things!” she says.

It is one of the less obvious skills of the job: learning to read the people and horses in front of you instead of simply reading a list.

How do you keep track of all the horses and riders during a busy class?

One of Lucy’s biggest organizational tools is the ten count.

When the ring gets busy, she makes sure she has a ten count every round. It isn’t always necessary, but when things get hectic, having a clear count helps keep everyone organized.

She also staggers her check-in into 16-to-20-minute slots for rotations. That helps keep a steady flow of people throughout long classes, such as open card 2’6″ or baby greens that run throughout the day. This is a great example of how much planning goes into making a busy horse show look and feel organized from the outside.

How do you communicate with the judge, announcer, trainers and show management?

Most communication happens over radios. Ingates and management are typically on what Lucy calls “the brick,” and according to her, it is essentially nonstop talking throughout the day. She also has a separate radio to communicate with judges and the announcer.

Additionally, “We are texting your trainers basically all day.”

What happens when there is a last-minute change to the order of go?

Lucy’s philosophy is mostly to roll with the punches.

In an important class, she expects people to make their spots or have a good reason for missing them. But on a normal horse-show day, someone missing their spot is frustrating without necessarily being a disaster.

The important thing is figuring out where they can fit back into the class and keeping everything moving. Unexpected situations are part of the job too.

“It’s horses, weird things happen constantly LOL!” Lucy says.

When something more serious happens, she generally calls management, the steward or EMT, gives them a rundown of the situation and then tries to stay out of their way.

How much does the ingate influence the pace and organization of a horse show?

A lot. “Having a great team of ingates is crucial to a show running well and trainers being able to plan their day,” Lucy says.

Ultimately, the exhibitors determine how the day goes, but the ingate team does its best to make everything run smoothly and on time. That can be easy to overlook when everything is working correctly. When the system is running smoothly, most riders probably don’t think much about the people making it happen.

What is the biggest misconception riders have about the ingate?

Probably that the ingate is there to make their day harder. Lucy says she has had people come up to check in, see her book and immediately throw their hands up because they think their day is ruined. But that isn’t what the ingate is there for.

“I think many people forget that our job is to help,” she says.

If Lucy knows the entire situation, she can usually figure something out. If she can move someone up, she will.

“We aren’t trying to ruin anyone’s day, promise!”

What can riders do to make the ingate’s job easier?

Communication. If a rider knows ahead of time that they aren’t going to make their spot, letting the ingate know gives them time to tell someone else to get ready. And sometimes, things simply don’t go according to plan. Lucy says that being understanding is just as important.

“I wish everything could go exactly as planned too, but it doesn’t always happen that way!”

Are there things you notice from the ingate that riders probably don’t realize?

“Yes, I notice almost everything!”

If your collar is undone, she notices. If you forgot to take off your polos or bell boots, she notices. If your rein flipped over your bit, she notices. And if she sees something that needs fixing, she is going to say something. So the next time you walk toward the ingate, remember: someone is probably paying much closer attention than you think.

How do you handle nervous or inexperienced riders who are overwhelmed at a busy show?

Lucy works at many shows that can feel intimidating, and she tries to be patient and supportive with riders who are nervous or inexperienced. Her favorite reminder is simple:

“This is supposed to be fun!”

It is easy to forget that in the middle of a busy horse show, especially when you are worried about being late, missing your spot or making a mistake. For Lucy, part of the job is helping people feel confident about the plan they have made for their day. She says that seeing those plans actually come together is one of the most rewarding parts of the job.

Does working at the ingate change the way you watch or understand the classes?

Absolutely. Lucy has had the opportunity to work with many of the best hunter judges in the country and says she learns something from them at every show. Keeping up with rule changes can also be a team effort, with everyone helping each other stay informed. She enjoys announcing and sitting with judges as well. Most importantly, she says she has learned much more about the hunters than she ever expected by working on this end of the industry. Her job may happen outside the ring, but it has given her a different perspective on what happens inside it.

What is the most stressful part of working at the ingate?

Staying on time.

“I stress over that all day, everyday,” Lucy says.

And she has had days when keeping the schedule on track was easier said than done.

A few years ago during winter circuit, she accidentally made a 10-minute rotation on her check-in sheet during the 50+ adults. The 50+ adults were ready to get out of there on Sunday, and Lucy didn’t realize the mistake until it was too late to contact everyone and stop the flow of people. Suddenly, she was making 22 out counts.

“I felt very overwhelmed,” she says.

People were understandably upset, but eventually everyone settled in for the long haul. Everyone was still there, everyone was going in the right order, she had simply messed up the times. It is a good reminder that even the person whose job is keeping everyone else organized is still human. This is a great reminder to be kind even when things don’t go to plan- everyone is doing their best.

What is the funniest or most memorable thing that has happened while you were working?

There was the time an opossum wandered into Indoor 2 at WEC during an undersaddle.

“It was stuck in Indoor 2 and wandered into the ring. Any wild animals in show rings story is usually pretty funny.”

What is the most rewarding part of the job?

For Lucy, it is seeing the best-laid plans work out. She enjoys helping people figure out what to do and offering advice when she can. That seems to be one of the biggest themes throughout her answers. The ingate isn’t simply about numbers and schedules. It is about helping a large group of people, horses and trainers make their plans work, even when those plans inevitably change.

What makes a horse show run really well?

Lucy says a great schedule, supportive management and a great ingate team are a good start. And while the ingate is only one piece of the puzzle, it is an important one. There are a lot of people working behind the scenes to make a horse show feel seamless to the exhibitors.

What is one behind-the-scenes job that deserves more recognition?

For Lucy, it is the awards team.

“They work so hard and are usually some of the last people to leave,” she says.

Exhibitors see the awards team throughout the show, but there is much more work that goes into awards than most people realize. It is another example of how many people are involved in making a horse show happen long before the ribbons are handed out.

What skills are most important for someone who wants to work at the ingate?

Flexibility, organization and people skills. And apparently, a good poker face.

“If you don’t have a good poker face and don’t enjoy talking literally all day long, it’s probably not the job for you,” Lucy says.

You also have to be comfortable when things don’t go according to plan, because at a horse show, they inevitably won’t.

What advice would you give someone who wants to build a career in the horse-show industry?

Start by talking to a show manager. Lucy recommends shadowing someone who already does the job-or jobs-you are interested in learning.

And there is nothing wrong with starting small. Local shows can be a good place to learn the ropes and find your rhythm in a less intimidating environment. Most people in the industry, she says, started at smaller shows and worked their way up as they built their repertoire. That might be one of the most important things to remember for someone who wants to work in the horse industry. You don’t necessarily have to know exactly where you are going to end up.

Lucy certainly didn’t start out with one single job title in mind. She learned different parts of the industry, became useful in different roles and found a place where her organizational skills, communication and love of the horse show environment could all come together.

There are so many jobs in the horse world that never make it onto the typical career-day list. Some happen in the saddle, some happen in the barn, and some happen at a small desk just outside the ring with a check-in sheet, a radio and a whole lot of moving pieces. The next time you walk through an ingate, there is probably a lot more happening than you realize.

And if you’re looking for a way to build a career around horses without necessarily becoming a professional rider or trainer, Lucy’s advice is pretty simple:

“Start somewhere. Shadow someone. Learn the ropes“

Thank you Lucy for participating, and if you frequent WEC Ocala, be sure to say an extra thank-you to Lucy, and all your other in-gate coordinators and show management.