Judges Funny Comments

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littlemiss1

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Now the show season is well and truly in full swing we've been out competing most weekends. I just wondered whats some of the funniest judges comments you've received.

My favourite so far has to be that "he is lovely and gave a great ride but his ears flopped around to much and was distracting while riding" :D
 
I've had "Flying changes not required at this level :-)" from a dressage judge clearly amused at our complete failure to achieve counter canter.
 
My young TB got a dressage sheet with the final comment 'Oh dear. Rather tense and lively chestnut today. Very well sat on those bucks.'
 
"Take up knitting" was one of the funniest (and unkindest, but I didn't mind), but have also had a few "unplanned dismount" and "well sat" too.
 
I asked a just if it was worth persisting showing a Shetland in coloured classes. The response - I can't say yes and j can't say no but they don't move as well as the cobs and they get lost in amongst them...

Ok then! I'll not bother with that judge again 😂😂😂
 
'Unconventional entry' when my sister panicked at her first ever dressage test and entered as soon as she heard the bell - unfortunately she was just going past B at the time.
 
Last year the judge said of my ridden veteran “don’t think I didn’t see that I’ve got eyes at the back of my head” as he leapt around the ring in excitement. He did win though :D. This year in an in-hand class the same judge said “I’ve judged you before haven’t I? I didn’t remind him why he was memorable :D

Most embarrassing was when he came second in Riding Club Horse many years ago and the same judge was in the Riding Horse class where they get ridden. Unfortunately at the best of times my horse is not exactly forward and being at the end of the line in hot sun didn’t help matters. With the judges short legs, no whip or spurs he could barely get him to trot :eek: . He handed him back to me saying “I’m disappointed I was so looking forward to riding him”. :o :(
 
"Hahaha" is my favourite.

I should add, I know the judge well, it was a little riding club dressage competition and Arch, having used up all his goodness in his first test just couldn't contain himself any longer. I was laughing, my caller was laughing, the judge and writer were laughing and the audience (of about 3 people) were all laughing as A threw himself around, piaffing and passaging everywhere before bogging off across the diagonal. I just about kept him in the boards, hauled him round the corner and did the rest of the test in canter. He finished off with a near perfect halt that we got a 9 for!
 
I have had 2 with my youngster
Youngstock class
A/ your youngster is far too well behaved to be here

Best condition grass kept
B/ your youngster still has a bit of a winter coat ( April show )
 
Follysmum said:
I have had 2 with my youngster
Youngstock class
A/ your youngster is far too well behaved to be here

Best condition grass kept
B/ your youngster still has a bit of a winter coat ( April show )
Click to expand...

I also had a similar one to this with my mare in the veteran class. "She is too well covered i should be able to see a little rib and her coat is too thick" she was 30 and had cushings
 
This year the best so far :

What a lovely Connie - she's rather fat though ( She's a highland).

Thank you for coming and showing us all how to ride and persuading me not to ride aside (lol) - We had entered a normal open hunter astride class aside. Horse had nearly sat down on the go round in canter after getting his foot caught in a hidden sheep rib cage which was hidden by grown through grass. Practically spun 360 at a loose dog that ran into the ring but other than that behaved impeccably.
We got 2nd.

Different show and in a local side saddle class - I've got no idea about sidesaddle I tried it once and didn't like it...
 
"very handy with their teeth"

To be fair I was mortified with Ruby that day, she is not a biter but can on a VERY rare occasion nip (I mean once in 9 months rare!) unfortunately she choose to bite the judge during the line up and then dig a hole in the surface. It didn't surprise me that I came last.
 
'Are you sure he's a Shetland, he has no feather?'

Urr, yes he is a spsbs registered... if you want hairy legs come and see him (or me) in winter?
 
I once asked a judge what classes he thought my coloured cob x would do well in. He said he didn't really know. This was after he had placed him 4th out of 10 in a cob class
 
Mine was pretty bad, judges comment at bottom of dressage test sheet was 'have you tried reading a book about dressage?' and 'have you ever done this before?' and we had previously competed at elementary regionals! Was just a bad day hahaha.
 
Ddraig_Wen, I forgot that one. I had exactly the same i.e. 'too fat for a Connemara' when she was actually a Highland, in one of the first shows I ever entered. I left the ring feeling really disillusioned. I thought judges would know more than me about horse breeds!!
 
My very forward d mare had two paces in canter, on the spot or flat out. In a novice test the comment for canter was "brave" for the medium canter it was "very brave!"
 
From a listed dressage judge about a horse subsequently diagnosed with kissing spines 'He needs a man on him.'

Better ones:


Nice one time changes, unfortunately not required at Novice.

I'd like to take hIm home with me.

Well sat!
 
On being handed 1st in an inhand m&m class at a local agricultural show and the best Dartmoor rosette ‘lovely type just a bit small’ quietly pointing out he was a Shetland
 
At our first & so far only Intro Dressage.

"Showing much resistance" - Yep, we were reversing, at speed.
"Lateral steps not required" - Spooking at everything.

Managed to stay in the arena though!
 
Good thread.
We tried a small WH course a few years ago- being new to it all and it being a small show I had asked the judge "could I wear my spurs?" I was told no.

Dropped my cane at the first jump. And refused every single jump.... more interest on eating the haybales and shrubbery than jumping them!!

Judge: "I see why you need the spurs"
 
I judge at a local level.. which is tough But recently I had an open horse pony in hand class... what came in the ring was a section a , a coloured show hunter and a Clydesdale... I know nothing about heavy horses and what I’m looking for (I grew up breeding welshies) so I was somewhat stumped... cos the a was really nice and the coloured was a good example too... sometimes judging gets really tough
 
once judged a family pony.......................which was populated by a few who where using it to warm up before other showing classes etc.............. the pony which i gave first to was due to the fact the kid rode it both semi collected and at the end of the buckle and it stood still in the line up, so fitted the brief for family pony.

whilst all the others seem to hang on to the front end and couldn't keep still and a couple went up etc. yes they were better examples of welsh or connie etc but as they stood in the ring they were not a family pony

you thought i had committed murder judging by the repercussions and comments...........the one that normally won didn't, it was a local riding club monthly show and points mean prizes at the end of the season and i was filling in for someone. Never went back.
 
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The one and only time Mac had a go at dressage, my friend rode him and I called for her. He’s a Suffolk x, and a clown. My friend totally ignored my calling, and they just bumbled through the test. They didn’t score overly well, obviously, but in the comments at the end, the judge wrote that he really looked like he was enjoying himself and having fun.
 
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