[ridegrrl]

I'd like to ask for opinions here. As a judge, I am governed by the national and provincial rules and regulations, codes of conduct, and my own personal ethics. But being a good judge is soooooo much more than that. I am absolutely devout in regards to fairness- no breed bias, no discipline bias, and no favouritism based on who's the rider, who's the coach, do they have a fancy saddle, etc. I also like to give riders feedback and suggestions when rules dictate that I can. I think that having a diverse background, knowing "what it takes", and a solid foundation in all aspects of horsemanship are vital to being a good judge. But I don't get much chance to ask exhibitors this question, so I will ask it of you all:


In your view, what makes a good horse show judge?

[minnie_mouse]

i think (just a few points i can think of right now) that a happy smiley judge usually will put competitors at ease....as so can perform to their highest. i never like judges that are a bit 'snobby' and this they are superiour (even though they are! lol)

errrm.....yes i agree with what you have said about the bias thing. i dont like it when judges put 'pretty' colour horses further up the line.....when it is obvious the only reason they are there because of the color.
i cant think of much right now. but i think it is GREAT that you are a judge....how COOL must that be!!! lol

[Shotgun93]

I think a lot of what you said is what can make a good judge. I really hate it when I am at a schooling show and I try to ask the judge what she thought of something and she just walks away. I know that they are very bombarded with lots of people, as well as angry competitors and pushy parents and coaches, but it's a schooling show, you know? We are here to learn, so any advice or critiqueing is great.
I also like it when a judge writes comments down on the score card, anything that can help me improve is great.
It's great that don't let breed/coach/equipment get in the way of your judging. there are some shows that I won't even go to anymore b/c there's no point, the judges have their minds made up right off the bat, so why bother?
That's really all I have, I hope this helped a little.

[wyldterv]

I want a judge who is judging 100% by the rules. I want that judge to ignore 'fancy' and look for 'correct'. If you're judging by the rules then even if I don't win on that day, I've been judged fairly, so MAYBE I did NOT deserve to win that day... (as hard as it is to swallow, we dont' ALWAYS put in the best performance or have the best animal on that day at that time, against that competition).

I want my judges to be professional but not unpleasant as well. Same thing in dogs... Horse politics are pretty strong sometimes, but try dog showing on for size sometime!! (esepcially in conformation!) oh vey!!!! I've always said it would be VERY interesting if all the competitors had to wear a 'gown' over their clothing and a hood over their heads so the judges had NO clue who the 'face' was... I bet we'd see MUCH different judging outcomes 9 out of 10 times!

[Lou3]

One thing i have come across occasionally is that some judges will let people stand at the side of the ring with umbrella's and flash cameras. The judge should get their stewards to ask these people to leave.
Also it is off-putting if one horse is acting up really badly (out of control) and they are allowed to remain in the ring. I would always ask a horse like that to leave.
The one thing i always find difficult is if i have judged a horse before and thought very highly of it and it then comes into the class having a bad day, it is sometimes difficult to forget that you know it is a bloody good horse and judge only on that day's performance. I do try to do it though because it annoys the heck outta me if another judge places a good horse having a bad day in front of me if my horse went better that day (even if usually the other horse is superior).
Lou

[Sandra-A1]

My all-time favorite Judges are Peter Cameron (now retired) and Don Burt.

When Peter Cameron was asked "What qualities constitutes a good judge?" he replied:

" I have several qualities I would like to share with you. Ability to judge the horse, not the person showing the horse.; A person who reads and knows the rulebook and uses it as their bible in judging classes.; A person who is neat, dignified and businesslike.; A person who looks at every horse in the ring and gives each one an honest consideration and Ability to judge the horse as they see it on that particular day, not as they saw them in other classes on previous days or at other shows."

If you knew Peter Cameron then you know what an EXCELLENT Horse Show Judge is!
Don Burt also....

[kiera1228]

One of the most important things you could do in my opinnion as a judge is like you said you were doing .. give feedback, and tell thruth.. dont just say the positives , say what can be fixed and what might help. From what it sounds like you are doing a great job already!

[zorse]

Well, you pretty much already know what I think about this topic. I don't really show in judged things anymore, but I always liked it when the judges gave suggestions and feedback. Makes you feel like you actually matter and it helps you understand why you finished the way you did.
Also, any judge should come dressed and acting professionaly, even at local shows. If a judge comes in sloppy clothes acting like they don't even want to be there, it makes you wonder why YOU'RE even there.

[WR Fancy Dancer]

Well, the only thing I can think of is to judge the entire ring, not just one section. I had a judge once who stood in the middle of the ring and spent all of every class watching one corner of the ring.
This really annoyed me because this corner had the booth right outside, and one of the competitors horses was jumpy every time they got to that certain spot. The horse was fine in other parts of the ring, and the horse that got 2nd kept breaking on the opposite side of the ring!
This just bothered me, and that is probably the only thing that has really ever made me upset about a judge.
I like getting feedback on what I did right/wrong, and I like the judge to seem relaxed (doesn't really matter, it just relaxes my stomache a bit, lol), and follow the rule book.
That's awesome that you're a judge, a very tough profession, I think.

[KellyJean]

Well, I'll always like a judge who likes my horse

I think that the hardest part is not looking for perfection, but rather who is doing best in the class... maybe no one is perfect, and no one might be close to perfect, but who is the best? Being able to see the minute differences between two riders isn't easy (at least for me) and so I applaud you for being able to do that.

I know one person who judges around here... she once judged a horse last in every class because the horse's nose was dragging on the ground and had no impultion. The rider was upset, because the day before, the horse had won every class, and then my friend put it last every class. When he questioned her, she got upset and said "Well, the only opinion that matters out there is mine, and I don't like how your horse rides."

That might be true, but a good judge, in my opinion, doesn't let anger get the best of them, or be intimidated by the riders in a class... a good judge says "yup, I understand that the judges yesterday might have been using the old AQHA rules, but I don't see impulsion from your horse, and therefore I judged him low." or whatnot. A good judge, in my opinion, will also say "well, you placed last because of the lack of impulsion from your horse, but you have a good ____" and give a compliment with the negative. Doesn't need to be much (maybe a good outfit, looked like a team, had good hands, etc). I think that a blow is made softer with a light compliment, and try to remember to give them.

But, all that said... I don't show. Don't need the stress (only 1 show... and we placed 2nd to last in both of our classes, but in both, we rode our hearts out, and did WONDERFUL, for us...)

Kelly