Innovative Judge Improvement Program
ensures APHA judging adheres to high standards

FORT WORTH, Texas—The American Paint Horse Association (APHA) announced that it is launching an innovative “Judge Improvement Program,” designed to ensure that top-quality, consistent judging standards are maintained by the association far into the future.

The new APHA Judge Improvement Program will actually be introduced in phases over the next few years. It will include:

• educational programs for prospective judges,
• educational programs for new judges,
• continuing education programs and requirements for all judges,
• systematic and routine performance reviews,
• opportunities and programs for promotion of judges, and
• continual upgrades of the judging process.

“The commitment to constant improvement in judging programs is very important for breed associations like ours, because judging sets the standard for the horse industry,” said APHA President Paul Reinbolt.

“Many people buy and breed horses because of the success of these animals in the show ring. So that part of our organization, judging, carries a tremendous responsibility to our breed.

“APHA is committed to improving the industry’s judging standards and upholding the integrity of the judges program,” said Reinbolt.

To develop and help carry out its new Judge Improvement Program, APHA has enlisted the help of two veteran judges—Butch Carse of Davenport, Fla., and Dr. Gary Potter of College Station, Texas. Carse brings 36 years of horse judging experience to the program, while Potter has been involved in judging for 41 years. In addition to helping design the program, the two will also serve as liaisons to nearly 300 existing APHA-approved judges to help them render informed, accurate and objective judgments.

Specifically, Carse will assist APHA and the Judges Committee at many events, including the Color Breed Council (CBC) International Equine Judges’ Seminar, the Judge Applicant School and APHA Educational Judges’ Academies. He will also travel to shows and work one-on-one with judges to help them develop proficient judging skills.

In his role with the association, Potter will work with staff and the APHA Judges Committee to enhance the educational process for potential and current carded judges. His goal is to help provide the industry with well-trained judges who are proficient in all classes. Potter will play a key role in the education and testing of judges and will developing a program designed to help judges advance to new levels.

Both Carse and Potter said the Judge Improvement Program is being established to ensure that APHA has the best qualified, best trained and most professional judges in the horse-showing industry. They stressed that APHA exhibitors should feel confident that the association will maintain and develop an objective judging process that will be continually reviewed and upgraded.

"Long-term," said Potter, "we want to develop a system of professional development for judges that will provide the educational material and training needed for them to stay current, and to promote and reward judges for doing a good job. Carse echoed those same sentiments, adding that the problem will ultimately "develop a set of standards that the exhibitors and membership will be able to rely on."

Biographical information on APHA judging consultants

Butch Carse. Most recently known for his work as manager of the World Championship Paint Horse Show, Carse brings a wealth of experience from every aspect of the equine industry. He has held roles as an exhibitor, trainer and judge.

Carse has been an APHA-approved judge since 1981, and he has judged in nearly every state in the United States, as well as throughout Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Central America and South America. Along with judging APHA shows, Carse has judged shows for the Appaloosa Horse Club, American Quarter Horse Association, National Reining Horse Association, National Snaffle Bit Association, Pinto Horse Association and United States Equestrian Federation. He has also been a Federation Equestre Internationale-approved judge.

Carse and his wife ran a Youth and Amateur training facility for 28 years in Neb., and he served as the manager of the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa.

Gary Potter. Potter received his bachelor’s degree in Animal Husbandry from Arkansas State College in 1964, his master’s in Animal Nutrition from the University of Kentucky in 1965 and Ph.D. in Animal Nutrition from the University of Kentucky in 1968. Potter has been a professor at Texas A & M University for more than 30 years.

From 1975 to 1989, Potter and his son showed Paint and Quarter Horses in many different classes.

Potter started judging horses in high school. He judged his first horse show in 1964 and has been judging for the past 41 years. Potter has also served as a horse judging team coach for more than four decades.

He has judged horses in 47 U.S. states. He also judged throughout Canada, Central America, South America and Europe. In addition, Potter has judged horses in Japan and Australia.

Potter has been an APHA-approved judge since 1976 and has also been an AQHA-approved judge during his career. Besides showing, teaching and judging, Potter has conducted extensive research in the equine sciences, trained 115 graduate students and published more than 450 research papers.

Other APHA judging advancements
The new Judge Improvement Program is part of continuing program to maintain high standards of current judges and recruit future judges, said Jim Kelley. In conjunction with the Judge Improvement Program, APHA regularly administers an “Apprentice Judge Program,” an “Educational Judges’ Academy,” and is developing a “Judges’ DVD Library.”

They are some of the first steps in gaining acceptance to take the Applicant Exam held in April each year in Fort Worth, Texas. People who successfully master the three-day curriculum and achieve acceptable test scores are recognized as official APHA judges.

Following is an overview of the program to help aspiring judges reach their goals:

Educational Judges’ Academy
APHA-approved judges conduct four-day seminars at various locations to further educate potential judges. The seminar is required for those who want to participate in Apprentice Judge Program. A wide variety of topics are covered, and a sample rule book test is given.

For those who attend the academy and complete the apprenticeship program, their files will be forwarded to the APHA judges’ committee, which ultimately decides who is eligible to attend the APHA Applicant Exam.

Apprentice Judge Program
People interested in the program serve as apprentices under four different APHA judges at four separate APHA-approved shows. They must also obtain a written evaluation from each judge. Those interested in this program must attend an APHA Educational Judges’ Academy. Complete lists of shows and approved judges are available at aphaonline.com. Select “Calendar of Events” and then see “Approved Judges.”

Judges’ DVD Library
APHA is developing this special library as an additional educational resource tool for prospective judges. Based on the performance of the horses they observe in the videos, potential judges will be able to evaluate several different classes. They will then compare their judging critiques against those of professionals through score sheets supplied with the videos.

Traditional approach
While the apprenticeship and educational opportunities are excellent ways for people to prepare for the APHA Applicant Exam, APHA is still qualifying individuals through its traditional method. That requires a potential judge to obtain 10 references — six from APHA or American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) judges who have witnessed the applicant judging, and four from show managers who have hired the individual to judge at a show.

Attractive incentive for AQHA judges
APHA has made a modification to its traditional method of qualifying judges to take the APHA Applicant Exam. Now, individuals who already possess an AQHA judge’s certification card need only obtain half as many references — three from APHA or AQHA judges and two from show management.

Reaching potential judges early
Many youth gain early experience through two successful programs administered by APHA — the Collegiate Judging Contest held each spring and the Youth Judging Contest held at the World Championship Paint Horse Show each summer. Both are sponsored by Hart Trailers.

At the Collegiate Judging Contest, about 200 students from 16 universities and colleges around the nation gather in Fort Worth to put classroom experience to work in the show ring. They judge 10 horse show classes typically included in equine competition. Judging teams are then evaluated by APHA officials and their scoring and oral arguments are critiqued.

Similar activities are sponsored by APHA for 400 junior judges as part of the Youth Judging Contest. According to the National Horse Judging Team Coaches Association, the APHA-sponsored event is the largest horse-judging contest for youth in the nation. Contestants between the ages of 9 and 19 involved in 4-H, FFA and regional American Paint Horse youth clubs compete in the event for coveted trophy buckles, plaques and other prizes. A total of 100 teams, consisting of up to four youth to a team, judge world-class American Paint Horses during the competition each year.