see what sort of penalties you may have been given, as this
can assist you to be a better competitor and know the areas
you need to improve. Positive scores in these classes reflect
finesse, forward motion, and degree of difficulty. Negative
scores reflect lack of connection, rhythm, and resistance.
(Description from Kate Elliott).
So thinking about what the judge is expected to do, how can the
competitor assist the judge to perform his/her role effectively
and efficiently? The most important role the competitor can
play in having the show run in a timely manner is to be on time.
Get to the show so you have enough time to get ready for your
class, or if a ridden class, you have time to warm up. The judge
and committee want you to enjoy your showing, so they want
you to be able to compete in all your classes. They don’t want to
shut the gate on you, so make sure you are nearby and ready to
go. Also make sure you are listening to all announcements and
calls for your number and you are aware of what class they are
up to in the arena.
Judges have pet peeves and mine is when people are lining up
to compete in a Halter Class and they hang back. As soon as the
judge has finished examining the last horse working out, and
they turn around for the next horse, I like to see the exhibitor
at the marker ready to go.
I asked some of our judges what their pet peeves were and
received replies from Peter Bellden, Glenn Wyse, Kate Elliott,
Conny Barry, Craig Rath and Leanne Bartlett. The following
is a list and I find them all valid problems that you encounter
often.
• Competitors not at the marker ready to start in pattern
classes
• Short pants in showmanship
• Badly shaped hats
• Incorrect gear/attire
• Halter horse handlers continually touching horses feet
• Programs that have too many gear changes eg: Western to
English to Western
• Poor quality motels or private accommodation for the judge
• Competitors not acknowledgi ng the judge prior to
commencing a pattern
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Walking or jogging circles whilst waiting for your turn
The crazy, strange showmanship walk, often described as
the funky duck walk
Pleasure horses doing reining and trying to get big sliding
stops on them when it just won’t happen
Pleasure horses trying to do ranch riding
Steward telling the judges when something happens in a
class or telling the judge how to do their job
Forced smile in pattern events
Excessive clicking or kissing during a class
Ill-fitting clothing
Too many walk/jog type classes on a program
Not enough workers at the show to do all of the jobs like
Gate Marshall, Show Manager etc.
Competitors not wearing sleeves in the warm up times.
Especially with the invention of Dickies so many competitors
wear a singlet type top with no sleeves.
One of my other pet peeves is people wearing thongs in the
marshalling area. This is just not safe at all, people may do
it at home but they should not do it at a show, as the show
committee has a responsibility to ensure the safety of everyone
attending the show. Our Show Managers should be picking
this type of thing up. But you need to remember that our Show
Managers are usually volunteers that may not be up to date
with the rules. This is where a good Show Manager can make
or break a show.
One thing that I find particularly strange is that I believe our
sport is one of the few sports where people compete in it and
have never read our rule book. Our rule book can greatly
assist you to show your horse to the best of his/her ability. For
example, if you are competing in Trail and the pattern tells
you to lope from one point to another on the left lead. If your
horse breaks gait at lope then you will incur a three point
penalty. So if your horse goes back into lope on the right hand
lead I see so many people break gait again, maybe even several
times, to try to get back on the left lead. Every time they break
gait it incurs another three point penalty. So it would be better
for the competitor to continue on the wrong lead and only incur
the one three point penalty and -1 ½ manoeuvre score rather
than all of the three point penalties. This is just one example
March • April • 2018 • The Australian Quarter Horse Magazine • Page 13