Grrr - corrupt showing judges (rant!)

[lauraandjack]

Had my first dabble in the world of affiliated showing today (and probably my last!).

Now, don't get me wrong here, I had no delusions of being placed anywhere at all. But, when my horse had done a fairly tidy and obedient show, it was a little galling to be placed below a horse that was, in my opinion, lame in front, and another horse that could not execute a proper canter transition when asked to and required pony club style kicking to get it into canter.

It was very obvious that the judge had made his mind up as soon as the horses walked into the ring - he asked for the briefest of individual shows and only bothered to strip the top 6, which included the lame one and the one that couldn't canter! Barely gave a glance at the rest (including me).

(ps I'm a vet - so before you start ranting about whether the horse was lame or not, I do know what I'm looking at!)

Grrr - I think I may stick to jumping!

 

[Gingerwitch]

Know what you mean - i did not think that dressage could be biased but oh yes it is - i much prefer jumping - the fence is either up or down - but i have seen someone given faults for resisting when it was just required a kick to keep it going - but i suppose she could not let her daughter not win now could she.....

 

[diggerbez]

how frustrating for you this is the very reason why i don't do showing.... (oh and that i am a scruff bag so couldn't be bothered with all of the cleaning and scrubbing)
i think if you want to show you have to reconcile yourself to the fact that this will occasionally happen.... and hopefully sometimes it will be much fairer....

 

[ester]

reminds me of a fab class that my sis did on frank last year...... placed below something that couldnt canter on the correct lead.... turned out completely incorrectly and grossly grossly overweight.

reminding me why i stick to dressage and jumping and the odd workers class when I can be bothered

 

[dany]

Showing was never my thing, but i completely gave it up after the judge pulled in all the greys first.

 

[Zebedee]

Which society & what class? I don't suppose anyone video'd the class for you?The judge was very wrong not to allow the whole class equal consideration - to only strip the top six was very rude. If time was short he should not have stripped any.
I learnt very quickly not to bother getting my hopes up as we viewed the lame,overweight or disobedient exhibits called in above our well schooled but non 'quality' cob. In the early days as I watched them buck, or refuse to canter, or nap, or hobble I genuinely believed that there would be a shake up of the line for the final placings. Wrong !!
The thing with showing is that the judges opinion is subjective. If you write & complain to the society concerned you wil get a lovely sympathetic letter back, saying that they are sorry you did not enjoy your day, but they are unable to comment on the judges decision.

 

[Baggybreeches]

I know it is very frustrating. I don't do much showing anymore, because quite honestly I am well aware of my horses shortcomings!
I did spend a day stewarding for a fab old judge at a BSPS show a couple of years ago, and it was really interesting (although I hasten to add he is proper 'old school' and couldn't give a monkeys who was who!).
I would write a brief letter to the society concerned.

 

[JustMe22]

This is why I don't show much now...its just so so subjective, and its all about politics. Even at HOYS (in south africa mind) there was uproar at some of the horses being placed/winning with the judges disregarding lameness/lack of training/bad manners/inability to canter on the correct leg etc etc etc.

Hopefully you'll ride at another one where the judging is more fair, but I suppose if you're showing sometimes you need to put up with the bias.

On another note though - more often than not over here that they only strip the top 6 or so horses. The ones not in contention after the group and individual show are told to leave the arena. I thought that was normal! Heheh

 

[Firewell]

I did an ROR class with my old horse at a county show. I wasnt expecting to come anywhere as my horse didnt give the judge a very good ride. However there were some lovely horses that gave immaculate shows, stood beautifully and who were stunning.

The horse that won, was naughty. It wouldnt stand still in the line up and actually kicked the steward when he walked behind the horse, the steward fell to the floor and people came running in to make sure he was OK!! The horse still won. The person riding the horse was Lynn Russel. No one else stood a chance, she won before she even went in to the arena.

I felt sorry for the people who came 5th and 6th whose horses were much much better behaved!

 

[Alibear]

You know I think you have to take it as it just wasn't your day. That happens in every sport whether it's a dodgy refusal given XC of SJ , or a door banging loudly part way through your dressage test.

Some days things just don't work out. Whether you try again is up to you.
I'm not being flippant either as I very nearly gave up my then chosen sport of dressage after a clash with a nasty judge once. Thankfully I managed to bin the test and forget about it and carried on well after that.

 

[BBH]

Mum has shown county standard / hoys for years and when the schedules come out she looks at who the judges are first as she knows which ones are gonna love her stock or hate them. She won't waste her time if the judge is wrong.

She has always said its not what you've got but who you are that counts.