From the Judge’s Chair

The value of attending a judges’ seminar.

By Sandy Collier

Whether you aspire to become a judge, already are one and need tuning up, or you’re a competitor who wants to up your game by knowing exactly what the judges look for, the most important thing you can do is attend a judges’ seminar. Lucky for all of us, the National Reined Cow Horse Association and Director of Judges Bill Enk are dedicated to educating everyone about every aspect of the judging process.

Our judging system is in a constant state of evolution and is always improving by staying current and relevant. As the quality of our horses goes up, the ability to see and evaluate the little things in a run that separate a great run from a very good one become crucial. The game is elevating every year, and things like bringing the cow to the middle of the arena to circle, how pleasant and willing the horse performs, and if you exit your fence turn in complete control all become very important. Even things like where you start slowing down your circles in the reined work can mean the difference between a plus-1 or a plus-half.

The problem is when you judge events by yourself, you never really know if you are evaluating things correctly, so a judges’ seminar is the perfect place to see lots of those situations and discuss how they are evaluated.

I used to ask the videographer at events that I judged by myself for the footage of things that came up that I wasn’t sure if I’d judged correctly. Then, I’d show them to Bill when I got home and get his feedback, which was invaluable.

As the bar raises every year, trends show up that we need to be aware of, as well as know how to score. Circling turns, hooking a circle (not going at least 365 degrees around the cow before changing sides) and credit cuts are some examples. We’re also starting to see maneuvers performed worthy of a plus-1½. What does that look like? Judges, as well as competitors, need to be aware of what it takes to mark those scores.

The most recent judges’ seminar, which took place in Las Vegas, Nevada, will be available to view on the NRCHA website if you missed it. It was many hours in the making, with input from lots of very knowledgeable judges and footage from all kinds of runs. I highly recommend all judges and competitors watch it before the 2022 show season begins. It will inspire and educate you!

See you at the shows!