There is no other feeling like being called in champion of show, the 4 am start was worth the 2.5 hour drive, this is what you have worked so hard for. The ringside is packed waiting to see who will lift the prestigious trophy, everyone talking, your groom (normally a poor parent or husband) giving you the thumbs up, they know all about being woken up at 5 am so you can ride before work, or the late drive home from your weekly lesson. But it’s all worth it, your fellow competitors give you the nod to congratulate you, and the judges present you with your cup and sash. This moment is what you have waited for, the championship parade, your horse is alive and equally as proud, they pop into the canter where there so light you only need one hand, you give a fist pump into the air, then you give the horse the squeeze, this is it, you feel the power build up and you’re in the gallop.

Delighted you walk out of the arena to head back to the lorry, then you start to hear it, ‘ah sure they knew the judge’, ‘I saw them at the show together last week’, ‘This show crack is fixed’.

More often we are told that showing is a fix, it’s all about the face on the horse or behind the horse. I started my career riding for one of Irelands biggest producers of show cobs Bill Bournes, I was lucky to have much success, including Dublin winners and Champions. But often I would hear you only won because your riding one of Bill’s horses, maybe this was the case, but for me, I put in a lot of hard work…

Didn’t I deserve to win?

So I decided it was time to put myself in the other shoes and look at showing through the eye of a judge. I wanted to know what they could see as judges that I couldn’t as a competitor.

I applied and passed my exam and was lucky to join the late Tommy Brennam at my first show, I have since enjoyed judging at some great venues, here in Ireland and the UK.

Watching each horse enter the ring we are looking for 5 things

• Balance
• Structural Correctness (conformation)
• Way of going
• Body condition
• Type

On entry the horses enter one at a time on the right rein, often this is when a horse will catch your eye for the first time, it only takes less than 5 to 10 seconds to make a first impression.

The horse should be well presented, trimmed and turned out correctly pending on type, well-conditioned (not obese) clean tack and happy in its way of going. The rider should be well turned out, correct style and fitting coat, hair in a hair net and if long tied back in a bun, shirt and tie, cream jods and boots so clean you can see your reflection.

The judges will mostly face one side, this gives every horse a chance for equal viewing, starting in the walk your looking for a good medium walk. I like to see horses tracking up, swinging from behind in a relaxed rein. Once every horse has been viewed in walk the steward will ask for trot, I like to see a nice uphill trot, often you will see horses being ridden from the rein causing the horse to over bend and drop on the forehand, with a rider kicking them forward out of the rhythm. I much prefer to see a slower trot covering more ground in a light, uphill contact.

Once the judges are happy the steward will ask you to canter right, ensure your horse is on the correct leg in a working canter, they should be covering the ground in a 3 beat canter, often now riders are keeping the horses too collected and they start to canter in a 4 beat which can become unbalanced.

You will then be asked to change the rein, this should be done in a simple change, right canter into trot for 4 or 5 strides then on to left canter lead, often you will see people attempting a medium trot, this can be off putting as tends to result in riders pushing their horses into a faster trot leading to forging rather than a lengthen. (Keep it simple)

From canter on the left rein, you will then be asked to gallop, this should be a build-up and not 0-100mph, it is NOT A RACE. If you are riding a young horse a lengthening of strides is acceptable. Often in this gait you will notice a horse give a ‘hise’ (another word for a small buck) normally these are innocent and often a sign the horse is happy, so I am happy to overlook this if the horse has been well behaved throughout.

The steward will call you in judge’s order, never feel disheartened by the first order, it can all change.

When riding I like to give every horse the same ride, I try and change the rein in the same place making it fair on each horse. Often, I’m judging the hunter ring, I like a horse that’s polite, and happy to move off from the leg, and away from the line-up. I will ask for a walk, trot and canter, pending on the age of the horse I may ask for a gallop or extension. I like a horse that is true to type, uphill, moves free, Balanced, and most important something I feel I would want to ride or hunt. I then hand them over to the conformation judge.

This is the part that’s important as it involves looking up close. Just some of the things the judges are looking for are conformation, any lumps or bumps, and type when striped. The horse will be asked to stand (practice this at home) then walk away and trot back. Please remember the walk and trot should be straight lines, it is up to the judge to move not you.

Once all competitors are mounted the two judges will send the riders back out on the right rein in walk while they make their final line up.

It’s never easy moving people down, or evening pulling people in the bottom, I thank all competitors and if I feel there is something that might help, I will give a rider a bit of feedback. I’m also very happy to have riders ask for opinions, every day is an education day.

Showing in Ireland is a small world, often you’re against the same competitors every weekend.

As a competitor and Judge, I have the responsibility to fellow competitors, I only take judging appointments outside the area I show in, (occasionally I travel East to compete in a big show) I also am selective in the amount I judge, no more do you want to compete against the same people, but competitors do not want to see the same judges 4 times a year.

So the next time you come out the ring hearing, ah it’s all fixed, hold your head up smile, as on that day you were the judge’s choice.