tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912716000891274532.post2510742059096842895..comments2023-06-13T13:11:25.395-07:00Comments on Equitorial: Unfair Show Judges - Can't We Do More Than Just Complain?Rachel McCart, Equine Legal Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07267200818860160222noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912716000891274532.post-76934770032325935392018-10-28T10:07:49.011-07:002018-10-28T10:07:49.011-07:00I had a similar situation at my last show that end...I had a similar situation at my last show that ended yesterday. The last two classes the judge didn't even look at me or watch me ride he was watching the other riders who he knew. <br /><br />It was an all breed horse show. I placed better with the out of state judge than the in state judge because he actually told me what I needed to improve on. This judge none of that. Equestrian Olympicshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00424004863143004481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912716000891274532.post-19656125439763310042009-06-15T16:04:06.063-07:002009-06-15T16:04:06.063-07:00Rachel. I hope you still look at the comments from...Rachel. I hope you still look at the comments from this blog. I have been showing at an open show series in the Cntral Ohio area. All of the judges that come here are pooled from the current Ohio 4H judges list. Recently, I have been to three shows where the judging is so substandard that it is pathetic. In one show, an English flat class was big enough that it had to be split. During the callbacks, the judge returned a rider that had cantered on the wrong lead during the entire ride of the first split. During the final judging ride, she was on the wrong lead for most of the class, but finally fixed it at the end. As if bringing her for a callback wasn't bad enough, he pinned her second for the class. When questioned about his placings, he said "The were no riders or horses that really stood out to me, so I had to choose the best of the worst". I then asked "So you're telling me in a class big enough that it had to go in two splits, every rider was on the wrong lead, or had the wrong diagonal in the trot"? He said that wasn't what he was implying, but I don't know what else he could mean by that comment. Yesterday, we had a jusge in a similar English class pinning reiders in places 2-5 that were doing sitting trots when they never called for a sitting trot, nor is it specified in the 4H rulebboks for this particular class.<br />Speaking of the lame horses, when it came to the Western classes, the obvious lame horses were pinning all day long here also. I mean these were horse that you could not tell the difference between a walk, a jog, and a lope. Every gait looked the same as the other.<br />So judging is out of control at the 4H and Open Show levels also.<br /><br />My question to you is this: Is there any kind of complaint or sanctions that can be placed upon these open show judges that are from the 4H list? <br /><br />Any help would be greatly appreciated.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15241041607104676527noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912716000891274532.post-159081344418855312008-07-09T06:48:00.000-07:002008-07-09T06:48:00.000-07:00I have also witnessed time and time again the poli...I have also witnessed time and time again the politics in the show arena at APHA approved shows.<BR/>We have shown for over 20 years, some quite successful; however, the judging in the last four years has seriously declined to the point it is ridiculous. I have had novice spectators question the placings of classes with valid concerns. It has become so very blatant and when I had the chance to ask a trusted APHA judge why? He replied that when APHA tried to initiate a scoring system in accordance to their rules of pattern classes(because of all the exhibitor complaints) the judges flat refused to comply. The plan was to make the scoring sheets available for exhibitors to see where they needed to improve plus it would make the judges more accountable. The judges do not want to be held accountable to the standards written out in the rulebook; hence the judges seemingly have taken on an "I don't care" attitude, with no regard for the discipline criteria as set forth in the rulebook. <BR/>In my opinion, until APHA EC Board will deal with this issue and make these judges more accountable OR encourage a new set of judges to come forth; the problem will only get worse. <BR/>The NCHA fixed this issue in their association, the AQHA is working on it, and since APHA is one of the last associations to "deal with issues" I predict it is going to be at least five more years before exhibitors see a change.<BR/>To speed along the process, I would encourage all exhibitors and especially those with video taping of "complaints" to contact each of the Executive Board members; along with APHA.APHA Amateurhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06631004399717758048noreply@blogger.com