The things judges say

Carrots&Mints said:
Totally agree, showing is showing, its the judges prefrence and opinion at the end of the day, people shouldnt go judge bashing just because their pony didnt get a 1st or a rosette.
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I don't think anyone on here is moaning at not getting placed or a first? The thread is about odd or rude comments made by judges. Personally, I haven't had any made to me, but it does appear that others on this thread have, which is not really acceptable. It's nothing to do with not getting placed, or getting a rosette, but about etiquette and common decency.
 
I was stewarding unaffiliated WH classes recently, at a show which normally has affiliated classes.
I was amazed at the odd turnout of many of the competitors, with many being unplaited and one little girl aged about10, whose name we soon learned as her mum was calling to her constantly, whose pony was decked out in as many different coloured ribbons as they could find, including red, gold and green ribbons in the tail, all of which matched the ribbons trailing from the child's bunches peeking from under her hat.
I was just thankful that I did not have to stop them all as they came into the ring, to ask them to adjust their turnout and tack We did have a quick word with them though about the turnout required if they ever entered affiliated classes at the end of the class.
 
I've only been showing once, to a fairly big district show, and found everyone to be really lovely - other competitors saying hello in the warm-up, people chatting away and the judges and stewards were really kind in keeping me right and explaining everything. I had entered my 18yo boy in a Veteran class and he behaved impeccably, the two judges were really complimentary about him and were generally really encouraging. I had mentally placed myself about 4th out of the 6 others in the class, but I think his excellent manners (and pretty face) shone through on the day.
 
A friend was once placed second in a class .He was the only one in the class .The judge said as he didn't like the horse he couldn't place him first. If any other horses had turned up that he had liked less than my friends horse I wonder whether he would have used that exalted first place ! We still laugh about it to this day . I have heard of this happening to others too .
 
Blanche said:
A friend was once placed second in a class .He was the only one in the class .The judge said as he didn't like the horse he couldn't place him first. If any other horses had turned up that he had liked less than my friends horse I wonder whether he would have used that exalted first place ! We still laugh about it to this day . I have heard of this happening to others too .
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That is a showing rule and it's perfectly acceptable for a judge to do that. It often happens, though more so in bygone days than these days.
 
Little_Grape said:
Was once put down towards the bottom of a line with my perfectly well behaved Criollo in a foreign breeds class against some rather naughty but flashier looking horses. I wasn't worried until the judge gave me my feedback that I was down at the bottom of the line up because 'you can't get a grey horse to shine like a bay' (he could have said anything to me as the place was probably deserved but what a bizarre comment!!)
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Sounds a bit like what I and two other friends were told at a local show,( not RC, a little bigger but still nothing all that special) - "I don't like chestnuts so you can sort out your positions in the line between you". He didn't even watch any of us doing our individual show. One of us was riding a WHP that had competed at HYS, but there you go.
 
Pippity said:
My very first show, I was about six years old and had been recruited to be a jockey in a lead rein class. I'm not from a remotely horsey family and we had no idea what I should be wearing, so my mother kitted me out in my best red woolly jumper with a horse on front (knitted by my aunt) and turned up at the show. Obviously, we didn't go in the LR class!

However, the pony's owner let us go in LR handy pony at the end of the day. Pony and I were both tired, I was still upset from showing up WRONG, and when Pony baulked a little at walking over a mattress, I just burst into tears.

The judge wiped my eyes, took over the lead rein, and gave me an impromptu riding lesson on how to get Pony past the obstacles. She was the kindest, most encouraging person I'd met all day. And while I should have been booted from the class, she even let me be placed fourth (out of four, obviously!) and have a rosette to take home. I've still got that rosette, thirty years later.
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Oh bless. What a lovely thing of her to do.
Wouldn't it be nice if you could tell her, as a now-adult, how much it meant to you
 
conniegirl said:
I once went to a local show, was placed last and was told my pony was a "very poor example of a section D".

Said pony was a county show winning purebred connemara, we were at a local show because we needed to work on an issue that only presented itself at shows.

My response to the judge was " I should jolly well hope so since he is a connemara!" her face went red and she walked away!
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I was told my Haflinger was an excellent stamp of a Sec D...
 
I'm so jealous of you all!
We don't have 'showing' shows over here the way you do in the UK and I would love to show off my 4. The only shows we have are the breed shows (keuring) once a year for the breed studbooks, jumping competitions, dressage competitions, working equitation etc.
One thing that was said to my daughter by a fellow competitor's mother many years ago, when my daughter was competing with her Fjord in dressage, was that she would never get anywhere with him. She beat said fellow competitor many times over the next few years and rode the Fjord up to advanced medium level before a tendon injury ended his career. Said Fjord also won the handsomest gelding in the Pony magazine a few years ago.
 
I have a friend who was told her 'Spanish' horse had no place in a hunter class. He's a 17hh grey well bred Irish Draught.

She was also told how fantastic it was to see a Cleveland Bay as you don't see many about now!?!

I agree about the 'normal' rider comment- horrendous thing to say. Judge would have gone home with a black eye!!
 
The last time my sister took her big bay lad to a local show, the judge clearly arranged the horses according to colour when placing them. It was a Riding Horse class, the coloureds came first, then greys, then chestnuts, and bays last. It was crap to watch, some of the horses placed high clearly only got it because the judge preferred their colour.
 
Agree with micramadam... no showing in France either (unless it's the breed show, and that is mainly for 3yos doing their grading)

Hence my complete over excitement at the "Plaiting" and "Best Turned Out" competition we are having as part of our end of year party at the yard (and yes, I'm nearly 40) - I've already started my preparation, and the show isn't until 31 Aug ;)
 
applecart14 said:
The judge rang the bell half way through my Novice test one day. I stopped and rode over to her amazed as I knew I hadn't gone wrong. When I asked what I had done wrong both she and the writer were powerless to tell me. She said she only knew I had gone wrong as I was 'facing the wrong direction'.

To the side of the arena a fellow competitor who had competed two horses before me and done the same test spoke to be afterwards and said she had watched my test from the beginning and I had definetely not gone wrong.

She was quite an old dressage judge and although very experienced I was told she did this a lot as she was going a bit senile and got easily confused!!!
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I got to the end of a dressage test the other day (my first novice so my mind was racing as not used to that many movements compared to Prelim) and the judge got out of her car and said she thought I had gone wrong somewhere but didn't know where. She asked me if I was aware of going wrong to which I answered "I really don't know. I don't feel like I did but equally don't remember it all as it's a bit of a blur." She'd got to a certain point and stopped marking so she said I'd have to go back to a certain point and go from there. This suited me fine as I'd just screwed up my simple change so did it again and nailed it this time. I dodged a bit of a bullet as I scored an 8 instead of what would have been a 4 or 5 the first time, got 69.2% and came 3rd - with which I was thrilled! It's tinged with knowing it wasn't really that good however (although simple change was a blip in an otherwise good test, I felt and would have cost me maybe 2%. I'd still have been thrilled with 67!) and to this day I don't know if I went wrong!

This was a listed judge too, although at a BRC competition not a BD. It just goes to show anyone can have an off-day or make a mistake.
 
I have heard my fair share of inappropriate unnecessary comments from judges to young children but I just wanted to mention at a show last year I watched the novelty class which was bonniest/prettiest pony. There were 4 in the class and the judge made every effort to tell each child why he thought their pony was beautiful, pretty, bonny, classy etc. He told the rider that came 4th that her pony was very handsome to which she replied 'she's a she' He dealt with this fantastically apologising and saying he knew a lot of handsome ladies in his time and just because she was a lady didn't mean she couldn't be handsome and that he knew a lot of boys that were pretty! He was brilliant and had the whole show in stitches!
 
I don't think there is an excuse to be rude, honest yes, rude no.
I recently judged a local show with a massive variety of classes, I was there for 5 hours in toning down rain and I made the time to give positive and constructive feedback to nearly everyone.

I did nearly die when I had 18 in my bonny pony and only 4 rosettes!

Mixed breed classes are incredibly difficult if you are not an expert. I have to say I was mortified to ask if someones horse was a shetland to be told that you don't get appaloosa coloured shetties. I am a Welsh 'expert' and was judging mainly on movement but it was mortifying non-the less.
 
My favorite so far has been that my miniature horse looked too much like a miniature horse to place in a line up of miniature horses lol
 
I got told my pony would only ever be any good in a tin and to get another one if I wanted to continue in showing.....at a local "fun" show" Told the judge what I thought of him as he made the comment loud and people around the ring heard and his little group of followers were laughing....the girl in front of me he had already had in tears....As I went to leave he put his hands on my pony's neck and said to stay where I was as I had not got permission to leave his ring..I replied very loudly that it was in fact against the law to hold someone against their will and to "get your hands off this pony NOW" in a very menacing way!! He was hopping mad as I left the ring and people were pointing and laughing at him....several others walked out as well.

I think back and now it's funny, but at the time it was a nasty incident, and has left such a bad taste that I gave away all of my showing stuff and will NEVER set foot in the ring again....
 
In a pre-vetern class 'Your horse is lovely but you need to show her hogged! '

Vetern rules state to show your horse to type. Ginny is a full up welsh D so is shown as m&m therefore not hogged. When I pointed this out to the judge she just shrugged her shoulder and said I should hog!
 
I cant win with my mare, take her in a m&m class and get marked down because she's too fine, manes too thin, more of a show pony type. Took her to a local show last month turned out plaited/trimmed and avoid the m&m class only to be asked why i hadn't put her in the m&m!? Told she was stunning by the judge then ended up halfway down the line up with no cc.

Took her in the condition and turnout in the end! Placed 3rd as didn't have a jacket on but was pleased with that as two above me were turned out fab and both had jackets on so fair placing imo
Great comments and cc in that class too so came away from it knowing why we were placed there which is what i went for :)

Wasn't expecting to win given the no jacket/horse had almost a month off previously and just diagnosed with cushings. Went as a day out and to get some cc, which i got from the second judge!
 
At a county show, mixed mountain and moorland inhand " it moves like a slug!"
Was sort of justified as the mare refused to show herself off, but she wasn't exactly slug like IMHO!
 
in a mountain and moorland class, my daughters first show and the only junior rider (aged 8), it was a very small local show and we had come across it by luck, I popped up to see if they were happy for riders to ride jacket less, the organisers were but when my daughter was not placed out of 4 I was told it was because she was not wearing a jacket!!! I did complain when the steward came over to tell me the horse that had been placed first (which was hogged with a pulled tail and clipped legs a cob NOT mountain and moorland) belonged to the judge and was being ridden by her loaner
 
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