What's the Funniest comment you've ever had from a judge?

[kbsaff]

As per the the title, what is the funniest feedback you've ever had from a judge?

In my ID's first ever dressage test, having drifted so much then fallen over not one but 2 of the letter markers, a judge commented "Is this horse blind/drunk or perhaps the rider?"

Needless to say I crawled back under my XC rock never to frequent a dressage arena again.

 

[MontyandZoom]

What a shame this horse has one eye, she can't hold her head straight

That was the only comment on my first dressage test!

 

[Battyoldbint]

A friend had,,,horse looks great but your child is a mess lmao

 

[LauraWheeler]

I came 5th in a workers class once. We had a runout which was totaly my fault.

I get so nervous jumping i forget how to ride and just sit there

. Anyway when the judge was giving out the ribbons she said to me "your pony got 20/20 for the jumping and would have won, but i had to take marks off for the runout"
I said to the judge "so it's a lovely pony but shame about the rider then"
The judge looked shocked and said "no thats not what i'm saying" I laughed and said "why not it's true"
It was a realy funny moment the judge thought i had taken offence but i hadden't i know full well i let the pony down when i jump. As for dressage the judges never know what to put as Lucy is normaly so naughty and sometimes just stands there and refuses to move

 

[Geegeesarah]

Watch the Miles per hour on my first dressage test.

 

[fatpiggy]

Two tie for equal first place for me. My mare was well known as a bit of a loon, especially in the ring (she can't stand anything in front of her). One judge (who we embarrassed ourselves in front of quite regularly) in an equitation class asked us to show some extension in our individual show. I asked what pace she would like extended and she said "as its you two, it will be gallop won't it? So thats gallop, gallop, extended gallop and back to gallop! Another asked me in a WH class (which we won, yayyy!) had I ever hunted her? I replied that I wasn't that suicidal, and anyway she'd go past the Master and get us banned. Her comment then was "my dear, on her you'd be past the fox".

Oh dear. The crazy thing was though, she would pull up quite happily just by me saying walk. It was anything to do with the reins that made her hard to stop.

 

[Rowreach]

My friend and I, at opposite ends of the country, got the same remark from the same judge in different dressage competitions:

"Horse could be nice if properly trained"

I think he was miffed with us because we run clinics together and get trainers over from England to teach at them (rather than using him)

Needless to say I don't bother going if I know he's judging now

 

[RunToEarth]

My first and only dressage test with coloured and he jumped out of the markers.

Mark sheet read "Lovely boy but judging on the height achieved on the arena markers I think the XC may be more up your street." It made me giggle as before that point my dressage sheets were rather boring.

 

[Alimac19]

"Horse could be nice if properly trained"

Wow thats a bad one. I'd complain.

 

[Baileyhoss]

I had 'tripped pity'

Somewhat understating the fact that B fell on to his knees, bashed both our noses and proceeded to take off, doing 2 half 10m circles in canter (supposed to be trot) with a flying change at x.

 

[frazzled]

My daughter once got

"A lovely balanced canter, such a pity it was only a walk and trot test."

 

[SpottedCat]

'Clearly a new experience for the horse'

I'd done a last minute swap due to lameness and took my young horse I'd had a week to do a N BD test, just to see how he reacted. He was perfectly ridable, but had to stop and check the horse in the mirrors wasn't going to run into him, and also did not go on the bit in any way. I was v pleased with him when we came up the CL and the judge asked me what the story was as even a complete dressage idiot could tell it wasn't a test worthy of the pats he got!!

 

[NikkiF]

When my lad was 5 took him cubbing on the Sat, then foolishly tried a dressage test on grass on the Sunday..................all was fine until first canter movement at which point he took off and we disappeared out of the arena!

Judges comment - 'somewhat out of control!

 

[Rowreach]

[ QUOTE ]
"Horse could be nice if properly trained"

Wow thats a bad one. I'd complain.

[/ QUOTE ]

When I collected my sheet I wondered why all the organisers were giving me funny looks - they were clearly terrified I WAS going to complain

I was pretty annoyed until I told one of the trainers we use, who told me my friend had the same comment - and then I realised we were right not to use this "judge" in the first place

 

[Vetty]

A friend received a comment in a dressage test about how the judge didn't like her horses tail (he's a Gelderlander with an amazing flowing tail)...... Turns out she viewed a horse he had for sale and chose not to buy it and he's held a grudge over it and scores her really low!!

 

[indiat]

My youngest permanently looks like her hair has been rubbed with a balloon but if anyone else said that, I'd belt them!

 

[Natch]

[ QUOTE ]
My daughter once got

"A lovely balanced canter, such a pity it was only a walk and trot test."

[/ QUOTE ]

We tend to amuse judges.

Doing a handy pony at Frank's first ever show, asked judge if I could start a run up from outside the ring to the first obstacle, since it was a jump and F was a lot bigger than the other competitors (what?? Frankie was green and the judge agreed I could!

). Judge yelled at top of his voice to pretty much the entire show ground "watch out there's a fast one coming" ... as we sedately trundled in at a trot and proceeded to stop, stare at, and walk THROUGH the 1 inch high jump

At a show where we had a temporary loss of steering causing us to take out most of the line up

the judge commented at the end "He'd have been a contender for 1st or 2nd, just needs to be a bit more balanced." understatement of the year, kind judge!

Entered another Handy Pony and the steward was looking for and found us, and said "Competitor number 123, you're in next... oh wait that can't be you, you can't do handy pony on THAT!"

Sadly we were about to go into the next, more serious in-hand class, so didn't have time to tack up and do HP, so I walked him round it in-hand with him totally unfazed. She ate her words and we got a Speshial rosette

 

[Aoibhin]

"and you are sure he is 3?" when i was showing in hand Rar & a rather lost parachutist dropped into the middle of the ring between us & the lass to the left (us & an old mare were the only ones not going nuts), took ages to explain that we have been training him to do skill at arms/joust/hunt hawks/shoot from him.
he is almost unflappable! (just dont show him a can of drink, or we end up in next county)

 

[Lanky Loll]

"lack of extension in free rein walk" - innocuous enough comment except that as we went into the walk I clearly held my reins by the buckle and pony arched his neck, pranced and went sideways across the school - git

 

[Hippona]

Slightly off topic...

First time I went in a part-bred class.....

Came out of line for judges inspection and she asked...

'What is it?'......Well, obviously now I know she meant what breed/part-breed etc......I just looked at her blankly thinking 'Jeez- its obviously a horse......and you're supposed to be judging this??'

 

[corriehorse]

On one dressage test the final comment from the judge was "We may kidnap him!"

Wasn't even my horse, but I agree with them, I want to kidnap him.

Another one was a dressage test at my works Xmas funday a few years ago. I did the test on a young cob who didn't really do canter. I asked for canter, didn't get a response so flicked him up with the whip, and got a big buck then a half arsed canter. The comment didn't make it to the test sheet, but talking to judge and writer at lunch afterwards the judges comment for that movement was actually along the lines of "f**king hell, what a b***ard!"

 

[trendybraincell]

The day I did my first Novice, I warmed up in a prelim test first. The Welsh Cob has always had issues with impulsion so I'd really gotten after him while warming up.

Do 95% of the test brilliantly, cantering down last long side to a downward transition and we lost all breaks, jumped over the white boards, sharp turn, back over the boards and trot down centre line...

Judges comment: "Interesting depart, a real pity about the final centre line"

We still managed to come 2nd with 69.17% so if we'd of stayed in the arena we'd have won and broken that 70% barrier!!

 

[Jules19]

'Exploded into canter' on dressage sheet, and it was an understatement!

 

[eggs]

I frequently got "well sat" when my mare and I attempted dressage. Our highlight though was "would be safer to try doing test outside the arena" - the x-country fence invitingly sited about 3m behing B blew her brain.

Another time the judge got out of his box after my final halt and congratulted me on our flying changes, unfortunately I was trying to ride Prelim 10 at the time.

 

[kbsaff]

These posts are making me chuckle to myself at my desk!

People are looking at me like I'm mental but the last hour has flown by. Thanks!

 

[Aspiring]

I've had two dressage comments that really made me laugh:

"I bet he goes well cross country" (after a very fast out of control test)

"Lovely young horse - will do well in the future" (he was 22 at the time!)

 

[mainpower]

Horse obviously doesn't feel like doing dressage today.....

 

[Orv]

Not so much funny, more "tongue in cheek". I was riding a novice test and was required to do a counter canter back to the track. I had the comments" half pass not required" of course I had set out to do canter half pass in a Novice test

 

[SVMel]

I was persuaded (wrongly) as a kid to take my anglo arab into show hunter pony at the New forest show (Iknow, owner wanted it, I was just happy to ride there!!)

After he came out the trailer like a backwards bullet, dragged me up and down horse lines in extended trot, we bucked our way round the arena and he had stuck his face into every camera on the ropes, the judge placed us last (rightly!) and kindly said

'well ridden, I just think he needs a little more experience which will come with age'. To which I replied 'He's nearly twenty sir...' His face was a picture and he replied how lovely it was to see an oldie enjoying himself!!!!!!

I miss the oldie!!!!

 

[BroadfordQueen]

"I think your horse would rather be jumping today!"
This was only a couple of weeks after I had Q, and decided to take her to a dressage comp on a windy day. She was mental! :L