So You Think You Can Be a Horse Judge?

A Behind the Scenes Look From the 2016 AQHA Educational Judging Seminar

EC Blog by: Sally Blackwell

My flirtation with the idea of judging began when I was already in the middle of the arena shooting equine events for my job as a horse show photographer. As a long-time Western Pleasure exhibitor, I was familiar with the process of judging the movement of pleasure horses, so as I watched each class, I evaluated the horses in the back of my mind. At the end of each class, I would mentally rank them and wait for the announcer to call out the judge’s placings to see how my placings compared with theirs. I found that, in general, the first place and last place horses were easier to identify; it was a little harder ranking the ones in the middle! I began to wonder about the process of judging itself—the precise criteria for each class, what traits needed to be prioritized over other traits, and the rules for each class.

I began to try different things to help my judging “process.” Thus began my in-depth familiarization with the AQHA rulebook, which is a huge aid to any exhibitor wishing to compete in a new event (or an old event, for that matter!) The next logical step was to try my hand at judging open shows, which I realized, is sometimes harder to place than a World Show class! I scribed for judges at shows and began to learn the penalties and how to fill out a score sheet. I watched videos, and, most importantly, I began to ask questions… lots and lots of questions! The next step was to attend an AQHA’s Judges Seminar.

An application was easily downloaded from the AQHA website and returned via email, and on May 16-18 in Irving, TX, the AQHA Educational Judging Seminar and Specialized Novice Judges Test began. I was pleasantly surprised to see a room full of fellow horsemen and women of all ages. Some of the participants were college judging team members, some were horse trainers, and a few were amateurs looking to educate themselves about the judging process. Some were looking to apply for their Specialized Judge or Novice card and some were All Around judge applicants looking to hone their skills before their formal exam the following week.

Day 1 began with registration and a welcome by Alex Ross, AQHA Senior Director of Judges. Our first speaker was Russell McCord, NCHA Director of Judges. He explained some Cutting terminology and the fundamentals that must be used when judging Cutting. We were shown videos of several Cutting runs and he narrated how each run should be scored. Following up Cutting was a segment on Working Cow Horse hosted by Bill Enk. Again, he explained the fundamentals and scoring of the class and walked us through scoring several videos of Working Cow Horse runs.

After a break for lunch, we had a Reining segment with Joe Hayes followed by a video test for the attendees who were testing for their Novice card. This consisted of watching six runs on video and scoring them on our sample Reining score sheet. Then, we practiced transferring our placings to the card that’s then handed in to the ring steward. A working knowledge of the penalties is important in order to be able to quickly scribe while continuing to watch the run. The next segment was Ranch Riding, again hosted by Bill Enk, followed by another video test. Following that was an overview of the Roping classes given by Jeff Allen, who went over the scoring for the Calf Roping, Heading, and Heeling horses. Concluding the events for the day was Tim Finkenbinder, who explained the fundamentals of correct conformation in today’s Quarter Horse and demonstrated placing several horses from photo examples.

The second day of demonstrations covered several core classes that are held at most shows. It began with Trail, hosted by Michael Colvin and Holly Hover, using videos to show common penalties. This was followed by a video test for the Novice Card applicants. The duo then explained Western Riding, which was also followed by a video test. After a lunch break, David Dellin explained the preferred movement for Western Pleasure horses, which was illustrated by the use of several videos. The afternoon concluded with Michael Colvin and Holly Hover presenting Showmanship and Horsemanship.

The third and final day of the seminar began with Alex Ross giving an orientation on the forms, fundamentals, and code of ethics for judges. Following this was a segment on Hunter Under Saddle, presented by Cindy Hale, then Working Hunter with Cindy and Laura Norment.  A video test for the Novice Card applicants followed and then a lunch break. The same presenters returned after lunch for a segment on Hunter Hack and Equitation on the Flat. Their final segment was Equitation over Fences. Concluding the day and the seminar were the open rulebook tests and interviews for the Novice Card applicants.

Whether or not I decide to follow through with the judge’s application process, the AQHA Educational Judging Seminar was immensely helpful to me as a horseman. I now have a much better understanding of the overall criteria for judging each class and will be able to better help my children and students as well as myself.