[BlingRacer]

Originally Posted by Just.Jump.It

I don't have a copy of their rule booklet right now, but I think its AQHA to my knowledge/memory. The thing with that though, is that one AQHA judge that judged there one time placed all the Arabs firsts in the classes.

That's all well and good...I'm just saying, don't take an Arab to a stock horse class and expect a "fair" chance. They aren't going to win in halter usually because by AQHA rules, they aren't correct. Ditto for WP and HUS. Now showmanship and horse manship, it shouldn't matter.

[Horsed]

I ride/show arabs too. It is difficult to show at non-breed shows. Where I show the judges usually like the QH and stock types, so like you said, even if the arabs have a better ride the other horses will still get placed higher. But, we have to remember, it is that judges opinion. Just hope for better luck next time or stick to arab shows.

[Martini!]

Biased judges suck, but you have to take into consideration where you're showing like has been mentioned. There is a pretty big difference between the way an Arab goes versus a QH, it's kind of like judging apples and oranges! I personally would not want to show in that environment as I feel it's impossible to be totally fair...you even said yourself that in the past there was a judge that placed a lot of Arabs in the top--I bet the QH people thought it was biased then!

[shell]

I have found this to be true at open shows also. I guess there are more QH judges in the world then "General" breed judges. It is discouraging for sure.

[rileynbob]

I show QH's and the most interesting show I was at was judged by a Morgan judge. I show a very competitive open circuit (one of my horses is an AQHA res. world champ, other one has a ton of western pleasure points two ROM's, we have a lot of nice QH's and paints come, no 4 beaters)
anyway, in the western pleasure classes, she was placing all these horses that were running around the ring full blast in the top spots, while all the nice qh's were placing last. She kept asking for an "extended lope", and after my last class, she go on a microphone and announced that she was disappointed that all she had to judge were these "crippled" horses. So, my dad got on my pleasure horse and made him do an "extended lope", mostly to kind of see what would happen. She walked up to him and said my horse was too green to be showing and he should go home and put about 60 more days on him. ??????? This horse has over 50 AQHA WP points and is 12 years old! So, you could say I got the flip side of your coin that day. Sorry for my rant

[PinkHorse]

Mr PH has been a carded judge for years and years. He comes from a stock horse background and readily admits that he prefers a nice QH or Paint to an equally nice Arab or Morgan. However, when he's judging and Open or club show, he does his best to evaluate each horse according to it's breed standard. I've seen him place a lot of different breeds and types ahead of stock horses when the situation warrants.

I would be very curious to have seen the classes the OP is talking about. IMO, when the placings are looked at objectively, they are seldom as biased as some competitors believe.

[stephanie]

This is why I event Its hard to be biased against certain breeds I do know how you are feeling though. There is one show near me that you just know going in that if you aren't riding a tall dark horse, you won't do well, no matter who your ride went

[Sheza_Angel]

Oh I just LOVE breed biased judges! Can't you sense my sarcasm? I have an Arabian colt and I am DREADING the moment I take him to an open show because even if he were the best in the ring, and I am not a QH person but don't have anything against them or their breeders/owners heck my first horse is a QH mutt, they are LIKELY going to prefer the QHs to him. It is QH country I live in the upper south east coast of Texas and that is what is liked most. A lot of the Arabian breeders are out of business because of the political aspects to MR and such getting to be a little much and irritating the begeesus outta them. When I was in FFA on the judging team you should have seen which horses won at these shows over the better conformed and trained horse at times. I won't go there anymore.

[PaintedRocket]

Originally Posted by shell

I have found this to be true at open shows also. I guess there are more QH judges in the world then "General" breed judges. It is discouraging for sure.

Here, here.

The open shows I took Gert and Molly to this year were hosted by NMAHA, but they had other judges as well. Even though they were "open/training" shows.. the judges were more Arabian biased and placed Arabians higher than other breed horses.

[Chester]

We mustn't have breed bias at the western shows that chick has competed in. She placed well with her dressage trained TB.