As the western pleasure class continues to be a hot button issue in the industry, GoHorseShow sat down with AQHA Senior Director of Judges, Alex Ross to see what he thought about the performance of the pleasure horses at the All American Quarter Horse Congress. Also, Ross discussed what he would like to still see improved as far as the movement of the horses; what judges still need to improve upon as far as judging this class; and also the personal accountability of exhibitors knowing and following the rules. Finally, we asked Ross what exhibitors should expect and know as far as showing in the pleasure classes at the AQHA World Show.
Q: Hi, Alex. Thanks so much for talking to us again about the western pleasure. We are interested in knowing what you thought about the western pleasure horses at the Congress?
A: From the classes I watched, I would have liked to have seen the judges use a variance of gait calls which would have allowed the horses to display better cadence at all gaits. At the jog, I saw too many horses trotting in front and walking behind. It was apparent some exhibitors felt it was more important to show on the rail than it was to exhibit a cadenced gait. And, too many times these horses were rewarded for this un-cadenced gait. Also, I would like to see the moderate extension of the jog be an obvious lengthening of the stride, showing a slight increase in pace.
Q: What would you still like to see improved with the judging of this class?
A. I would like to see the judges be more consistent with their judging no matter if they are judging a weekend show or the World Show. The judges should be following the same standard and rules regardless of where they are judging. I think the inconsistency of the judging that we see at some shows is confusing to many exhibitors, especially when a horse not conforming to the rules is placed above a quality horse that is conforming to the rules. I have said many times “You tell me how I will be judged and I will tell you how I perform”. It is the judge’s responsibility to “tell” the exhibitors how they will be judged by judging by the rules of the class. I promise, exhibitors will conform because they all want to win!
Q: What would you like to see the exhibitors improve on and far as their performance in this class?
A: I think the exhibitors need to be held personally accountable to following the rules. I am sure that many of our competitors have never read the rulebook and have sat down and learned the rules of the pleasure class. The exhibitors need to know what is expected and understand that if they do not show their horse in the correct manner, they will be penalized accordingly. The exhibitors need to give the judges an easier task of finding the nicest horses–not having to fight to separate horses that are talented but shown too slow, overcanted, and not performing true gaits. When this happens, it puts the judge behind the 8 ball, trying to decide what to do with the talented horse that is not conforming to the rules. Exhibitors need to understand, the judge is duty-bound to judge by the rules. It is no different than the trail classes when they hit a pole and are penalized–a pleasure horse should be penalized in the same manner and only rewarded when they perform the gaits correctly. If the exhibitor fails to follow the rules, then it is the judge’s responsibility to step up and reward the horses that are performing the gaits correctly.
Q: Are there any tips or anything the exhibitors need to know before they show in their pleasure classes at the World Show?
A: If this year’s AQHA Youth World class is any indication, I would expect to see some outstanding classes at the World Show this year. That was one of the best classes I have seen to date, and was a positive demonstration of what we are looking for in this class. My advice for the exhibitors is to follow the rules; show at true gaits and illustrate a true lengthening of stride if asked for at the walk or lope and an obviously lengthened stride when showing at the moderate extension of the jog. The judges will be given 12 sets of patterns that have different lists of gait calls that they may use at their discretion. The judges will be judging ALL four gaits and the back–so riders should not dismiss any of these maneuvers. When the riders follow the rules it makes for a great class that is a fun experience for the exhibitors to show in, judges to judge and spectators to watch.
Q: Thank you, Alex. On behalf of GoHorseShow.com and all of our readers, we appreciate you taking the time to explain AQHA’s thought process on this hot topic.
