Click here for the BDS Judges ListThe Future
of BDS Showing
JUDGES COMMITTEE PROPOSALS
by Claudia Bunn & Mark Broadbent,
Joint Chairmen, Judges Committee
Click here for the BDS Judges List
Although the very successful Pleasure Driving classes have brought a lot of new people into the show ring, it has been disappointing that the surge in BDS membership last year was not matched by a rise in the number of active private driving competitors. Clearly the Judges Committee needs to find ways of making showing more attractive to the membership so that all the effort and rising costs of showing are made more worthwhile in terms of enjoyment.
Your Judges Committee is working towards this on two fronts: The first is to make the classes more atmospheric and involving for both competitors and spectators, thereby giving the shows better value for the cost of putting on the class. We propose to do this by offering an alternative judging format which is based on that successfully used in America.
The current procedure of seeing competitors on both reins and performing their individual shows will be kept. The six best entries will then be chosen and the remainder wait in line to allow the top entries to show their horses to their best advantage by giving them as much space as possible. The judge then selects the final placings in reverse order. As the 1st and 2nd places are announced, in effect at the same time, both will receive equal applause and recognition.
This method allows the spectators to see the best competitors performing for the longest time and also creates more tension and suspense. The time saved by this format will be used for laps of honour and an opportunity for spectators to show their appreciation of the turnouts.
The second front is to make the judging more consistent and thereby gain the competitors' confidence. The problem is that, compared with ridden showing, there is far more to weigh up in a driven show class as the accessories to the horse, i.e. the vehicle, harness and turnout of driver and groom must also be taken into account.
In our clinics we must strive to reach a consensus on the relative importance of the various details and faults. Fundamentally we need to be clear in our own minds that a private driving class is indeed a show class and be taught to assess the "best" horse or pony by weighing the essentials which are - show quality, paces, correct way of going and manners.
The new intake of probationary judges must be rigorously assessed and, especially, candidates who have proved their worth by their achievements as competitors must be encouraged to come forward. If we can meet these aims we should be able to build on the solid achievements made under the chairmanship of Sallie Walrond, to produce harmony and mutual respect between judges and competitors, and create a spectacle that people will want to watch.
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