Successful pony producer turned well-known and respected judge, Stuart Hollings, has his say on ill-qualified judges and the hot topics of the showing season
This season has been a time for reflection and how showing can move forward.
I have never known a year in which there has seemingly been such a widespread undercurrent of disrespect directed towards judges’ decisions. Sadly this has sometimes been justified.
When I was competing, many of the judges were proper horsemen and women and you would gladly have given them your cheque book to source a good show prospect. That is why I do not have any objections to producers and breeders being on judging panels.
My bugbear is when judges have no valid experience of the section they are judging. My brother Nigel’s favourite quote says it all: “You wouldn’t appoint an England football manager who has never kicked a football.” Apologies to Pippa Funnell – who jokingly covered her ears at his many football analogies during his appearance on her podcast – for another one.
It seems everyone wants to become a judge nowadays rather than take the traditional stewarding route to give something back. Once on one panel – and this is where the main grievance lies – it is easier to upgrade to other categories.
Consequently, do we have too many judges? The British Show Pony Society (BSPS) alone has around 450 people on its books, arguably to cater for its three championship shows and three major finals.
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In my opinion, if this is indeed the problem, the solution would be to temporarily shut the door on any future judges’ auditions, except for horse ride judges, to reassess the situation.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for young blood, but not at the expense of losing experienced judges who are being overlooked by inexperienced show secretaries and consequently resigning from panels rather than paying expensive membership fees every year for no reason.
“The final nail”
One reader of H&H magazine requested an explanation for the supreme hunter championship at Dublin Horse Show (letters, 28 August).
It is not my place to dispute the judges’ decision, but what alarmed me was that the second ride judge was allowed on board the eventual champion, totally unaware that it had misbehaved badly with her co-judge beforehand.
Having judged at Dublin many times, I know there is a strong duty-of-care ethic and safety is paramount. In the past, this horse would have automatically been “gated” and I heard that others were dismissed from the ring for lesser displays of bad manners during the week.
The consequences, had judge number two been seriously injured, are too scary to contemplate. Following on so soon from last year’s “Balmoralgate”, in which a ride judge sustained a broken neck, this could have been the final nail in the coffin for ride judging.
Hats a hot topic
Another hot topic of the season was the upsetting disqualifications of three horses at Horse of the Year (HOYS) qualifiers because the riders’ hats fell off. The HOYS rule is as succinct as a “No smoking” sign: “A rider whose hat comes off will be disqualified.”
The answer to the common query, “How is this different to when gentleman riders doff their hats on the lap of honour?” is simple: the class is over when the line-up is dismissed.
However, there does need to be more clarification to cover all the scenarios.
On a different page entirely, the current trend of hats not being removed by male riders and judges during rosette presentations is yet another example of showing etiquette disappearing, to the detriment of our sport.
While some riders may not wish to risk doing so after this year, there’s no excuse for the judges.
● How can we ensure our judges are better qualified? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance for your letter to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine
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Stuart is a successful showing breeder, producer and author, who also runs the popular north of England shows in spring and summer, alongside his brother Nigel. A regular Horse & Hound columnist, you can read Stuart's views in the magazine or online.
