What do you like to see on the opening circle?
Pace, which as a trainer I have always said is your best friend. Just go forward – this shows your intent to go and get the job done. Pace also gives you many more options than if you’re going too slowly.
In a handy class, do you allow the riders to walk the course?
Actually, that is a management decision, but I would say no. The course has all of the distances on the chart and the route is marked, so there is no real reason to have to walk the course.
In a handy hunter class there is an option of trotting a jump or jumping a big oxer. Which would you prefer to see?
It is all up to you – just do whatever option you choose correctly! If your horse does not trot jumps well, then go for the oxer, and if he does trot jumps well, then save the big effort.
What is the minimum number of jumps required in a recognized hunter class, and is there a maximum?
The minimum number of jumps is eight, and while there are no rules with respect to the maximum number, I believe more than 10 would be too many. The maximum I would like to see is nine.
A horse or pony comes into the ring and take a couple of steps backwards before starting the course. How do you score that?
There is only one direction to go – and that is forward. You are being judged from the moment that you step into the ring. Sorry, but that is a score of 40!
Do you allow someone to approach you about their performance without the steward?
Often you have no control, so keep it brief and say sorry, but you are not at liberty to discuss a performance without the steward present.
How much do you comment when asked about a performance?
This is not a clinic, and I am not the trainer. I am just the judge. So I stay away from any comments on style of jumping or position, and just say what they did wrong without elaborating on that. I try to be positive and only comment on things that went wrong that have room for improvement.
If a rider is carrying a crop that you think is too long, what can you do?
The legal length of a crop in the hunter ring is 29½” or 75 centimetres. If I am concerned with the length of a crop, I will contact the steward and have them measure it; if the crop exceeds the legal length, the rider is eliminated from the class.
A rail ends up on the lip the cup and it goes unnoticed. The next entry goes and lightly rubs the jump, causing the rail to fall. How do you score this?
Unfortunately, it has to be scored as a rail down for the entry that knocked it down. This can happen so easily and demonstrates how important it is to remind the jump crew to carefully inspect a jump whenever it is rubbed or hit. As the judge, I also need to keep an eye out for any rails needing attention. I might also add the importance of watching how a jump is reset, to ensure that the rail is rolled so any bow is not facing up.
