11/01/2025
"It’s the expectation for all equestrians to observe the etiquette and decorum of good sportsperson-ship to honor the judge’s opinion, regardless of whether they win or lose or what result they end up with. While competitors and trainers should always strive to treat the judge and the show management with respect, there are times when it’s appropriate to ask questions and clarify confusion; such as when a score seems puzzlingly far off-the-mark.
This was the case at a recent $5,000 USHJA National Hunt & Go Derby at a major A-rated channel 1, 6* show in California. The pair in question was a seasoned professional aboard a talented horse who had other prior wins. The rider knew she didn’t have the winning round–having skipped all the high options–that said, she and the crowd were taken aback when the judge announced a score of 40. Normally a score that low is reserved for serious errors such a refusal or crossing one’s path (making an unintentional, additional “circle”), so it caused some head-scratching since the pair did not appear to do either of those things, or make any other major mistakes that might have warranted that kind of penalty.
Even in her confusion and disappointment, the rider earnestly wanted to learn from any mistake she may have made, and know what not to repeat in future rounds. Following protocol for questioning a judge’s decision, the rider approached the steward who surmised that she had crossed her path when taking the right track as opposed to the left track following a narrow jump, as previous riders had. The rider respectfully pointed out that if that were the case, the track would be crossed by taking either the left or right tracks. The rider and steward engaged another steward, who disagreed with this crossed-path determination, thus they went directly to the course designer, who confirmed that either left or right track option was acceptable as designed.
The steward, alone, then approached the judge with this information, and he confirmed that “crossing the path” was the rationale for the score of 40. After holding up the class for nearly a half hour to discuss the matter, the judge revised the score accordingly.
The lesson learned: If in serious doubt, follow the proper protocol by asking the steward to get permission to speak to the judge. It might not always be so easily resolved, but it’s a good practice to have and all parties can learn! Judges are not infallible–most are willing to make an adjustment to rectify an error, if you ask politely and display a genuine interest in learning and improving."
📎 Save & Share this article by Alexis Flippen Von Zimmer, PhD at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2024/11/07/when-in-serious-doubt-about-the-scoring-of-your-round-ask-and-learn/
