Questions about showing

[Jasper]

Hey everyone. Just a few comments/questions.

I have absolutley no experience in live showing and/or photo showing. Not at the level that you guys have. Long ago, when I was in 4-H and before I knew how extensive the model horse world is. I showed my Breyers at the fair.

A whole bunch of us got disqualified for a western halter class because our horses where in a walking pose. Technically halter horses are judged on movement too. But was she right for DQ'ing us? (FYI I don't think she had any model horse experience either). Yet the year before, walking was OK. Under a different judge though.

It kind of ticks me off still! Personally, I'm not too fond of this person to begin with...kind of a know it all if you know what I mean.

I brought this up cuz someone who was at a show recently commented on how a horse almost got DQ'd because it was half-TB in a Paint class (something like that). Go to a Paint show and many of those horses have TB blood in them...like the Appendix QH.

Any input??

[Melly]

I can't comment specifically about what you experienced, but I will make a general comment about judges that probably applied to your situation:

Model horse judges do not currently go through any specific training or certification---after all, it is a hobby! Most of us become judges because our show strings do well, thus "proving" we know something about good sculptures, colors, and breed assignments; we get invited back to judge because we show consistency in our judging and don't get too many complaints from show entrants!

I think the best advice I can offer is that, if you have a question about how the judge is placing horses, ask her what she is looking for, or why she placed a class a certain way. If you feel your knowledge is more correct than hers, try to find a kind way to offer your thoughts---most of us won't learn when we are defensive!

And try to remember that no judge is ever going to please everyone, but that actually keeps showing interesting---if we always knew what was going to place, why bother going at all?!

[cheseri]

I've been judged by both "model judges" who know real horses, and real horse judges. In my experience, the best judges know both. The few judges that were real horse show judges and had no model horse experience placed things very differently. I had one judge (long ago) tell me that "yur tack's busted". I'm not kidding, that's exactly what he said. It turns out it was because the etched riorondo snaps I had used on part of the tack were not closed all the way. Thus completely knocking my horse out of competition. As realistic as we try to be, there are some things that can't be exactly the same, but experienced model people might not even notice any longer.

[whitetail ridge]

Most of our judges around here dont take it well if you ask them why they are placing the way they are.They seem offended.Some are ok but some hate it.I think a good judge needs to dedicate themselves to learning as much as they can about breeds and colors and tack.