Unaffiliated Show Judges

Unfortunately you get all sorts at unaffilliated shows. The better ones get "names" but sometimes they have to resort to nabbing random passers by, etc. Or at least it feels like it sometimes.
 
I'm one - don't think they care about qualifications tbh.

Look at it from the show organisers POV - where are they going to find people who will spend a whole (usually week end ) day, often dealing with stroppy (2 legged :D ) mares for a cup of tea, lunch and if you're lucky petrol money if competitors start demanding panel judges or the like? Your entry fees would definitely increase......a lot.

Where the organisers go wrong IMHO is that they ask judges, on the day to judge classes that they know very little about. I've judged LR and FR classes fgs and my interest and knowledge is natives, Hunter and WH classes. I can judge youngstock, arabs and sport horses fairly well both inhand and under saddle ....but LR and FR:confused::D

Apparently I'm developing a reputation for not standing any nonsense by compeditors :rolleyes: due to telling one madam that she was welcome to leave MY ring if she disagreed with my placings - she was bloody rude though!
 
As a show organiser of unaffiliated shows (two a year) we are extremely lucky that we actually have Panel Judges volunteer to judge for us year after year. (This year Katie Jerram - who has judged a number of times now has even volunteered to hold a master class before the show begins next year - a suggestion she came up with herself).

Maybe it's the fact that we offer a friendly family old fashioned showing show where we try to get all competitors supporting each other. We also provide our judges with breakfast and lunch and whatever other refreshments they want during the day. We offer petrol money which to be totally honest, nearly every one of them over the years has refused but we do make sure we give them all a gift from us as organisers ourselves. It's usually been a couple of bottles of wine and box of chocolates for each judge, but this year for a change, we gave our gentlemen judges a choice of malt whisky or brandy, and our lady judges got a Yankee Candle Burner Set with a number of candles of their choice, plus chocolates.

I suppose it also helps that our shows are held to raise funds for various equine and human charities, as opposed to money going into our pocket.

And our entry fees have been the same for three years £6.25 and for that, the winner gets a fantastic big rosette, a trophy to keep plus a gift from anything to a box of chocolates to a hand made bridle, bags of feed, bales of shavings, etc etc. Every penny we get in from sponsorship goes to the competitors and every penny the competitors pay in on entry fee, goes to the charities.

I think shows would get better judges if they actually looked after their judges and the judges knew that all the money raised was for charities.

We know shows around our area that do use "Joe Bloggs" down the road who has never seen a horse yet alone compete in any equine discipline and if everybody avoided these shows, there wouldn't be the arguments between competitors and judges.

Katie herself actually stood in front of me at our August show and couldn't believe how many people actually came up to us to thank her for giving up her day to judge them, and these are from people who never actually won a class.

If anyone wants a qualified judge, then go through the Panel listings and just do what we originally did - phone or email them and just ask. Look after your judges and any unaffiliated shows will have no problem attracting good judges.
 
Couldn't agree more with comment re judging not being familiar with the class they have been asked to judge. Very frustrating when doing lead rein etc and the judge doesn't have a clue how a lead rein pony should go. Also when ponies wearing martinagles and flash nosebands get placed above correctly turned out ponies. Cos you don't mind being down the line if you trust the judge and can learn from it
 
Thistle said:
generally just the willingness to stand all day in a wet muddy field with no thanks from the competitors!
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Not always like that. Maybe in the winter yes, but i went with my instructor once and we had lunch especially made for us and drinks all free and all competitors were very friendly (i know not all are) x
 
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miss_molly said:
At local unaffiliated showing shows how do they select their judges?
What sort of qualifications / expereince would they need?
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When I used to organise RC showing shows it was very difficult to find good judges!! I had a list I would work through, word of mouth, judges I had met whilst stewarding at other shows. Qualifications wise.....most were seasoned county level competitors themselves so knew a thing or two about turnout etc! At the end of the day you will only please one person in a show class - and that's the winner!!
 
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