[APHAAQHA]

The last two day show I went to, was bad. The judge was horrible and was only placing the horses, mostly Morgans (he was a Morgan judge), who were over-bitted and on the brink of possible explosion. It was really frustrating to have spent all that money on going to the show, and not place as well as we would have, had the judging been fair. I think I'll stick to dressage shows from now on!

[1ststringfarms]

I'm an open show judge and a carded NRCHA judge. I have yet to meet a single judge that allowed a personal bias to interfere with their judging. And I've been in the horse business for more than 30 years.

I've heard it all. "The judge only places horses with a lot of silver." "The judge only places grays." "The judge only places riders wearing red." Everything.

Never any truth to it. I would bet that if you asked the people who won those classes they'd say that it was fairly judged.

I have biases myself. I love a solid red horse. Love them. But I don't place them higher than the grays, the paints, the arabs, or the grades.

I love a nice well fitted silver show halter that emphasizes all the good stuff on a horse, but I have placed halter horses with nylon halters and leads over them.

It is what it is. Learn from EVERY judge. If you don't know why you placed a certain way ask the judge for ways to improve. Good or bad, you'll get advice. Build on it. Build on it with every judge. Eventually you'll have enough experience under a variety of judges to meld all of their ideas together and get you where you want to be.

[DancerLover08]

I used to think that I showed under a lot of "biased" judges. There was one show that I was not getting placed (and when there are 6 people in a class, and they place to 5th, you know you were last!) and I said every bad judge comment in the book. She didn't like my horse, she's a QH judge, she's no good, etc.

Looking back at this show...I simply didn't have the horse. I was not riding at the same level as everyone else, and my horse was not as good. Looking at my ride with a critical eye, I was able to improve my riding and my horse, and I took that same horse and started winning with him.

At one of my shows this summer, I was doing a SMS class with a very broke SMS horse. When I changed sides during inspection, she thought I wanted her to pivot and stepped out BIG time. I had to change sides (and be on the wrong side for where the judge was) and fix her. We should not have placed. However, we won it, and the class had 25+ in it. That judge was impressed that I was a good showman and fixed the horse and kept on showing, but to an onlooker they might be saying "he's a biased judge she shouldn't have placed".

At the end of the day, you really don't know what that judge is thinking. What YOU think they should be looking for could be totally different from what THEY think they should be looking for.

[BlingRacer]

I don't think judges are truly "biased" very often.

I do think that if you show a breed the judge is unfamiliar with, you would be at a disadvantage.

If I never watched an Arab WP class, I certainly would think that even a world champion arab WP horse looked "incorrect". It's not "bias" so much as not being exposed to said discipline.

If you asked my English coach to judge an APHA hunter under saddle class, I can guarantee you she would judge it backwards to how most of us think it should go....the first time I showed her pics of HUS, she was astonished. She had no IDEA they wanted us going like that in those classes.

[GottaRide]

Originally Posted by PinkHorse

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.

Amen!

DancerLover08 has a great example of the above statement.

I like to think that the judges at any level of horse showing are critical but fair in their decisions. A nice horse is a nice horse regardless of breed, color, or discipline. If you can look objectively at your performance, you should know where you can improve your ride. That's what horse showing is about. However, I don't think that a person riding in a class has the ability to be truly objective in comparing their ride to the other horses in the ring at the same time.

[spinandslide]

Originally Posted by 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

you can certainly have bias towards type in the dressage ring...Regarding movement and "look"...good judges it shouldnt matter, but Ive run across a small number who just cant be pleased if they dont"like" your horse and the way he goes.

[Hoosier Jumper]

Originally Posted by Just.Jump.It

That's what most of us were saying. He was a really WEIRD judge.

I had that happend before. I wasn't showing but watching and this girl on a very ugly looking appy horse and bad bad bad equtation, the horse would yank her around the arena, went into a 11 and under pleasure class against people who's horses and moms have been showing in Appy worlds with awesome western equtation! But the judge went up to the ugly appy girl and said if this class didn't give all 1st i would place you 1st! Thas really the only time i have ever had a "Weird" judge. Though in 4-H we had a judge and I didn't like how she judged so I called her weird haha I didn't like what she liked she in a hunter horse personally.

[holyguacamole]

Well, perhaps it was your turnout, or something the judge didn't like about your riding.

Most of the time certain breeds place lower than others because they do not fit the "ideal" for that class/discipline. You have to expect it! It happens to all of us. At hunter shows, some judges like the WB look and some like the TB look. If you are concerned about this judge ruining your points or your fun, try to avoid shows that they judge at

[Thrills]

One thing I've learned in years of showing open shows...

Is that we put in the effort and pay the $$ to recieve a person's opinion


I do it anyways because I love the sport and the getting dolled up(and am thrilled when I DO get those pretty ribbons to hang on my wall)

[John]

Any judge worth their salt can judge an open show judging each horse to their breed standard and place them acordingly. Sadly some aren't.