showing,the stranges things judges have said to you?

[bam]

I've been showing for a few years now and have witnessed some very bizarre comments from judges
-Firstly a local level judge telling me my horse is not a hunter never would be yet qual for ri & hoys as one?
-changing the rein in walk in an in hand class?
-placing m&ms with browbands and blue jackets without explaining what is correct Nd not?
And so on? Want to hear yours

[Dipsy]

I've known of a judge ask for canter....in a lead rein class!!!

[fanfarefan]

a few years ago a rather portly judge , in a best condition class ,,, commented that my mares belly was a little dropped ,,,, i was rather offended , and curtly replied ,,, looking at his rather overhung stomach ,,,, ' Well i do beleive at the age of 27yrs old ,,, stomachs do tend to graduate south , dont you think !!!! ,,, with a splutters , and a red face he blurted out 27 , my god she looks fabulous ,,,,, we did actually go on to win a very strong class of 25 lol

[Philippa]

Aug 26, 2015 19:19:29 GMT fanfarefan said:

a few years ago a rather portly judge , in a best condition class ,,, commented that my mares belly was a little dropped ,,,, i was rather offended , and curtly replied ,,, looking at his rather overhung stomach ,,,, ' Well i do beleive at the age of 27yrs old ,,, stomachs do tend to graduate south , dont you think !!!! ,,, with a splutters , and a red face he blurted out 27 , my god she looks fabulous ,,,,, we did actually go on to win a very strong class of 25 lol

Lol love this.

[Philippa]

I had a B stallion on lease from Sweden who was pretty much like marmite. He was a top of the line or bottom of the line pony. He was pulled 2nd of 3 at one Welsh show then dropped to 3rd. When v. Well known Welsh judge gave me my rosette he told me he loved my pony but it was too true to type!?!?!?!?!? Lol

On another occasion when showing my A stallion at East of England a certain well known Welsh judge (who likes a tipple or ten) put me 2nd in a really strong class. He gave me the rosette and promptly said 'I didn't judge your pony I judged your ar*e!!!!'

[brindlerainbow]

I came last in an M & M youngstock class with a registered section B yearling. Judge said she loved her but was looking for M & M's. I pointed out that she was a registered Welsh section B, judge said but she has got quite a short mane for an M & M!!!! I said she's only a yearling so it hasn't had time to grow yet!!
Went to a local show down the road, came 2nd out of 2 in the in hand best turned out with a riding pony. My pony was plaited with cotton the winner was done with bands.... I was wearing gloves the winner wasn't she was also wearing long rubber riding boots with a hole in the side, I had on immaculate brown joddy boots. Judge also had us do an individual show in the best turned out.
Next class was best pony and handler combination in hand. My section B was foot perfect, went beautifully in her little in hand bridle, she went like a dream. I came 2nd out of 3. The winner was wearing a Monty Roberts controller halter..
Next class was open M & M in hand. I came last but think this was due to me telling the steward that maybe she could tell the judge instead of standing in the middle of the ring texting he would be better off actually judging the class

[roxy93]

haha these make me laugh cant think of anything off the top of my head but will definitely join in if i can ..

[chops569]

I was placed last at a local show (I am out of class but fancied an outing) in a hunter class where we were beaten by an m&m, TB and a few other things I don't even know what they were. We had done a foot perfect show - & cracking gallop - was 2nd at HOYs & RHIS & was reserve champion small hunter at PUK a few years before. I asked the judge why we were last and she said he wasn't 'typey' enough. I never answer back to judges but gave her a list of what he had achieved as a SHP & SH and left her with her mouth on the floor.

[julie1967]

My older daughter took my son in a tack and turnout class at local show and was told they where to clean and my son needed to hold his reins shorter same judge said the pony cantered to slow in a first ridden class so put him third out of three the funny thing is he was the only one who actually managed a show and cantered we just laugh about it and do not show anymore if she is judging

[welshy1]

I have one similar to bam, I was on a Hunter pony in a Shp class and the judge actually walked over to me in the ride round and asked if I was in the right class, I obviously said yes, so she let me carry on, i was placed bottom end behind cobby types, tb types and just your odd riding school type pony, the judge said to me unfortunately your pony is more of a riding horse (if u saw him he couldn't be more Hunter if he tried!) He that year came 3rd at Ri and 6th at hoys as a show Hunter pony! What a strange judge!

[maxandpaddy]

Not showing but years and years agooooo in a galaxy far far away I managed a -10 score for one of the dressage elements at a one day event
We were meant to change the rein across the diagonal in working trot, but my mare was super fit and knew the cross country course was to come - plus mum couldn't tell her off for being entertaining when within the pretty white borders - so put in a huge buck right at X

The judges comment was " a score of 0 for the buck, deducting another 10 points for the profane language that followed from the rider"

I've still got it somewhere 

[Philippa]

Aug 27, 2015 16:39:07 GMT maxandpaddy said:

Not showing but years and years agooooo in a galaxy far far away I managed a -10 score for one of the dressage elements at a one day event
We were meant to change the rein across the diagonal in working trot, but my mare was super fit and knew the cross country course was to come - plus mum couldn't tell her off for being entertaining when within the pretty white borders - so put in a huge buck right at X

The judges comment was " a score of 0 for the buck, deducting another 10 points for the profane language that followed from the rider"

I've still got it somewhere 

Lol that's hilarious.

[comanchediva]

To my sister on our 4 year old. Judge -"How old is he?" Sister - "He's 4". Judge -"he needs more mileage". Er, yes he's 4!

And the judge in a youngstock inhand class who had everyone walk round anticlockwise and then do a group trot. We won so I wasn't too bothered

[ssm]

It was a steward in a World Breeds class at Equifest asking the lady holding the foal next to me (with it's dam) if she rode the foal yet!

[waspblue]

Aug 26, 2015 20:32:18 GMT Philippa said:

I had a B stallion on lease from Sweden who was pretty much like marmite. He was a top of the line or bottom of the line pony. He was pulled 2nd of 3 at one Welsh show then dropped to 3rd. When v. Well known Welsh judge gave me my rosette he told me he loved my pony but it was too true to type!?!?!?!?!? Lol

On another occasion when showing my A stallion at East of England a certain well known Welsh judge (who likes a tipple or ten) put me 2nd in a really strong class. He gave me the rosette and promptly said 'I didn't judge your pony I judged your ar*e!!!!'

Clearly a judge who knew his ar**s from his elbows Lol

[norwalk]

Haha! Love all these comments! We have been staying local recently due to my ill health over past 2 yrs. we too have had a judge (in hand) telling us to change the rein, trot out together, no individual show.. FFS!!
Also had a couple of decent judges (whether they liked mine or not they did a good job!)
I've been dumped at local level for not wearing a hat, and that was judges words.(showing an m&m ), placed behind poor examples of whatever breed they were supposed to represent! Think he should watch some welsh medal shows and royal welsh! Tell Colin Tibby he needs a hat and leather boots, lol!
I find it frustrating, but don't get too worried about it. If I've gone to a county show under affiliated judges I would. At the moment getting out at all is a bonus, and each those people with often a lack of knowledge have actually given up their time for free, with just the promise of a stale bun and cheap coffee to sustain them...

[19simeon56]

My neice was riding her horse at a show,the judge asked if he'd been ridden by a judge before,when she replied that it was his first show the judge declined to ride him!If he'd been misbehaving while being ridden in the ring I could have understood her decision so how does the horse get experience of the judge riding?
Another time, in a well filled junior equetation class my young rider was told by the judge that she had been placed 2nd because the one she'd put first had had to work harder on his pony!

[aliwelsh]

Some bizarre judging at the Royal London Show in one of the Equitation classes

The judge placed the horses that played up/went badly at the top of the line

Then, no doubt pre-empting complaints, she told the competitors 'it's not how the horse goes, it's how the rider rides it'

er ... isn't there a correlation?

[sarahp]

Not always, no. There's a difference between a basically badly or unschooled horse, and one acting up on the day. It's the riding that's being judged, not the horse.

Daughter won a RC Riding Test once, which is based on the riding and not how the horse goes. She was only doing it to make up team numbers, and was riding our "special needs" pony, who I'd sold as a weaned colt and bought back as a still entire 3yo and I think had been shut up in a box on his own in between. Not surprisingly he had severe issues of various sorts, and without going into long boring details of our day, he behaved very badly in the test, to the extent that daughter came back apologising to the chef d'equipe of the team, only to find later she'd won it on how she dealt with him. He was actually beautifully schooled, but was quite capable of saying not today thank you! We'd earlier done the Pairs RC Dressage (mother and daughter on home bred half sibling palomino Ds!) so we'd been practising like mad for that and he didn't fancy doing another test, this time without his sister.

[kab]

Aug 30, 2015 11:50:19 GMT aliwelsh said:

Some bizarre judging at the Royal London Show in one of the Equitation classes

The judge placed the horses that played up/went badly at the top of the line

Then, no doubt pre-empting complaints, she told the competitors 'it's not how the horse goes, it's how the rider rides it'

er ... isn't there a correlation?

Are you referring to the 17-25 year old equitation? Where the grey horse took off during the go round and the rider was shouting, "I CAN'T STOP, I CAN'T STOP". The judge asked the rest of the class of 13 to go back to walk as the grey proceeded to run off and the girl proceeded to shout. She then went on to win the class of 13!!! Bizarre judging! 

[ilovenatives]

At a local show some time ago my daughter was pleased to come second in a huge class , in the next class she wasn't placed against mostly the same ponies . The judge said " I didn't place you as you did well in the class before and I have to spread the placings around " . Although I can understand this in a way as it was a fun show , from our point of view it wasn't worth entering any more classes after the first one really .
Did a lead rein class once where we all had to trot round together on both reins and again while the judge worked out the placings . Apparently she was told to make each class last an hour , we passed on the other two classes strangely enough .

[fanfarefan]

well it wasnt a judge , but a steward at a local agricultural show today ,,,, it has been tipping with rain all night , and day ,mud everywhere ,,, vehicles at 9am being towed in already ,,,, the steward was directing traffic to their correct areas , and one chap said ,,, Well isnt it wet over there mate ? looking at the brown sludge ,,,, NO ITS NOT WET !!!!!! my reply was , well if it isnt f------g wet then i dont know what it is then ,,,, classic

[lme]

really enjoying these, we have had some over the years the best was a local show with our shetland he had won all his classes,he did go on to win reserve ring champion, in best condition the judge commented had he been in the washing machine not a speck on him, same judge in the small m & m placed him second as the first looked like a proper m & m, straight off the field and hadn't seen a brush or comb never mind shampoo and cow hocked - ah well thats showing!

[bugs]

I was unplaced in a ridden class at a qualifying show on my new forest (won ponies uk etc and qualified hoys) and the judge came over in the line and said "your highland did a lovely show but it needs more condition!"

I didn't know how to respond!

[bam]

Sept 26, 2015 15:54:29 GMT bugs said:

I was unplaced in a ridden class at a qualifying show on my new forest (won ponies uk etc and qualified hoys) and the judge came over in the line and said "your highland did a lovely show but it needs more condition!"

I didn't know how to respond!

Omg that's the best one so far!! Lol

[bigmama]

At Equifest a few years ago, my daughter jumped her light mouse dun highland in the 'Highland, Fell and Dales Working Hunter' class, performed a stylish clear to have the gentleman judge say to her, when giving out the rosettes, "Well he doesn't jump like a connemara does he" to which she replied, "No, that's because he is a highland and it's a H/F/D class" pmsl

[muggley]

In an in-hand class my grey Shetland gelding was out last - not unusual up here with the majority of judges preferring nothing but blacks. The judge ignore the 5 other unplaced people to come to me at the end to tell me my pony had a sore back. Well of course he is going to dip his back when you dig your ruddy great fat fingernails into his back! The only pony he touched all day so he obviously needed to find a viable excuse for ditching him. I have not and will not ever show anything under this judge again.

I had said pony at the NPS Show each year on Grand National Day, it was always his first show of the year and he was rather exuberant in his gallops! The lovely judge did comment that maybe we were in the wrong place that day and should have been at Aintree!

Said grey Shetland was also called a 'lovely Welsh' by a long time Shetland breeder and judge.

From a judge judging the ROR class - Your horse is beautiful. How much arab is he? Em! None given that he is in the ROR class?!?

Not really had any really funny comments but plenty of stupidly funny judging over the years!

[cg]

Aug 30, 2015 11:50:19 GMT aliwelsh said:

Some bizarre judging at the Royal London Show in one of the Equitation classes

The judge placed the horses that played up/went badly at the top of the line

Then, no doubt pre-empting complaints, she told the competitors 'it's not how the horse goes, it's how the rider rides it'

er ... isn't there a correlation?

I was that judge AliWelsh.

Equitation is judged solely on the rider not on the horse. Showing classes are for the horse to be judged. Equiation for the rider. I felt that if a rider could get a naughty horse 5 minutes earlier to do a near foot perfect show that needed rewarding. I was definitely not pre empting complaints...I hate upsetting people!

[robrocks]

Sept 26, 2015 17:14:08 GMT muggley said:

In an in-hand class my grey Shetland gelding was out last - not unusual up here with the majority of judges preferring nothing but blacks. The judge ignore the 5 other unplaced people to come to me at the end to tell me my pony had a sore back. Well of course he is going to dip his back when you dig your ruddy great fat fingernails into his back! The only pony he touched all day so he obviously needed to find a viable excuse for ditching him. I have not and will not ever show anything under this judge again.

I had said pony at the NPS Show each year on Grand National Day, it was always his first show of the year and he was rather exuberant in his gallops! The lovely judge did comment that maybe we were in the wrong place that day and should have been at Aintree!

Said grey Shetland was also called a 'lovely Welsh' by a long time Shetland breeder and judge.

From a judge judging the ROR class - Your horse is beautiful. How much arab is he? Em! None given that he is in the ROR class?!?

Not really had any really funny comments but plenty of stupidly funny judging over the years!

[robrocks]

Oct 15, 2015 22:32:46 GMT robrocks said:

Sept 26, 2015 17:14:08 GMT muggley said:

In an in-hand class my grey Shetland gelding was out last - not unusual up here with the majority of judges preferring nothing but blacks. The judge ignore the 5 other unplaced people to come to me at the end to tell me my pony had a sore back. Well of course he is going to dip his back when you dig your ruddy great fat fingernails into his back! The only pony he touched all day so he obviously needed to find a viable excuse for ditching him. I have not and will not ever show anything under this judge again.

I had said pony at the NPS Show each year on Grand National Day, it was always his first show of the year and he was rather exuberant in his gallops! The lovely judge did comment that maybe we were in the wrong place that day and should have been at Aintree!

Said grey Shetland was also called a 'lovely Welsh' by a long time Shetland breeder and judge.

From a judge judging the ROR class - Your horse is beautiful. How much arab is he? Em! None given that he is in the ROR class?!?

Not really had any really funny comments but plenty of stupidly funny judging over the years!

I'm amazed at the older judges still laying hands on. One recently lifted my fells hind. I took a deep breath and found myself thinking,"what a daft thing to do!" Said pony couldn't be trusted. What do you do!!