Monday, September 20, 2010

My Color Controversy




When I'm not showing in AQHA shows, I regularly attend open shows in my county. I have a great, well muscled, large mare that I've gotten first place with every time I've entered her in a halter class, except once. And that one time it wasn't that I got second, I wasn't even placed! when I asked the judge if I had been disqualified for some reason he simply said "No, I just don't like paints."

Now in the horse world, this is basically being racist! I was so angry, I didn't even want to show the rest of the day. I had came all that way, spent all the time getting myself and my horse ready and all I get is "I don't like paints"?

Did he want me to spray paint my whole horse for him? Just because my horse has a beautiful tobiano coloring I was being penalized. But then I thought to myself, if I was a judge, would I be more likely to pick a paint horse over a typical sorrel horse? Surprisingly I realized that yes, I do generally like paints better. Then I realized, maybe open shows aren't so open. Open shows are really a luck of the draw depending on what judge you get.

I believe a judge picks horses that are either better at the discipline they usually judge or they pick the breed they usually judge. Let's say a judge normally judges English horses, so are they more prone to pick a faster moving horse in a western pleasure class? Possibly. If a judge normally judges APHA shows, will a paint most likely stand out to him? Probably. Basically, I believe no matter how unbiased you try to be, there are different horses that will catch your eye more then others depending on what kind of horses you care for. Please let me know what you guys think. Have you ever been miss judged? Or do you have a favorite breed that stands out to you?




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