From exhibitor to judge to scribe, I've done it all. I will be the first to admit that as an exhibitor I was always wondering what the judge was looking for and what they were thinking. I could never figure it out (I also did not know what a rulebook was). Personally I believe It is critical for our exhibitors to be just as versed in the rulebook as the judges in order for them to have the best shot at success in the pen. So here I am to tell you just what goes through our mind as a judge.

1. Read the rulebook — or better yet volunteer as a scribe!

I think there’s a certain mystique that people accredit to judges, when in reality, it's not rocket science and we aren’t magically placing the classes based upon favorites. Most classes have a systematic scoring system we use; it's mostly numerical. Learn the penalties and standards among maneuver scores, and I bet you will start understanding your placing a lot more. It will help you in the practice and show pen as well!

2. We are human.

This leads me back to number one.

Although we all take the same tests, swear to the same standards and judge by the same rulebook, we are human, and mistakes happen. Imagine trying to stay attentive and alert for on average nine hours and (sometimes) 18 hours straight, watching the same patterns and exhibitor/horses numerous times in a row. Let's not mention that sometimes the only break a judge gets in the day is 30 minutes at lunch. Remember next time you go to your stall to change tack or take care of your horse, the judge is still judging — nonstop — until the day is over. I promise we are human and sometimes we don’t see everything. If we could invent a superpower to see all at once and make sure that every single placing is 100 percent fair and accurate, we would. We do the very best we can to the limits of our human capabilities. Remember that (and don’t take advantage of it).

3. Make sure your number is visible.

This is simple. We want to be able to focus on you and your horse. We don’t want to be struggling to read your number during your run or when there are 10+ other horses in the pen. Our job is to be judging you, not playing “guess who." Judges see hundreds of horses in a day, so we do not remember you specifically (unless you enter 15 classes in a row). Please just make sure your number is visible from a distance because it allows us to spend more time judging the actual class.

P.S. If your number isn’t visible, we will improvise with some other way to remember you by so make a good impression.

4. Be on time.

That is all.

5. Know your pattern.

Seriously. We don’t want you to fail. When you go completely off pattern, it is impossible for us to place you, and we truly do want you to succeed. I understand that sometimes people forget. Speaking from experience, I have noticed it’s usually the same people who come in and go off pattern not for lack of ability, but for lack of effort. Practice your pattern outside of the show pen. You paid the money to enter it, so you might as well show us just how freaking awesome you can be.

6. Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.

I’m going to let you in on a secret. We weigh correctness much heavier than we do degree of difficulty. Know your horse’s limits. If he cannot turn around like a Reiner, don’t expect him to magically do it in the show pen. We cannot award you for correctness if you are gunning for degree of difficulty and obliterate the functionality of the maneuver. A lot of the time less is more. We want you to do well.

7. We don’t look at your clothes or tack.

Yep. Cats out of the bag. We really don’t care about how much “bling” is on your saddle or top. We just care that you look presentable and (get this) adhere to the rules! If you read this mysterious thing called a rulebook, you will realize that not once is presentation of tack and clothing heavily emphasized on how we score you. Honestly the only time we notice wardrobe or tack is when it is distracting from the run. Like if your shirt is three times too small for you. Don’t do that.

8. The reason we are called “judges” is because we do just that — make judgment calls.

Why do judges place classes differently? Remember, we are humans, and we do not (usually) have instant replay. Not every person in the arena views the runs from the same angle or view. Sometimes we don’t get to see it all the same, but we do get to rely upon our methodology and know it will always sort the good from the bad in a pen. You also wouldn’t believe how much stuff can happen in a run that isn’t “textbook." So while we have three seconds to decide what to do with something we may have never seen before, the next person is already about to go. But good news is that we are trained to “give benefit of the doubt to the rider,” so we really do have your best interest at heart. Be consistent, and I promise you will be rewarded where credit is due.

Keep these things in mind next time you show. I hope it helps some people realize just how much we are on your side as a judge. Next time you want to complain about something at a show, volunteer first and see if it changes your opinion.