"Accosting the judge"???

[Halfstep]

Picked up from the BD forum - a judge saying that she was "pounced upon" by competitors after a test, questioning the scores and complaining to her in person.

Now, I have to say that no matter how pissed off I was with my test sheet I would never do this, especially in public. In fact, I've heard of someone being told they were no longer welcome at a venue because they got quite stroppy with a judge at the end of a class. So, have you ever approached a judge and what happened? Is it acceptable to ask (politely) for feedback? I've never been brave enough to do so!

 

[chester1234]

I have to say I approached at judge at some unaff DR. I was doing a walk trot test and a prelim [white board practise for a giraffe

he does it all beautifully at home

] The walk trot test was awful, asked for med trot and he took off across the diagonal and jumped out of the arena. I decided to haul a** outta there and retired. Left the arena in floods of tears and vowing never to do dressage ever again. Had just started to untack pony [was throwing a strop and NOT doing the prelim] and mum had started to take plaits out when the secretary came sprinting across the car park yelling at us to stop

The judge had asked that I go back in and redo my test at the end of the class, giving me and the pony time to calm down.

We did, and we did the test, and to my horror we came 2nd

it was as if he just decided that he might as well get on with it, and our medium trots...good golly miss molly they were medium trots!

Did my prelim and came 7th, and at the end of the class the judge came in for lunch. At which point I went up and apologised for my tantrum and thanked her so much for making me go back in. She was very nice and said she could see that we both COULD do it, T just didnt WANT to.

But would never accost a judge for a poorly marked test. Judges decision is final.

 

[qwertyuiop]

I have asked 2 explain their comments to me before. 1's handwriting was illegible (judge's writing, not scribe) and the other gave me a comment that made no sense whatsoever ("Alderman's trot").

 

[kirstyhen]

I wouldn't because I'm usually to relieved that the Judge was clearly blind/watching a different test/etc

I have seen it happen many times at our local Riding Club, usually in the Workers ring. It's usually the stereotypical pushy mother too

I could understand asking for expansion on the comments, and points to work on (although I could never be bothered!) but not accosting the poor person!

 

[horseywelsh]

Yes i too have seen it happen alot with showing classes, and agree with the 'pushy' mum thing.
Once in a showing class (affiliated) i was very disgruntled at where i had been placed, but i politely asked the judge if she could give me some tips as i was new to affiliated showing - shame she wasn't useful on her response - but thats showing.
Only other time i have spoke to judge was once after a dressage comp. i was sat in the cafe and the judge came up to talk to me. I had had the same judge for a few weeks running and her comments were realy nice and supportive.
Don't think i would approach a judge though, at the end of he day everybody is entitled to their own opinion, competitors will sometimes disagree with the judge, but if you can't hack it don't compete. You must have respect for the judges, if there is a judge you disfavour, you just try to avoid comps where they are judging

 

[Bubblegum]

No I would never. I have seen it in showing classes, quite a lot. But never in dressage. We have one dressage judge (a listed judge) who regularly judges our local RC classes, and she accosts the competitors!
She has twice jumped out of her car and had a personal word with us. But she is sweet, and very passionate about dressage. She calls a spade a spade... but when she tells you things are improving you know she means it!
I would never accost a judge.. it would be so rude.

 

[meardsall_millie]

We have a couple of local judges (unaffiliated, affiliated and BE) who always go and have a look at the scoreboards at the end of the class and are more than happy to chat to competitors about comments, marks, etc. I would never 'accost' a judge though - not the done thing imo!

 

[CastleMouse]

No, I certainly never would...

 

[duckling]

I was running a uni competition (dressage and showjumping) and after I'd published the dressage scores and given the competitors their test sheets one visiting team captain stormed up and demanded to speak to the judge as 'she must have been blind'

!
Luckily for her the judge had gone home, our judge is fabulous and is always very fair, but I reckon she'd have had something to say if this girl had actually accosted her... Looking back at the photographs I can't see what she was making a fuss about, I think her test was marked up if anything, even though she did come last!

 

[Lolo]

If I'm really pleased/ think that I did an atrocious test I go and thank the judge. If I've written for the judge, I'll go and chat afterwards if I write a lot for them and usually get some tips. But accosting a judge? I wouldn't dare...

 

[stroppymare153]

Do know someone who took her advanced eventer out unaff dressaging (prob prelim - maybe novice!) and got a really sh*tty mark and comments.

She did ask the judge why she had got such a bad mark and was told that "once I'd seen you were riding in a rubber snaffle I just couldn't give you a good mark!" - say no more!!

those sort of judges deserve all the accosting they get!

 

[Fiona]

Dressage - yes I might ask the judge at the end of the class (prob only if I knew him/her though) what I might have done better, or to explain a particular comment.

Showing - I would love to be able to/get a chance to ask a judge at the end of the class what we could do to pull up the line, but they always seem to disappear, and I don't know if it would be correct 'form' or not.

I judged a RC pony WH comp a couple of years ago, 2 classes, and after the championship I was pulled by a mother because her little darling finished first in her class but I placed the second (in that class) above her in the champ because it galloped far better in the big arena.

That (IMO) was unacceptable!

Fiona

 

[Folara]

Never accosted but yes I think we may have spoken to a judge after a competition. Most of them are really nice if you are genuinly asking a proper question and not just trying to 'slag' them off as such. Sometimes it can be helpful to have an interpretation of a comment.

 

[rlhnlk]

I've had a judge accost me after the tests. She brought my sheet to my trailer and explained what she thought I needed to work on which I thought was really nice of her. There was only 4 of us in the class though and the others had left(mid week unaff comp). I've never asked the judge as I know full well what comments such as hurried and needs to be rounder mean and what I need to do to improve them. If I wasn't sure of a comment or wanted a bit more info I would ask though they are only human like the rest of us.
I would never accost one to complain though- after all its only natural for them to be jealous of my perfection

(HA)

 

[diggerbez]

i've asked the judge for clarification/ what i can improve upon if they've come in to the scoreboard area at the end (i think if they come in then its generally because they are happy to talk to people) but i don't think i'd accost them to query the actual score that i'd got- sometimes you feel its unfair or badly judged so then whats the point in asking for help as clearly the judge has been blind!! he he
btw halloween, what is an'aldermans trot'- did you find out?

 

[qwertyuiop]

Has anyone challenged a SJ course builder on the height of the course? I did an 85cm class today and I reckon his tape measure is made of elastic...

 

[Halfstep]

[ QUOTE ]
Has anyone challenged a SJ course builder on the height of the course? I did an 85cm class today and I reckon his tape measure is made of elastic...

[/ QUOTE ]

I once challenged a course builder on a distance in a combination. It was a Boomerang qualifier, which was a series for young horses in Ireland, the course was supposed to be challenging but rideable for younger show jumpers, and he built a nightmare. I walked the course and a bunch of riders were worried that, basically, he'd built a double that was either one HUGE stride or two tiny ones, asking the horse to chip in or leap. Not fair on a youngster. A bunch of us drew lots on who should challenge the course builder and I got the short straw! He changed the distance

.

 

[diggerbez]

i was at a BSJA show last week and someone questioned the coursebuilder's decision to put a spooky water tray/oxer combo as fence number 2 in the 1.05m speed class (which was 1st class of day)- he just turned around and said "theres a Brit novice class on after 5pm if you'd rather wait for that"