Pony Finals Preparations

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Pony Finals Preparations

Julie, center in hat, will be judging this year's USEF Pony Finals in Lexington, Kentucky.
We're counting down the days until next week's USEF Pony Finals! Julie is on the judging panel, and I'll be on site working and selling our book. We're both super excited, as it's been several years since we've attended this special competition.

This will be Julie's fourth time judging Pony Finals, and I believe my 15th year there. During my time working at The Chronicle of the Horse, the Pony Finals was one of my favorite events. I tried to go as often as I could to experience the great competition, excitement and watch children truly enjoying their ponies and making new friends. 

My first Pony Finals was a memorable one. It was 1991, and the Pony Finals was held in North Carolina. It was there that I met Liza Towell (now Boyd), who earned the Grand Pony Hunter Champion and Large Pony Championship aboard Tickled Pink. The Towells and I became fast friends afterward, and I rode and trained with them regularly for many years and enjoy our continuing friendship. 

This year will be another memorable one, because I'll be able to cheer on Liza's daughter, Elle. While time has flown by, it's wonderful to step back in time and remember when I showed ponies and relive some of that joy through watching another generation of equestrians starting their own journey with the animals we love. 

As always,      
Tricia       
 
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The Judge's Card

8 Pony Finals Facts

  1. The Pony Finals began in 1967 with Small and Large pony sections, and the Medium Pony section was added in 1976.
  2. Each pony is given a numerical score between 0-100 in each of the three phases of its section (model, under saddle and over fences).
  3. The model is 25 percent, the under saddle is 25 percent and the over fences is 50 percent.
  4. Three judges judge each section of the model and under saddle, while three panels of two judges score the over fences phase (and provide three scores).
  5. The pony that accrues the most points in its respective section earns the championship.
  6. The judges score the ponies against an ideal and aren't comparing the ponies against one another, which is different than other shows.
  7. Two refusals (not three) result in elimination over fences.
  8. The USEF Pony Medal is the little sister of the USEF Medal Final and is run using the same format.
 

Question of the Week

Wesley Fox asked: "Has it ever been brought up at the judge's clinics about how to judge a rider in the equitation with a physical limitation, such as the limited use of an arm or loss of a hand? Because equitation is judged on the rider and their position, how should a judge handle this situation?   

Julie Winkel: Equitation isn't just judged on how you look; it's how you communicate with your horse. So, a situation like this should have no bearing on whether someone can ride in equitation class or not. In fact, there have been several successful equitation riders in the past several years who have had such challenges, and their "limitations" certainly didn't prevent them from competing and showing off their winning skills in the saddle.

Do you have any judging questions?  Hit the button and let us know!

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Julie & Tricia Out and About

Julie enjoyed signing books and speaking with competitors last weekend at the Absolute Horse Tack Shop at the Oregon High Desert Classic Horse Show.
You can find Julie and Tricia at the USEF Pony Finals in Lexington, Kentucky, from August 9-13. Julie will be judging, and Tricia will be on site selling signed books and working on the next edition of the book!

To learn more about Tricia's and Julie's upcoming clinics and book signings, please view their calendar on judgingwtf.com and Julie's clinic schedule on maplewoodstables.com.
This newsletter is based on the book Judging Hunters and Equitation WTF? (Want The Facts?) by Julie Winkel and Tricia Booker.

We're thrilled to have you join us as we spend time together talking about judging, the history of the sport, scoring, tips to improve your show ring performances, judges' pet peeves, and show ring strategies, and best of all answering your questions! Something on your mind? Email us: info@judgingwtf.com 
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