shorthorsemom
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2008
- Messages
- 2,386
- Reaction score
- 454
I am so sad you experienced this and it is such a shame that your mares last show wasn't what you had hoped for. That judge was out of line with his sarcastic comment. very sad.
I do think that there are great judges and not so great judges wherever you go. I do think it is difficult for some clubs to get great judges all the time. I know in dog showing there are times when I have had a great judge and times when I had a horrible judge that you say to yourself... "NEVER show under that judge again" . I think word of mouth works great to communicate about certain judges and I would at the least mention to the folks that arranged the show what happened.
I do know that as I have shown all the years, for all the yucky judges I have gotten, I have gotten just as many awesome judges and on occasion gotten a judge that we used to say "gave me a gift", one that ignored enough boo boos of a 10 year old dog to allow him to get his final leg at a speciality. I remember being hugged by my trainer and she says... Its a gift, enjoy it when I was stunned that I qualified. Did I write to my club and tell them I thought my dog should have lost 10 more points for lagging? Of course not.
Many judges would have never qualified my dog that day. My dog was the only dog at the speciality that day that did not do a major disqualifying error. We got high in trial because all the other dogs broke the long sit or down. I once got a qualifying score after a judge told me I NQed in the ring. I didn't think I deserved the NQ according to the rules but the judge said "Im not qualifying you" because I hurried my dog out of the ring after being excused because i could tell he was going to eliminate. He did not eliminate, but the judge was nasty to me when I checked my lead and ran out of the ring with my dog. Later, when i did qualify for what I thought was leg two on that dog, I received my title in the mail a few weeks later and realized that judge had decided to score my dog afterall. I had no green ribbon, no recognition at the show, but somehow qualified after I left the show grounds....
I also remember a judge that scored a friends dog 4th place out of three dogs because he said no dog in the ring deserved first place. He took that first place ribbon off the table. I could go on and on, but I think you get what I am saying... You got a lousy deal, you should tell somebody, but for your sadness or anger it would be good to remember times when you might have gotten a decent deal from a lenient judge that thought you deserved it. I know I could not ever be a judge. I do know there is plenty of cheating that might have soured a good judge into a stinky judge. I remember being at a handling class for a min pin and there was a lady handling a lovely black standard poodle. The coat shined and the dog was awesome and I complimented her on the dogs outstanding color. She then told me that her dog was cream colored but she thought the judges prefered black so she did a dye job on her dog. sheesh. I have seen many folks altering the color of their dogs with pencils and dye and powder etc. It happens. hugs to you, your mare is lovely, I love dorsal stripes..
PS, I know these are dog stories not horse stories, I have never been good enough or had enough time for horse showing. I tip my hat to all of you brave enough and experienced enough to bring us all those lovely show horses to admire and promote miniature horses as much more than a lawn ornament, as a competitive and awesome little horse that can do just as much if not more than many folks give them credit for. stay strong, you have made a great point and lesson here for all of us that enjoy this forum and making folks aware is really a great lesson to all. You showed great sportsmanship and honored your mare with your posting. cheers to you.
I do think that there are great judges and not so great judges wherever you go. I do think it is difficult for some clubs to get great judges all the time. I know in dog showing there are times when I have had a great judge and times when I had a horrible judge that you say to yourself... "NEVER show under that judge again" . I think word of mouth works great to communicate about certain judges and I would at the least mention to the folks that arranged the show what happened.
I do know that as I have shown all the years, for all the yucky judges I have gotten, I have gotten just as many awesome judges and on occasion gotten a judge that we used to say "gave me a gift", one that ignored enough boo boos of a 10 year old dog to allow him to get his final leg at a speciality. I remember being hugged by my trainer and she says... Its a gift, enjoy it when I was stunned that I qualified. Did I write to my club and tell them I thought my dog should have lost 10 more points for lagging? Of course not.
Many judges would have never qualified my dog that day. My dog was the only dog at the speciality that day that did not do a major disqualifying error. We got high in trial because all the other dogs broke the long sit or down. I once got a qualifying score after a judge told me I NQed in the ring. I didn't think I deserved the NQ according to the rules but the judge said "Im not qualifying you" because I hurried my dog out of the ring after being excused because i could tell he was going to eliminate. He did not eliminate, but the judge was nasty to me when I checked my lead and ran out of the ring with my dog. Later, when i did qualify for what I thought was leg two on that dog, I received my title in the mail a few weeks later and realized that judge had decided to score my dog afterall. I had no green ribbon, no recognition at the show, but somehow qualified after I left the show grounds....
I also remember a judge that scored a friends dog 4th place out of three dogs because he said no dog in the ring deserved first place. He took that first place ribbon off the table. I could go on and on, but I think you get what I am saying... You got a lousy deal, you should tell somebody, but for your sadness or anger it would be good to remember times when you might have gotten a decent deal from a lenient judge that thought you deserved it. I know I could not ever be a judge. I do know there is plenty of cheating that might have soured a good judge into a stinky judge. I remember being at a handling class for a min pin and there was a lady handling a lovely black standard poodle. The coat shined and the dog was awesome and I complimented her on the dogs outstanding color. She then told me that her dog was cream colored but she thought the judges prefered black so she did a dye job on her dog. sheesh. I have seen many folks altering the color of their dogs with pencils and dye and powder etc. It happens. hugs to you, your mare is lovely, I love dorsal stripes..
PS, I know these are dog stories not horse stories, I have never been good enough or had enough time for horse showing. I tip my hat to all of you brave enough and experienced enough to bring us all those lovely show horses to admire and promote miniature horses as much more than a lawn ornament, as a competitive and awesome little horse that can do just as much if not more than many folks give them credit for. stay strong, you have made a great point and lesson here for all of us that enjoy this forum and making folks aware is really a great lesson to all. You showed great sportsmanship and honored your mare with your posting. cheers to you.
Last edited by a moderator:
