Having taken over from Nigel Hollings as Chairman of the Judges Assessment Committee, I was delighted with the numbers forward for our Future Judge's Assessment and Training Day held at Arena UK.

I would like to take this opportunity of thanking the Assessors, helpers, Arena UK, our producers and owners who brought ponies and most importantly the candidates for coming forward to what is a very rigorous assessment process.

On Sunday, we had 20 candidates come forward for our Ride Assessment. Candidates are expected to ride a number of horses to assess their riding ability and their capacity to assess the ride given by each horse, in addition to a Rules and judges dilemma assessment.

We had some great horses forward for them to be assessed on including the former Supreme Horse of the Year Zin Zan, who looked as well as ever!

The assessors were Jack Cockrane, one of our leading Show riders and Joanne Griffin, Vice-Chairman of the Assessment Committee.

I am delighted that the following candidates were successful and were immediately elected on to our Ride Panel:

Simultaneously, a training event was held for future judges led by Simon Somers and I, this gave future judges the opportunity to discuss, judging process, conformation and the marking system as well as being able to go off for mock interview in preparation for assessment. The feedback was very positive from those who took part.

The afternoon comprised of our plaited Working Hunter Pony Assessment with assessors Simon Somers and Sharon Thomas. This required candidates to walk a course where some obvious course building errors had been built into it and then judge a mixed type Working Hunter Pony Class, where candidates complete mark sheets, (as a normal class) assessing style whilst jumping, manners and conformation. Candidates are given 15 minutes between the end of the assessment to gather their thoughts and then go for an individual assessment where the assessors' determine which ponies are brought out for in-depth discussion, in addition to a Rules and judging dilemmas interview with a separate panel.

In addition, successful candidates are to undertake 1 stewarding and 1 course building appointment.

Monday commenced with the Heritage Ridden Assessment, (with a delayed start due to adverse weather conditions, which made it difficult for some of our ponies to arrive). I am most grateful for them making the effort to get there, with phone calls to myself at 5am!! A cross section of large and small breeds were judged as a mixed Open Ridden Class, with candidates having to mark the class and judge ponies for way of going, conformation and breed type, before being given 15 minutes to collect their thoughts before assessed by Philip Hilton, Roger James and Sharon Thomas. This is in addition to a Rules and dilemmas panel interview as well as assessment on breed standard and trimming rules etc.

Senior judges have ponies brought before them for the candidates to discuss in detail, with particular emphasis on way of going for a native pony and understanding breed type. The BSPS is now the leading Society for Ridden Mountain and Moorland ponies and our assessment is rightly vigorous as judges become the custodian of the native breeds.

Again, assessors meet with myself to collate all the reports before they are informed of the outcome. Of the 15 candidates forward, the following have been placed on the future judge's panel, the majority being required to undertake 2 years future judging before re-assessment

The final assessment was for the Show Pony and Show Hunter Pony panel and here 17 candidates assessed by Simon Somers, Ann Colles, Pip Baker-Beale and Philip Hilton.

This class was judged as a 'Supreme Championship 'and including a lead rein pony through to intermediate, as well as a range of Show Hunter Ponies. Again candidates had to assess way of going and conformation and type on a marks system as well as completing a Rules and dilemmas interview. After the assessment was completed, assessment reports are gone through in detail before candidates are advised of the outcome. The following were successful in going forward to our future judge's panel, where they will be re-assessed on completion of their future judging appointments

This was my first year as Chairman and I could not fail to be impressed by the enthusiasm of the candidates who had travelled as far afield as Scotland and Cornwall to attend, some coming for both days and having to stay overnight, all at their own expense. As with any assessment process, not everyone will be successful and on occasions the nerves and pressure of the assessment day do not always mean that candidates do themselves justice. What is heartening is that people that had not passed previously have come back and were successful, so please do not give up!

It is always difficult to give candidates 'bad news' and I don't think I have had so many people be so emotional, whether successful or not. One candidate bursting into tears having been successful, saying this was "more nerve racking than waiting for the results of her degree"! If I was to give candidates any tips for the future, it would be to gain experience judging unaffiliated classes and stewarding, practice using the marks system, staying calm and 'saying what you see'.

I was delighted that so many of our young people who had been successful in our young judges competition did so well which demonstrates the importance of the training programmes undertaken by the Areas.

Paul Cook
Chairman Judges Assessment Committee

Training Day for Future Judges

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Judges – Ride Assessment Day

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