Host a Judging Clinic

Tricia Booker’s Judging Clinics

  • Clinic Overview

    Tricia Booker specializes in teaching judging clinics for associations, schools and private barns. Formats are customized for your needs, from classroom only to a combination of classroom and live judging of practice rounds or a true horse show experience.

    Contact Tricia

  • In the Classroom

    Half- or full-day classroom sessions include learning the basics of judging, faults and scoring, judging symbols, how judges fill out their cards, what judges look for and helpful tips to improve your show ring performances. Attendees learn how to fill out a judge’s card and practice judging hunter and equitation classes via videos.

  • In the Show Ring

    Live judging includes immediate feedback for attendees who ride in the horse show as well as to those who audit and choose to practice judge. Riders receive feedback on their performances with tips to improve their placings over fences, on the flat and standing ponies/horses for conformation.

SAMPLE ONE-DAY FORMAT

8 a.m. to Noon - The first half of the day is spent in the classroom with PowerPoints and videos. The participants learn the basics of judging, faults and scoring, judging symbols, how judges fill out their cards and what they look for when judging different types of classes, from equitation to hunters to conformation.

Throughout the presentation attendees receive helpful tips to improve their show ring performances, learn how to stand out to the judges and mistakes to avoid. We also go over the history of the sport, important rules to know, tack and attire, and judges’ pet peeves.

After learning the basics of filling out a judge’s card, we practice judging some hunter and equitation classes via videos. Attendees will receive judge’s cards and the symbols, so they experience what it’s like to judge in real time. Some people are interested in learning to judge, while others may not, but they will better understand how they can improve their own performances through knowing how the judge works and views them.

Noon to 1 p.m. - Lunch

1 p.m. - 4 p.m. – The Mock Horse Show. Usually, we schedule six classes—one hunter over fences, one equitation over fences, a hunter under saddle, an equitation on the flat and then one handy hunter over fences and one medal class with a testing phase. (Six is the optimal number of riders in each class.)

The riders participating in the horse show are judged as they would be at a competition (organizers often provide an announcer and ribbons). They receive immediate feedback after their classes, and those who are auditing, and practice judging have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss their own placings of the classes in the group setting.

SAMPLE TWO-DAY FORMAT

Day 1

8 a.m. – Noon – An expanded version of the one-day format. We spend more time talking about the details of judging, the different types of classes and formats, the nuances of judging different levels, collegiate competitions and the steps to become a judge.

Noon – 1 p.m. Lunch

1 p.m. – 2 p.m. – Focus on Conformation – We delve into examining sport horse conformation, how to judge conformation of young stock and performance horses and best practices for showing a horse in hand.

2 p.m. – 4 p.m. - If available, we would move to a ring and have six to eight horses to judge for a mock conformation class. Attendees can learn what we look for as judges and the basics of proper conformation for sport horses. We identify conformation attributes and faults and discuss how they could impact a horse in the show ring. The handlers learn how to stand up their ponies or horses correctly for judging. If live horses aren’t available, we will judge conformation classes in the classroom via photographs and videos.

Day 2

9 a.m. – 4 p.m. – The Horse Show. We include more classes with additional riders than in the one-day format and spend more time with the feedback. (Some barns have hosted a local schooling show in conjunction with the clinic with other barns participating.) After each under saddle or equitation on the flat class is pinned, I speak to the riders as they come out of line to pick up their ribbons (if you have them). They receive immediate feedback since we don’t write as much while judging non-jumping classes. For the over fences, we run it like a regular class. After it’s pinned, we gather together and spend 15-20 minutes talking with the riders (off their horses) and go over the judge’s card. The auditors also have the opportunity to be involved in the discussions.

Please contact me with additional questions. Customized itineraries are welcomed.