J
It happens all over the place. Lots of people round here with colourds won't go to one particular show as the jdge placed her grandchildrens horses above others that were miles better. It was a qualifier, so it did matter!
With a particular rare breed of pony that hails from the north of England... the shows are a shambles. Its all down to who bred it... they judge on the prefix before anyone enters the ring!
However on a re-assuring note... my best friend is a driving judge and if she is judging a class she always puts me last so as not to show favoritism. Everyone knows that she does this and I don't care because I go for the crack, not the ribbons. Anyhow, last year at one show she was judging there was a dire turnout, it realy annoyed my friend... and I didn't come last. That was one hell of a snub for the poor chap who did come last!
With a particular rare breed of pony that hails from the north of England... the shows are a shambles. Its all down to who bred it... they judge on the prefix before anyone enters the ring!
However on a re-assuring note... my best friend is a driving judge and if she is judging a class she always puts me last so as not to show favoritism. Everyone knows that she does this and I don't care because I go for the crack, not the ribbons. Anyhow, last year at one show she was judging there was a dire turnout, it realy annoyed my friend... and I didn't come last. That was one hell of a snub for the poor chap who did come last!
I don't know about showing classes, but I've been severely put off entering dressage comps.
A yard I liveried at 2 years ago held dressage events every other weekend. They ran affiliated and unaffiliated BD classes (so all very above board).
I got asked if I wanted to write for some of the shows and I said I would
.
Let me say that dressage writing is brilliant. You learn lots, and with a good judge have a day long dressage lesson!
But some of the judges. . . . . well I've never heard such biased comments! Fates were sealed before riders entered the arena!
These judges were in the minority. But it worries me that they were also BD affiliated, qualified and not just having a joke.
Off topic but I have found driving test examiners to be among the most biased of people too.
It's something to do with power perhaps.
Oh and well done for you and your neddy!
A yard I liveried at 2 years ago held dressage events every other weekend. They ran affiliated and unaffiliated BD classes (so all very above board).
I got asked if I wanted to write for some of the shows and I said I would
.Let me say that dressage writing is brilliant
. You learn lots, and with a good judge have a day long dressage lesson!But some of the judges. . . . . well I've never heard such biased comments! Fates were sealed before riders entered the arena!
These judges were in the minority. But it worries me that they were also BD affiliated, qualified and not just having a joke.
Off topic but I have found driving test examiners to be among the most biased of people too
. It's something to do with power perhaps.
Oh and well done for you and your neddy!
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hmm, I know what you mean...
you probably don't care, but.. this is why I think rat shows are good, because the rats are shown in tanks which are all the same, so the judge has no idea who owns what rat, and its all completely fair.
Suppose you can't do this with horses though, because you can see who is riding it.
you probably don't care, but.. this is why I think rat shows are good, because the rats are shown in tanks which are all the same, so the judge has no idea who owns what rat, and its all completely fair.
Suppose you can't do this with horses though, because you can see who is riding it.
J
*~Joseph33nie~*
Guest
She came LAST... and as they were doing the round of honour and she passed the judge, he said to her, plain as day "I am notorious for not liking Roan Ponies".
talk about unfair !!why be a judge then !?!?!?
hi,i'm normally a bit of a lurker,but i took my yearling filly and had the same thing happen! problem is she was being shown in a yearling class and she was the only actual yearling there,the judge commented to me.
"she's gorgeous but to young to judge"
i also noticed all the same people being placed in every class they'd entered..
after i just thought why did i bother
"she's gorgeous but to young to judge"
i also noticed all the same people being placed in every class they'd entered..
after i just thought why did i bother
J
*~Joseph33nie~*
Guest
A gypsy lad I know took his beautiful coloured horse to a show. He had a good look at the competition and didn't rate it. Everyone else quiverd because the gypsy lad obviously had the best horse by far.
The lad was satisfied that he had the best horse and that everyone else knew it so he boxed his horse up and drove it home. He then came back and spent the rest of the day in the beer tent with his friends.
The lads point was that he had the best horse, everyone knew it and he didn't need to use up valuable drinking time waiting hours for the class!
Could this be the way forward.... sort of Zen judging!
The lad was satisfied that he had the best horse and that everyone else knew it so he boxed his horse up and drove it home. He then came back and spent the rest of the day in the beer tent with his friends.
The lads point was that he had the best horse, everyone knew it and he didn't need to use up valuable drinking time waiting hours for the class!
Could this be the way forward.... sort of Zen judging!
I don't know about the judging events in your area but...there are a lot of "politics" here in the states. I got my AQHA judges license in the mid 80's and learned right quick it's not always the best horses that place .
They trade out favors for favors..trainers are judges and they use these favors to help sell horses.
.They trade out favors for favors..trainers are judges and they use these favors to help sell horses
.Ooh dont get me started!
Thankfully life is too short to show in the true meaning with me but I always think its nice to go to the local shows and have a 'go'.
We took our irish sports horse into a family pony class, only to be beaten by the same type of horse, namely little tb showy types. Allthe other breeds were asked to leave and the one that came 3rd was actually dangerous and should have been asked to leave the ring anyway! Basically a family pony class judged on conformation only!!!!
Why cant you have 'fun' showing where there's no snobbery and no favouritism?
Thankfully life is too short to show in the true meaning with me but I always think its nice to go to the local shows and have a 'go'.
We took our irish sports horse into a family pony class, only to be beaten by the same type of horse, namely little tb showy types. Allthe other breeds were asked to leave and the one that came 3rd was actually dangerous and should have been asked to leave the ring anyway! Basically a family pony class judged on conformation only!!!!
Why cant you have 'fun' showing where there's no snobbery and no favouritism?
this is intersting as we went to a show at the weekend
NO WAY can this be sour grapes as we didn't take our pony - we just went to watch
I was gobsmacked at how some of the ponies were placed over others in one ring
BUT in another I had to smile - it warmed my heart
There were about 6 ponies in a lead rein class
One lot clearly were professionals - Mum & Daughter had matching outfits, the pony was so down on the bit, and was polished to within an inch of his life - I would have placed him first - despite all the Mum's efforts as he just moved like a dream - he was stunning and had such a nice movement, was really well put together etc - so def good winner
Second - I was DELIGHTED. There were 4 other really tarted up Mum's with their kids on mediocre ponies - they were perfectly turned out but I didn't rate the ponies much
The last one - Mum had made an effort! The pony's tail wasn't plaited well (better than i could do but def not like the other 5) and she wasn't stick thin and her outfit wasn't a matchingo one. Her hat was a bit bashed
Her little girl had the BIGGEST grin on her face - was a dreadful rider, bounced all over the place at trot - but never stoped grinning - waved at the judges etc
They TRIED really hard and Mum kept telling her tiny tot to stop waving etc
BUT the pony was GORGEOUS - a real cutie with such a nice movement and so well put together
Despite it all - they came second - and i was so pleased for them as I thought their pony was DEF up for 2nd place
Silly I know but it was nice to see a judge not swayed by Mummy's outfit and a swish browband!
NO WAY can this be sour grapes as we didn't take our pony - we just went to watch
I was gobsmacked at how some of the ponies were placed over others in one ring
BUT in another I had to smile - it warmed my heart
There were about 6 ponies in a lead rein class
One lot clearly were professionals - Mum & Daughter had matching outfits, the pony was so down on the bit, and was polished to within an inch of his life - I would have placed him first - despite all the Mum's efforts as he just moved like a dream - he was stunning and had such a nice movement, was really well put together etc - so def good winner
Second - I was DELIGHTED. There were 4 other really tarted up Mum's with their kids on mediocre ponies - they were perfectly turned out but I didn't rate the ponies much
The last one - Mum had made an effort! The pony's tail wasn't plaited well (better than i could do but def not like the other 5) and she wasn't stick thin and her outfit wasn't a matchingo one. Her hat was a bit bashed
Her little girl had the BIGGEST grin on her face - was a dreadful rider, bounced all over the place at trot - but never stoped grinning - waved at the judges etc
They TRIED really hard and Mum kept telling her tiny tot to stop waving etc
BUT the pony was GORGEOUS - a real cutie with such a nice movement and so well put together
Despite it all - they came second - and i was so pleased for them as I thought their pony was DEF up for 2nd place
Silly I know but it was nice to see a judge not swayed by Mummy's outfit and a swish browband!
Just take a moment to consider WHAT the judge is looking for. I took my welsh sec D to his first show at the begining of this month. Was delighted with our 6th place AND a qualifying ticket to FOCS but peeved because horses i deemed not as nice were placed above us. I didn't realise what i'd done wrong til i went to a little showing masterclass (with the judge who'd judged us!) at my horses' breeders yard. I have a habit of running infront of the horse, so first black mark against us. I didn't make sure my horse was alert and focused in the line up, second mark against us. When the judge asked me to 'stand' kes up, not a clue All those little things immediately went against us. We got our placing on my wonderful little horses paces and conformation, my handling let him down. There were other little pointers, like talking lots and keeping their attention and getting their ears pricked.
Yes, theres lots of unfair judging but at my local shows i've been impressed with how things have improved in the past few years. There are decent judges out there and it's important to know what they look for thereagain, the lady who judged my class breeds welsh A's and B's and isn't a cob expert. A cob person may have placed the class differently
All those little things immediately went against us. We got our placing on my wonderful little horses paces and conformation, my handling let him down. There were other little pointers, like talking lots and keeping their attention and getting their ears pricked.Yes, theres lots of unfair judging but at my local shows i've been impressed with how things have improved in the past few years. There are decent judges out there
and it's important to know what they look for thereagain, the lady who judged my class breeds welsh A's and B's and isn't a cob expert. A cob person may have placed the class differently
J
*~Joseph33nie~*
Guest
I remember taking my tb mare to a local show to give her some experience. We entered an inhand class and there were only 4 entries. I honestly believe of the 4 we should have won, she went beautifully, not a foot wrong and had the best conformation. there was another outsider there too whose horse probably should have been 2nd. The horse that won belonged to the chairwoman of the club, and the 2nd was the secretary's horse neither of whom behaved. What pi**ed me off tho was the judge calling them into 1st and 2nd place by their names, "Oh Sue* you are 1st, Anne* you are 2nd, the bay is 3rd and the black last"!!!!! *can't remember what their names actually were. I don't mind losing fairly, but sometimes you do feel "why bother".
i took my little mare to a show last year and ended up in a class full of local breeders and judges etc. needless to say we came last ,not that i was that surprised but what did suprise me was in the in hand the stallion that won was very naughty rearing up vertical several times as did the horse in second though this was only a youngster. me and the other horse in the ring where probably much better behaved and i did feel the other horses should of been marked down for there behaviour even if i still came last!!another time we where placed down the line and told that my horse did not have enough condition ie top line but moved better than the too above her which where in my view a little overweight!!i havent done enough showing yet to decide if i like it or not but its heading towards not!!
The standard of judging at local level varies widely, you can get the really good to the truely terrible (and I write them down in a little book and don't show under them again). Judges do have certain preferences though, and while one will want lots of presence, way of going or a lovely topline, others may be more concerned with correct limbs, or blemishes like splints and curbs. If every judge had the same preferences, showing would be pretty dull, and you can't see everything from the outside the ring that the judge can see up close. Saying that, there's "facey" juding at every level, which is extremely frustrating!
I've just returned from judging in Jersey. I only recognised one pony and one person during 2 days of judging, and it was so refreshing to know that competitors knew that we couldn't be facey. There were some horses that went well that didn't have the best conformation or fit the type for the class, and others that were stunning but had some blips in their performance. It's the job of the judge to sort out what's more significant.
As one of the posters suggested, going to showing clinics is a great way of finding out how to improve - sometimes you're doing your best and think you've got it right, but there could be some things that could really propel you up the line up.
I've just returned from judging in Jersey. I only recognised one pony and one person during 2 days of judging, and it was so refreshing to know that competitors knew that we couldn't be facey. There were some horses that went well that didn't have the best conformation or fit the type for the class, and others that were stunning but had some blips in their performance. It's the job of the judge to sort out what's more significant.
As one of the posters suggested, going to showing clinics is a great way of finding out how to improve - sometimes you're doing your best and think you've got it right, but there could be some things that could really propel you up the line up.
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