Observations from the Judge's Booth: Kim Kirton

Kim Kirton represented Canada internationally as one of the most successful juniors in Canadian show jumping history, then on senior Nations Cup teams. The ‘Queen of Speed’, from Caledon, Ontario, is now an international hunter, jumper and equitation judge, as well as an elite hunter, jumper and equitation coach.

What do you look for when a horse first enters the ring?

A winner! Number One for me is turnout, for both horse and rider. I want the horse’s eyes, nose, tail area clean. I want to see a shine on the horse’s coat and nice braids. For the rider, I want to see clean boots, riding clothes in traditional colours, and a proper-length riding coat.

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Kim Kirton: “Quality doesn’t come from the price of the horse, but from proper training, soundness and grooming.” (Marie Roy Photography)

How should a horse and rider enter the ring?

I think it depends on the horse. If it’s an anxious horse or rider, I suggest they walk in at least halfway, then get going. If the rider is sleepy and the horse is cold and sleepy, canter right away. If you have a horse that’s going to be remembered in the hack, one with the best trot in the world, show that early, then walk, then canter. They always jump first, but you may have 30 or more horses in a division and it helps to let the judge know the horses a bit before they walk into the hack.

What are the most common errors you see in the hunter ring?

So many riders are slow up the first line. I often see a horse slow up the first line, adding a stride or being weak and long, then it’s too quick up the last line. Don’t wait until the first fence to find your canter. You have to ride with rhythm and pace. For junior and amateurs, the first line is typically out of the in-gate. Horses aren’t awake and always suck back at the in-gate. I see so many people who don’t find their pace until halfway through the course. I like to see the same pace at the start of the course and at the end.

When you score a class out of 100, how much do certain errors cost you? (A score of 90 to 100 is excellent)

You can score in the 80s with a quality horse with minimal mistakes. Swapping leads isn’t a criminal offense, and a horse that swaps leads can still be in the 90s. Quality horses won’t lose as many points as average horses.

The 70s are an average score, with an average horse making some minor mistakes. You’ll score in the 60s by cross-cantering or adding a stride. Kicking out, trotting, eliminating a stride or whipping will be a score in the 50s. A rail is 45 and a stop is 40.

How do you break a tie?

Easy. I ask myself, ‘Would I want to own that horse, or that horse?’ First thing is suitability, and second is movement and looks. I love pretty horses!

How can you best ride a hunter under saddle class?

First of all, don’t walk around with hands in your pockets. When you’re warming up, the judge is already starting to pick out the winners. Show a horse off right away, but don’t get in the judge’s face and do 1,000 passes. I like to see light contact, as that’s how they look best.

The hack is really important. I coach the hack like you can’t imagine. The judge has to see you. There are so many good horses now, it’s the most stressful class for me to judge.

What are your tips for the hunter derby?

I want to see brilliance in pace and prefer that over tight turns, but obviously if you have perfect tight turns and brilliance, you have an advantage. I’m a big one for pace and horses that are alive. It is a galloping course. The more fancy things you do, the better you score, but you have to do them well.

What is your advice for equitation and medal trips?

Striding is more important than ever. Sometimes you’ll have options for striding in equitation, so choose what your horse does best.

There are not a lot of differences between equitation and medal classes, other than the tack. The same riders do both and typically use the same horse in both, although you won’t see a hunter do hunter equitation, typically.

In jumper equitation you lose one point for every time fault and get four faults for each rail down. If someone has a beautiful trip, they may score 88, but have a rail, so four points would be deducted, along with time faults. You can ride with a full seat or half-seat; go with whatever your style is, but it’s typically a half-seat.

What is one thing that you wish trainers paid more attention to when setting up a horse/rider combination for the show ring?

The rules, all of them! I didn’t become a judge until late in life and never read a rule book until then. I never thought about how important the course designer is, and how they have a method behind their courses. Now I train from a course designer and judge’s point of view.

Do all judges judge the same?

No, but not all judges have proper experience judging quality horses. Sometimes, the judging boggles my mind. Judging the quality is important, and quality doesn’t come from the price of the horse, but from proper training, soundness and grooming. The quality of horses in Canada is so strong now, you have to give respect to the competitors and have someone qualified judging, and have them judged fairly by someone knowledgeable enough to give a score.

At some shows the score is announced out loud. At many shows, no one knows what the score is. If the scores were announced, it would produce better judging and produce better riders, trainers, and more accountability.