Being judged by relations!

Baggybreeches

Baggybreeches

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Don't know how many people this will apply to and I think some organisations have rules about it, but my example refers to riding club level.
My mum judges the jumping ring at our local RC, usually I dont compete at the RC shows, but my friend asked if I would jump her horse yesterday at said show, any way horse is green cos friend doesnt like jumping much, but he does jump quite nicely, so I enter the Novice and the Style and Performance, in the Novice he was really spooky as its his first time outdoors since last year and we have a fence down.
In the style and performance he was really nice listening, obedient, rhythmic etc and we went clear.
There were only 2 others in the class a girl on a bay horse that jumped a nice round and a girl off friends yard, who spends a fortune on lessons but never listens to the instructor!
Anyway because my mum was judging and the other horse went nicely she gives 1st to bay horse, 2nd to me and 3rd to the other one. (I never win unless I am clear and the others all have faults)!
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Anyway girl off friends yard (who rode like a sack of P**) announced in a very loud voice that it must of been because my mum was judging!
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My friend was absolutely over the moon with her boy, and this girl was so bitchy and nasty, but she's made a rod for her own back because now we have decided to do all the shows, just to pee her off!!!
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Not really the done thing to be judged by a parent - especially when the judging is subjective as in Style and Performance. Really I think if the horse needed the experience then you should have competed Hors Concours.
 
If you are competing show jumping and it is either a fence down, a refusal or timing, then people would just have to put up with it as there are never enough judges at these events and you are being penalised on a predetermined scale. However, if you were being marked on your style, (no matter HOW hard your mother marks you), you have laid yourself open for being accused of favouritism. As TGM says, going hors concours would have been the right thing to do, so every KNOWS you would have come second (in fact, with your mother marking "fairly", you may have even won the class - the only difference is that you would not have got a rosette.

It is easy to be wise after the event, however, I would not have started a thread about it on a public forum, as, to be quite honest, you and your mum were actually in the wrong on this occasion. Probably better to have kept quiet!!!!
 
Was quite happy with the result, was just wondering if any one else had to be judged by the rellys?
As for the HC, I see what you are saying, but the horse is not mine, and if it were I would not have done a subjective class, if the owner is paying the entry surely she is entitled to any prize?
There is far worse goes on affiliated pony showing wise
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To be honest, it doesn't matter who pays the entry fee if you are related to any judge; it is just not the done thing to do to even at RC level, think about doing a class when it is a relative of yours judging it, unless, as FMM said, it is a jumping class.
If it was me, I would be suggesting to your friend she either finds another rider for the classes that your Mum judges or she only enters the horse as hors concours as it is good experience for him.
I can perfectly understand the other competitors being a bit cheesed off and I also can't understand the show secretary even allowing you to enter those classes as a fully fledged competitor, they must know your relationship to the judge. This will be seen by some as 'getting one over on them' and as such could leave a nasty taste in the mouth.
 
I agree.
Yesterday a friend of mine was at a show and the judge was the lady who bred her horse. She entered HC. She was pleased with her round (Working Hunter) and had a great day.
Must be a right pain having a Mum who judges though
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The way I see it...your mum was trying so hard not to show favouritism that the other two would have had to fall off before you won. Different if she had placed you first, then there might have been cause for complaining.
What's the difference between your example, and a judge judging a dressage test who judges the "name" rather than the horse in front of him/her. That is sooo common and it drives me insane.
Fiona
 
I have now got an objective opinion from those who have posted, which I can agree with, on the other hand, the place in question hosts 2 seperate riding clubs, unaffiliated dressage, bsps, and 2 lots of BSJA shows all of which my mum is involved with, on an organising/course building and judging front. It also happens to be my most convenient location and one were there is always a handy helper?! The problem being that there is no-one else to judge the jumping at the RC shows! Thanks for the input folks!
Guess that the price to pay for having a superstar mother!
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You do indeed have a superstar mother.
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I used to have a problem years a go when my Mum used to run little gymkhana/jumping events.

If ever there was a draw and I was involved I ALWAYS had to take the lowest place!!
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It really peeved me off! I got over it though.
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If I did well in the jumping, I always got "Well, you get to practice over these jumps"!! They never asked me if I was allowed to use the jumps. They weren't mine!!

Whatever happens if you enter something that your Mum is judging, somebody is going to have something to say about it.
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Bummer huh?
 
Not at all IMO - I am trying to say that if F's mother judges with integrity then the fact that they are related should make no difference.
If all judges judges exactly what they saw on the day in front of them (and ignored everything else ie the "name" on the horse, or the fact that they taught/were related to the rider) then the right result would always appear at the end of the day. In a perfect world maybe this could happen, but I guess this is real life.
Fiona
 
as you say but in real life it makes no difference in the mind of many of the other competitors! The other officials may know that the judging was fair and accurate but it is still going to cause upset in other people's (competitors) minds and eventually get not only the judge but the show organisers a bad reputation.
 
But we are not discussing the integrity of a judge, but the rules that are "accepted" at competitions. No matter how great the integrity of F's mother (and this is NOT in doubt one little bit on this occasion), it really is not acceptable to judge your child in a competition where the marks that are given are subjective.
 
Probably you should have competed HC then no fuss could have been made.
When I trained a lot of local people often I would end up judging a RC class with perhaps 12 of the entries taught by me, and I was always srupulously fair as it sounds as though your Mum attempted to be.
I always walked down the line from top to bottom and explained exactly why every person was in that place in the line up, I usually pointed out things they could do to improve the next time, and always found something nice to say to them all. (yes I was asked to judge a lot!)
I think I future go HC, you can still win but no-one can accuse you of cheating.
 
i dont think its right that you compete in a class judged by your parents - you should compete HC or not at all. I wouldve been miffed if i was the other 'party' aswell.
 
Whilst I understand what everyone is saying, I do think it is unfair that fatarse2 has to miss out because of her mother being a judge. If her mother works in the correct way then it really shouldn't matter WHO is in front of her - if she does the best round, she does the best round, full stop. I must say if I was in a class and there were relatives competing and judging, it wouldn't bother me one bit as I would expect the judge to be fair - if I thought the judge was NOT fair then I would choose not to ride under her again.
 
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