Judging Contests 101 Running a Successful Judging Contest

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Judging Contests 101Running a Successful Judging
Contest

• Michael D. Gowans
• Westlake High School

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Objectives of 4-H Horse Judging Contests

• Teach life skills
• Observation
• Organization
• Logic
• Critical thinking
• Decision making
• Gain knowledge for future vocation/avocation
• Enjoy competition!

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Offer a mini-clinic before the contest to help
4-Hers recognize good/bad qualities of horses
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Halter Basics
Balanced Horse
Unbalanced Horse
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Performance Basics High Quality Western Pleasure
Horse
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Make the contest a learning experience!

• Simulate real life shows (youth/open)
• Use horses of show quality
• Keep breed/type, sex and age together in halter
  similar training levels in performance classes
• Match horses in a class that sort logically
• Outstanding top horse, close middle pair, bottom
  horse
• Close top pair, close bottom pair
• Clear differences between all 4 horses
• Let experienced judge choose classes
• Dont make officials sort out messy classes

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Score the contest correctly

• Use volunteers trained in scoring
• Hormel cards
• Computer program
• By hand (Its easy!)
• Use the correct cuts to reflect differences in
  horse quality and 4-Her performance

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What are cuts?

• Point values assigned to relative quality
  differences between a pair of horses
• Assigned to top, middle, bottom pairs of
• 4-horse classes
• Points deducted for incorrect placement of pair

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One point Cut

• Horses are extremely similar no obvious
  reason why one should be placed over the other
  or both horses have numerous faults and none
  supersedes the others placing is strictly a
  matter of personal preference placing varies
  among the official judges.

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Two Point Cut

• Horses are very close, but one horse has one
  or two qualitative or quantitative advantage the
  majority of official judges would not switch the
  pair, but half of the contestants could logically
  switch the pair.

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Three Point Cut

• Horses of similar quality, but there is some
  logical placing in favor of one horse either one
  horse has several advantages or one has several
  faults all official judges would agree on the
  placing no more than one third of contestants
  would be expected to switch the pair.

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Four Point Cut

• Horses are not of similar quality one horse
  has several decided advantages based on many
  points all experts would quickly see the
  placing no guesswork or personal preference
  required to make placing no more than 10 of the
  contestants would be expected to switch the pair.

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Five Point Cut

• Large numbers of extreme differences between
  the horses placing is obvious to everyone on
  first, quick observation careful study not
  required for the placing pair consists of an
  inferior horse vs. a consistent winner only very
  novice, uninformed contestants would switch the
  pair.

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Six Point Cut

• Horses not even comparable differences
  reflective of a champion quality horse or
  performance vs. a horse or performance that is
  not of show quality.

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QUIZ
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4
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Official placing cutsYearling QH Fillies

• 3 1 4 2
• 4 2 3

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Scoring 4-Her placing cards - examples

• Official 3 1 4 2
• Cuts 4 2 3

1. 4-Her placing 1 3 2 4 Scoring 50
possible - 4, - 3 43
2. 4-Her placing 4 3 2 1 Scoring
Did she place 3/1? yes Did she place 3/4?
no lose 4 2 6 Did she place 3/2? yes
Did she place 1/4? no lose 2 Did she
place 1/2? no lose 2 3 5 Did she place
4/2? yes Final class score 50 possible
minus 6 2 5 37
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Scoring 4-Her placing cards another
exampleAlways ask/answer 6 questions re placing

• Official 3 1 4 2
• Cuts 4 2 3

• 4-Her placing 2 1 3 4
• Did she place 3/1 No minus 4
• Did she place 3/4 - yes
• Did she place 3/2 No minus 4 2 3 9
• Did she place 1/4 - yes
• Did she place 1/2 No minus 2 3 5
• Did she place 4/2 No minus 3
• Final class score 50 possible minus 4 9 5
  3 29

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Marking/Scoring Question Cards
4-H member circles only one number representing
the horse number that is the answer to the
question usually 5 pts each, 10 Qs
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Example questions from QH yearling fillies
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3
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4

• A. Which QH yearling filly had the longest back
  shortest hip? 2
• B. Which QH yearling filly had the best balance
  and heaviest muscle? 3
• C. Which QH yearling filly had the least feminine
  head? 4
• D. Which QH yearling fillys neck was cleanest
  blending into the shoulder? 3
• E. Which QH yearling filly was palomino in color?
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• F. Which QH yearling filly was lightest muscled
  and sickle hocked? 2

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Volunteers are essential!

• Horse handlers
• Group leaders
• Help keep order among contestants no talking!
• Collect cards
• Ensure safety of contestants
• Experienced judge or judges committee
• Clear voiced announcer familiar w/contests
• Score keepers
• Score the placing question cards
• Sort cards into class team groupings

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