From the Judge’s Chair

2021 SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY® OWNERS INCENTIVE FUND

The Animal Larry & Kathy Barker Best Kept Secret Ranch Bet He Sparks Bet Hesa Cat Syndicate BMW Quarter Horses Brazos Valley Stallion Station Call Me Mitch Carol Rose D Lazy K Ranch Double F Ranch / Roy & Sheri Fisher Dual Smart Rey / Strawn Valley Ranch DuraPro Health Gardiner Quarter Horses Hartwood Farms Hat 6 Ranch Hooray / Eric & Wendy Dunn Kevin & Sydney Knight Kit & Charlie Moncrief / Moncrief Quarter Horses Matthews Cutting Horses Meteles Cat/Cody Hedlund Milum Performance Horses Ophir Creek Ranch Parks Bell Ranch Shiney Outlaw /

Cannon Quarter Horses Stuart Ranch Wagonhound Land & Livestock

FROM THE JUDGE’S CHAIR

Where is the next generation of premier event judges?

One of the consistent topics of conversation in the judges’ room at the Kalpowar Quarter Horses Champion of Champions during the Western Bloodstock and Hashtags World’s Greatest Horseman event was “where are the horseman/judges to assume the responsibility of judging the NRCHA major events?”

It wasn’t long ago that judging was a part of making a living in the horse training profession.Most of the top trainers had judges’ cards with one or more organizations.This provided a supplement to their horse training business and helped educate them on what the good judges were looking for when marking their cards.This saved a lot of training/showing mistakes and made their careers more versatile. It also educated them on how to evaluate runs and get them placed in the proper order.

To be a good judge you must have knowledge and experience of how a horse is supposed to perform correctly in any given discipline.You also need to be able to balancethe good to excellent parts in a horse’s work with the average to not-so-good parts to come up with the correct score.This ability as a judge comes from the experience that is gained by actually judging. To be a good judge, you have to judge!

Most of our potential judges of the future are heavily involved in the horse training/horse showing business. Judging a major event would probably be a sacrifice for them. But it’s important for the leaders in our industry to be familiar with all sides— this includes judging.It’s amazing how being an active judge is such an eye opening experience.

The judges at the 2022 Celebration of Champions premier event are all actively involved in the horse business. Three had won the Open Snaffle Bit Futurity® and one the Non Pro Snaffle Bit Futurity. The other judge has judged all the major events at the National Cutting Horse Association. Their experience, passion to get it right, and the willingness to learn and listen was a joy for me.

They were all great teammates, which is a very important part in a judging endeavor of this length.

Lance Johnston said it was such an honor to get to know and learn from these teammates.That is a part of the benefit of judging.

My life has been enriched by the people I’ve met and judged with. From industry leaders to just great people it’s been quite a ride.If you’ve got the passion, I’d recommend that you jump in judging pool and see if you’ve got what it takes.You might surprise yourself.

Until Next Time,

Bill Enk NRCHA Director of Judges