Beth Diamond was selected as FHI’s 2024 Volunteer of the Year. She has helped out at Fair Hill for over 25 years in a wide variety of roles!
Beth started volunteering for Fair Hill International in 1999 as a friend of Shirley Carpenter, helping her with the catering for the horse trials and the October Three-Day Event and Festival. She met Mary Coldren through Shirley, and of course, Mary recruited her for volunteering at our events.
Beth has been announcing for Show Jumping at all Fair Hill Recognized and Starter events for many years. And since retiring from her “real job,” she has been able to devote more time to volunteering. Now, in addition to her announcing role, she is the check-in person at nearly every schooling, is the judge for the Derby Cross, puts together the competitor packets, has become the “Queen of the Grasshopper” doing lots of mowing, and basically will lend a hand for whatever needs to be done. And during the 5 Star, she spends two weeks during the set-up as the Volunteer Hospitality check-in person and then switches to driving shuttles once the event begins.
While she focuses on the announcing for the FHI events, she gets the opportunity to perform a multitude of volunteer jobs at other venues like Plantation Field and numerous events in the Aiken area where she spends her winters. She sends text messages sharing with us each time she does a “new” volunteer job to add to her list – scribing, timing, fence judging, etc. She enjoys spending her winters in Aiken and thanks Kristin Schlachter for taking her there.
Beth enjoys volunteering because she makes many new friends and loves the camaraderie of the horse world. She says it’s “just fun and a great way to spend her time around horses”. We thank Beth for her many hours of volunteering at Fair Hill International and were proud to award her as our “2024 Volunteer of the Year.”
So who is Beth?
Beth grew up in Philadelphia and took her first pony ride on a sidewalk when the hucksters would come around and let the neighborhood kids have a ride for a nickel. At 7- or 8-years-old, she attended summer day camp, which included pony rides. And at 15, Beth and her best friend attended a YMCA camp as CIT’s (Counselor-In-Training). She was assigned to the horse unit, as no one wanted to work in that area.
While at the YMCA camp, Beth met Bill and Jean Stein. She would go to their farm in Ottsville, PA to help them out with the horses. They taught her everything about riding and horse care. She also continued to work at the camp for seven or eight summers, eventually becoming the Director of the riding program.
Beth attended Temple University, where she earned a degree in Education. Not really wanting to enter the classroom at that point, she began working at Ronny and Betsy Houghton’s farm in Rising Sun, MD. She was exercising racehorses. But, she soon realized that the horses were running away with her and maybe that wasn’t the right fit!
Beth went on to work with Dougie and Susan Small, who trained Thoroughbred steeplechase horses. She did everything with the horses from riding to swimming to galloping. She also did much of the farm work, which included running the tractor. And, while there, she spent a lot of time Foxhunting.
She moved to a position with Dr. John R S Fisher, where she was an assistant trainer at Philadelphia Park (winters) and Delaware Park (summers). And she learned how to show Thoroughbred yearlings at the sales working for Derry Meeting Farm and at Charlton Farm, where she felt Rick and Dixie Abbott were the best to work for.
At this point, in the early 80’s, Beth decided to give teaching a shot. She took a position at West Chester Friends School and spent ten years there. She then decided to teach abroad at The American International School of Lisbon in Lisbon, Portugal. She remained there for two years. Upon returning to the US, she took a position at Independence School and then North East Elementary. Beth retired from teaching after 30 years. But, up until the Covid shutdown, you could find her volunteering her time in the Kindergarten classroom at North East Elementary.
When Beth returned from Portugal, she also spent time with her horse. They enjoyed trail riding, Fox Hunting with Miss Patsy duPont and, later, Fox Hunting with Fair Hill Hounds.
Today, Beth enjoys taking care of her home and property in Lincoln University, PA – when she isn’t volunteering somewhere!