It's no secret that horse show judges are people with their own opinions on what makes a model ribbon-worthy or LSQ (live show quality,) and that's why it's nice to have more than one judge in the ring. My mother and I have gone to several double-judged shows recently, and it's been more than interesting to see how one judge places the class versus the other. Sometimes the placings are the same (which often happens in the individual classes,) and sometimes they're definitely not the same (as we saw in the Section Reserve titles.)
You can have a horse place first with one judge and sixth with the other. Whether that's opinion-based or based on some small flaw or detail that one judge caught and the other didn't, double-judged shows give you the opportunity to basically attend two shows on the same day. Maybe we need to look into double-judging one of our shows...
(I think we could do it. Those Manes & Tails kids are getting really good at their horse judging. ;) )
This show started off just like any other, though - incredibly early and amazingly quiet.
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| A brief look at the show hall before the commotion began. |
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| Looks like my mom caught me vlogging. Whoops! ^^;; |
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| We brought a rack of consignment ponies and some goodies from the store to sell. |
And as the show progressed, so did our placings...
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| Mr. Myxlptlk - Euro Draft - 1st/4th |
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| Deputy Clyde - British Draft - 2nd/3rd |
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| Blizzard Warning - British Draft - 1st/4th |
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| Soleil - American Draft - 2nd/2nd |
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| Kingsman - Other Mix/Pure Draft - 1st/1st |
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| Icicle Junior - British Pony - 1st/2nd |
I don't just mean for me, either. My mom really started racking up the ribbons at this show, too. Her donkeys completely stole the spotlight!
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| Whiskey Business came home with two seconds. |
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| Perseus came home with two firsts and a section champ! |
(She really does love her donkeys.)
As for the rest of my horses...
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| Sheza Mane-iac - American Pony - 1st/2nd |
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| Before U Go-Go - Paint - 2nd/4th |
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| Lexington - TB - 1st/3rd |
...they definitely pulled their weight in the ring...
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| Black Cat - Spanish - 2nd/4th |
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| Mirror of Erised - Carriage - 1st/3rd |
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| Mischief Managed - Sporthorse - 2nd/3rd |
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| Bleeding Hearts - TB - 2nd/2nd |
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| Choco Chex Mix - Sporthorse - 1st/3rd |
...some more than others...
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| Pocket Full of Sunshine - Spotted Stock Foal - 1st/1st |
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| Peppered Gold - WB - 1st/1st - Section Reserve Champion |
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| Cat Trax - Other Breed Foals - 1st/1st - Section Grand Champion |
And last but not least, my big winner of the day. I know it's not an Overall Grand or a Section Grand, but TWO Section Reserve Grands are definitely a big step forward for this guy.
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| Careless Whisper - Other Light Breed - 1st/1st - Double Section Reserve Champ |
Breed research is one of my favorite things about the model horse hobby. It allows so much freedom; your horse doesn't have to be what the box says it is. And that's the fun part! I love to do a little digging and come up with something unique that fits the horse, though you always have to cross your fingers and hope that your judges will see the documentation you've done and agree with it.
Some judges spend the majority of classes scanning documents and comparing/contrasting them to the horse... and some don't. That's okay - each of us as judges have different styles, and we need to take this into account. At the end of the day, judging is more subjective than it is objective.
Well, that's all, folks!
I hope you enjoyed this little peak into our most recent show. Don't forget to check out the YouTube video below with the vlog behind all the action. There will be more coming soon!
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