The 2024 International Color Breed Judges Seminar was a success with all judges passing their written and video testing. Let me know what events you would like to see covered in the next three years as we will changing the teaching curriculum for 2025-2028 seminars next month. The APHA testing will be on ranch riding and hunt-seat equitation for 2025-2026.
A big thank you goes to our instructors for the past three years—Patty Campbell, Lisa Ligon, Kelly Wainscott, Terry Thompson and Bill Kaven. REMINDER: Score sheets and the new reference sheets are available here. |
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The Judges Committee has reviewed penalties in showmanship, particularly regarding exhibitors crossing in front of the judge before acknowledgment and the positioning at the start cone. We urge judges to reduce the maneuver in these instances rather than applying a 10-point penalty.
The rulebook emphasizes correct positioning during inspection and at the start cone. The purpose of these clarifications is to ensure consistency and positivity in judging. The 5-point penalty applies any time the horse is standing hip shot in the setup. This can be applied at the start cone, setup and inspection, or any time a set up is part of the pattern. No penalty is warranted for a horse turning on the left hind foot if it remains stationary; normal penalties apply for other deviations during turns.
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In ranch classes, horses of all ages may be shown with a snaffle bit, allowing for one or two hands on the reins. The use of twisted wire snaffle bits is prohibited. Exhibitors may switch between two hands and one hand on the reins when exhibiting in a snaffle bit or hackamore.
Romal reins are permitted in all ranch horse classes. In all classes except reining, including the reined portion of working cow horse, the free hand may be used to adjust the length of rein, provided it remains behind the rein hand. When riding with a romal, a get down rope may be utilized for leading, ground tying or tying the horse. The get down rope, defined as a small rope tied around the neck of the horse and run back to the rider or tied to the saddle, is permissible in all ranch horse classes. If a bosalito is used, it must allow approximately 2 fingers (1 inch) to pass freely between the nose and the bosalito and must be constructed of flexible materials. Rigid material under the jaw is strictly prohibited.
Two-rein equipment is allowed in working cow horse, limited working cow horse, and all ranch horse classes, with the rider required to use one hand on the reins. Any number of fingers between the reins will be permitted, and both mecate and bridle reins are to be held in the rein hand. |
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| Please ensure compliance with the following rule, which has been overlooked at some shows:
All Youth, Novice Amateur and Amateur Walk-Trot exhibitors participating in ANY English class are REQUIRED to wear an ASTM/SEI certified helmet or its international equivalent. The helmet must have a properly attached harness secured under the chin.
If someone is disqualified for not adhering to this rule, kindly provide an explanation of the requirement to ensure understanding and compliance in the future. |
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According to the 2024 APHA Rule Book, during the drag portion of a ranch trail class, the exhibitor must have the rope properly dallied on the saddle. A full dally is achieved by bringing the rope one and a half times around the horn, from the front of the horn around the back, without wrapping it from behind. A half dally involves bringing the rope three-quarters of the way around the horn, also from the front to the back, without wrapping from behind.
For clarity, images demonstrating correct full and half dallies are shown to the right. The full dally is at the far right, and the half is at the near right. |
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As an APHA judge, I invite you to join our Markel/APHA Professional Horsemen program. Sign up at the Markel/APHA Professional Horsemen page here. We're updating our website to include a directory of our Markel/APHA Professional Horsemen.
Established in November 2009, the Markel/APHA Professional Horsemen program seeks honest equine professionals who uphold integrity and fairness in the horse industry, especially within the Paint Horse community. Members pledge to promote the breed and the association at local Paint Horse shows and events. We're also organizing a Professional Horsemen panel at the World Show and welcome volunteers to answer questions, so stay tuned! |
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The following individuals have been invited to test for their APHA card in May as judge applicants:
Jeff Allen, Shawnee, OK
Ronald Bartholomew, Syracuse, NY
Amy Franks, Paw Paw, MI
Austin Gooding, Hudsonville, MI
Shari Irwin, Castleton, Ontario, Canada
Katie Roxburgh, Bentley, Alberta, Canada
Bobbi Jo Stanton, Shawnee, OK Additionally, congratulations are in order for the recently approved APHA Halter Specialty Judges:
Milt Alderman, Fort Worth, TX
Rick Baker, Bluff City, TN
Josh Larman, Pilot Point, TX
Mitch Leonarski, Williamstown, NJ |
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| APHA extends appreciation and congratulates all individuals for reaching these significant milestones. Thank you for your dedication and service to the APHA Judging program.
10 Years of Service:
Elizabeth Baker
Abby Cosenza
Melissa Dukes
Keith Miller
Kim Myers
Tom Robertson 20 Years of Service:
Clay Cavinder
David Denniston
Garth Gooding
Rebecca Halvorsen
JT Mitchell
Lisa Moden
Kendra Weis
Leanne Williams 40 Years of Service:
Mike Swain
Brian Ellsworth |
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April 5-7 | Fort Worth, TX Featured instructors and classes include:
Kelly Wainscott—halter
Andrea Simons—pattern classes (trail, Western riding, longe line, Western pleasure)
Sandy Jirkovsky—pattern classes (trail, Western riding, longe line, Western pleasure), reining, roping, ranch classes
Jerry Erickson—over fences, hunter under saddle, equitation on the flat
Terry Thompson—reining, roping, ranch classes |
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| In the halter division of horse shows, judges must be mindful of their conduct as it is a focal point for exhibitors and audiences. We'd like to thank Clint Fullerton for providing his expertise below. Here's how to maintain professionalism: Direct the exhibitor to track the horse toward you, ensuring you observe their movements closely. Allow exhibitors adequate time to set up their horses for presentation, especially in multi-judge shows, and offer encouragement to newcomers.
Treat all exhibitors equally, ensuring each horse is judged fairly regardless of perceived quality. Maintain discretion when discussing judging techniques with fellow judges to avoid negative perceptions from exhibitors. Remember, perception influences reality. |
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Meet Clint Fullerton, an APHA judge since 2009 who holds certifications with APHA, AQHA, NRHA, NSBA, PHBA, WCHA, ABRA and ApHC. He has judged 135 APHA shows and major events worldwide. When asked about his favorite aspect of judging, Clint simply enjoys watching horses. His advice for young judges is to prioritize education and embrace diverse events. Clint humorously remarks that he's unsure who would take on the role if a movie were made about his life. His top dining choice in Fort Worth is H3 Steakhouse, and he prefers Crown Royal over wine or beer. He's a dog person and prefers trucks over cars. His favorite movie or TV series is Peaky Blinders, and the best advice he received regarding showing or judging is to maintain fairness as it reflects moral character.
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Review your details on the judge’s directory page to ensure accuracy. Your information should reflect any added or deleted cards for our directory to remain up-to-date. Visit the page here. If any changes are needed, please inform me promptly. Wishing you a wonderful spring season! Feel free to reach out via phone at 308-440-9627 or email me for any inquiries.
"Ability is what you are capable of doing, motivation determines what you do, and attitude determines how well you do it!" - Lou Holtz |
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