QUESTION:
I’ve been out of the show ring for a while and I had a question about showmanship. I was always taught to glance back at the judge when trotting away in a showmanship class. I used to do this at all different levels of competition and I always placed very well. Recently, I was told that you should never look back at the judge. So I basically want to know…do you glance back or not? Thanks.
ANSWER:
Hi Eliese,
Good question. I really feel that it does not matter to me if one looks back or not. Fads change all the time and trainers are constantly telling their people to do this, and don’t do this. I have a problem with showmanship when I judge, if it looks like it is not natural. If it looks trendy and exhibitors are showing themselves more than the horse, they are getting scored low on my card. Just get the job done by showing your horse. No cheesy fake smiles, no crouching over when trotting, no over showing, no band uniforms for outfits, etc. Go to my website and click on articles, and then click on “pattern remix”. I hope this will help you.
Thanks.
Mark