Horse Shows: From Riding to Judging!
Judging in general is a tough thing! You need to be fair, confident and know the rules so well. Can you be a judge before practicing the sport? In my opinion, No. The best way to judge others in sports is to do what they do for years so you can understand so well how the game/show goes and every small detail in it.
In this article, I will tell you experts’ opinions about how to be a horse judge besides some of the most important information about horse riding and events.
Judge? Prepare and Be Patient
To be a horse judge, you have to do the same things that anyone does when they start their careers, such as preparation, taking notes, knowing the rules, be patient, etc.
“Horse judges need to be able to take notes, evaluate all horses in a class – not just the top three – and place them according to the specifications of the class. Further, they should be able to explain why they placed classes the way they did, to anyone that asks”, according to Dr. Karen Waite, an equine extension specialist at Michigan State University
Judge Cody Jenkins, from Scranton, Arkansas, believes that to become a horse show judge you need a lot of practice and preparation. He told me about the importance of doing “a lot of research into the different classes that can be judged and understanding and knowing the criteria for evaluation as well as the rules.”
Preparation is always important to start a new career. One of the best ways for anyone interesting in horse judging to prepare is through participating in or volunteering to coach or assist a competitive youth horse judging team through a breed association, 4-H or FFA, says Waite.
Waites explains that “Such activities start to develop the ability to compare and sort classes, and typically participants learn the specifications of each class. Further, they learn to explain and professionally defend their placings, which is key to the good communication skills required in horse judging.”
Mark Russell, a judge from Perry, Arkansas, agrees with Waites about participating in shows. He told me that if someone wants to be a judge, they need to go to shows and sit with the judge for the entire show to see exactly how their day is.
“Doing some mentor programs or being on a judging team in 4-H, FFA, or college. This person should also spend some time showing so that they fully understand that side of it as well”, Russell recommends.
“Be patient” is another advice Russell gives to anyone who wants to be a horse judge. Knowing the rules is another advice besides “be somewhat disciplined due to the fact that there is so much you have to know, and it requires a great deal of studying.”
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Mark Russell, a judge from Perry, Arkansas
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If you want to improve your career it is important to keep learning. However, Jenkins and Russell believe that “staying up to date with the industry” is one of the difficulties judges face in the industry. Russell says that the show industry is constantly changing and rarely do things stay the same.
He adds “Another difficulty is the travel part of it. There’s a great deal of time spent in airports and vehicles. That part alone can wear on you after a while.” Russell has been to Argentina, The Netherlands, Mexico, and Canada for judging.
For him, he likes showing and judging equally. He knows the importance of have been or be in the show arena to be a good judge. Why? “to fully understand what the exhibitor is doing.”
Horse Show Events Around the World
Either you want to be just a rider or go beyond this and be a judge, you need to know more that there are many horse events happen around the world. Before working on this project, the only two sport I knew that it is related to horses were horse racing and polo. It might be weird for you, however, for someone like me who did not have direct contact with the equestrian life it is a new thing for me to know that there are many different horse shows and championships around the world. This makes sense, as if I were a horses’ fan, I would like to show my horses’ skills in various ways.
I went deep on the different horse riding disciplines and I found that though it isn’t necessary as a beginner rider to select a specific riding discipline, as you develop your riding skills you may want to know more about the many equestrian disciplines available to you. Many different horse events are based on the two categories of the mounted equestrian disciplines, the English disciplines, and Western disciplines. For me, some of these events are interesting, however, others are terrifying and annoying.
Reining is one of the judged events which is designed “to show the athletic ability of a Western type horse in a show arena. In Reining, competitors are required to run one of several approved patterns. Each pattern includes small slow circles, large fast circles, flying lead changes, roll backs, 360-degree spins done in place, backups, and exciting sliding stops.”
Do you like to dance? Horses enjoy this too! So, if you want to do the two things together, dancing while riding a horse, you will choose the Dressage event. The Dressage is “often described as the art of dancing on horseback or ballet on horseback. In competition, riders are required to complete predetermined movements and are judged on the accuracy, suppleness overall balance of horse and rider.”
Then, there is the Barrel racing which is “a rodeo event in which a horse and rider attempt to complete a cloverleaf pattern around three preset barrels in the fastest time.” But, in the Cutting riding event, the horse and its rider “are judged on their ability to separate a calf from a cattle herd and keep it away for a short period of time.”
As English is not my first language, sometimes I face the problem of knowing which verb goes with which noun. So, do we “ride” a horse or “drive” a horse? What I know that we “ride” a horse, still you can hear the verb “drive” comes with a horse when we talk about the Driving sport. This one is “the world’s oldest equestrian sport and consists of eight disciplines. The challenge of driving is that the drivers can control the horses only through their voices and hands.”
The Roping event is one of the events that I did not like at all. The goal of this timed event is “for the rider to catch the calf by throwing a loop of rope around its neck, dismount from the horse, run to the calf and restrain it by tying three legs together in as little time as possible.” Seeing a video for this event was terrifying for me. I am not sure that catching the calf with a rope hurts it so much or not, still what I saw in the video seems to be annoying!
These are not the only horse events that you can attend and/or participate in, you can also choose between Polo Bending, Polo, Saddle Seat, Show Jumping, Team Penning, Therapeutic, Vaulting, Endurance ride, and Western Pleasure.
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Ages, Abilities and Uniforms
It is not the age that determines if you can participate in horse shows or not, it is the “ability”, as there are classes for children where they will just walk, trot, and canter. Moreover, there are "classes that require jumping over very small obstacles, as low as ground poles or small, 18-inch cross rails.”
In horse shows, “most participants own the horses that they show, but leasing a horse is also common. Most equine leases last several months to a year.” So, do not worry about that!
One of the important things in a horse show is what to wear? “All riders wear a wool coat and any color except black is appropriate for routine showing. Black is considered formal attire and is reserved for special occasions.”
“Underneath their coat, men and boys wear cotton dress shirts with a tie. Women wear special ratcatcher shirts, which are also cotton but have a special collar, reminiscent of a mandarin collar, or that of a priest’s vestments. Traditionally, these collars are monogrammed with the rider’s name or initials.”
“Both men and women wear breeches, which are tailored, elasticized riding pants. Tan or greenish beige are the preferred colors; white is considered to be formal attire and cannot be worn in most competitions. Tall, knee-length, black leather boots (called dress boots or field boots) are worn over the pants.”
Wearing an inconspicuous belt, as well as an ASTM-approved helmet is a must for all rider. “All helmets should be covered with black velvet or a newer, synthetic suede-like material. Colored helmets and plastic ones are not appropriate for competition. “
Lastly, if you are going to be competing in a horse show, “you should also bring along a pair of spurs and a crop, in case you need them. When you arrive at the show, you will receive a number that you will wear throughout the competition.”
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