Many showing competitors have been calling for a digital system for some time owing to incidents of human error in the calculation of marks, leading to incorrect placings, as well as what has appeared to have been questionable changes to marks.
The new digital marking system, built for the BSPS, should alleviate these concerns alongside providing multiple other benefits, members heard.
The app was successfully trialed in a competition setting at the society’s summer and heritage championships by core council members. Those who have already used the app were quick to reassure members during the meeting that it is simple to use in a tablet or phone.
There will be further training available for officials and stewards as it is hoped the system will be taken up by area and qualifying shows through the 2026 season.
Paul Cook, BSPS national chairman, said: “As a society we have to move with the times, and we recognised the need for technological innovation in our marking systems. We were delighted with the members’ reaction to this announcement.”
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What does the new digital marking system and app do?
The app’s core functionality is to generate digital mark sheets. Stewards will be able to use it in real time, inputting a competitor’s mark with auto-save functionality. The marks are automatically calculated with real-time placement rankings.
There is multi-class support with four distinct types of mark sheet, each with specialised scoring rules, meaning in the event of a tie-break, the app will automatically calculate results correctly for that class, again removing the risk of devastating human error.
Officials will be able to export a PDF mark sheet, which competitors can access via a different login function.
Members were pleased to hear the app has an in-built audit trail so any changes to marks must be initialled and time stamped, and have an accompanying reason, such as “score misheard”. It is hoped the time-stamping will allow competitors to see when marks were changed and why, and to verify that the changes were made before the completion of judging.
As well as access to read-only versions of the published marking sheets, competitors will be able to download PDF versions of official marking sheets and results, save favourite sheets for easy access, share them via messaging systems like WhatsApp or Facebook, and add private notes to saved items.
Finally, officials and competitors can see detailed scoring analysis and judge patterns.
Some were concerned that the app would not work in remote locations without WiFi, but were reassured that it would work on 4/5G and had the ability to calculate results offline, too.
The app’s future
Some members present at the meeting asked whether there are future plans to further develop the app’s capabilities to, for example, have the marks and results of individual animals trackable.
While there is no clear plan to develop it further at this point, the BSPS is remaining open-minded about extending its functions in future.
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Bethan joined Horse & Hound as showing editor in January 2025, after spending two years as Editor for Showing World. Having adored ponies since childhood, she started showing as a teenager and has enjoyed wins at major shows up and down the country, including Royal Highland, New Forest, and the Royal Welsh, as well as HOYS, RIHS and London. She is particularly passionate about Welsh breeds and is also a Welsh language commentator.
