The BCPS maintains its own list of approved Connemara judges who are allowed to judge Connemara classes at our Breed Shows and at other shows around the country. A current list of BCPS judges can be downloaded from this page.
Becoming a BCPS Judge
The BCPS is always looking for new Judges and welcomes applications for the BCPS Probationary Judges Scheme. To be a Probationer Judge you must be a Member of the BCPS. To apply, fill out the Probationer Judges’ Application Form (downloadable from this page) and send it to the BCPS Office. Your application will then be considered by the Judges’ Committee and you will be informed if you have been accepted as a Probationer Judge.
Once you are accepted on to the Scheme, you will be able to begin your Probationary Judging. Most Probationers will be required to attend at least three shows over a period of no more than three years. If you are already on the NPS Mixed M&M panel, however, you will only be asked to do Probationary Judging for Type at three shows over one year.
After three feedbacks you will be assessed by the Judges Committee and a decision made as to how many more probations will be required if any.
After your probationary period you could become a “starred” judge. As a “starred “Judge , you would be able to judge at local and regional shows, but not at County level or Championships. Starred judges also cannot accept Probationers of their own
At the end of each year, you are sent a form asking you to fill in any judging duties you have carried out. If the Judges’ Committee thinks that you have done enough, then you will become a full Judge. You have up to three chances over the three years.
We have two Judges’ Panels:
- A – for in-hand and ridden classes, including WHP
- B – for in-hand and flat ridden classes only
Once accepted as a Judge, you will typically be placed on the B panel. To be on the A panel, you will need to be an experienced WHP competitor or Judge. If you aren’t experienced with WHP, then you would need to steward and successfully probation at WHP classes in order to be put on to the A panel.
Organising your Probationary Judging
You will need to make your own arrangements to accompany Judges on the BCPS panel to affiliated shows for your Probationary Judging. You can download the list of Judges from this page, and for more information on affiliated shows, see our Affiliated Shows page. You must not probation with a Judge who had proposed or seconded you on your application, and you must probation with at least three Judges.
Once you have been accepted by a Judge, you will need to make contact with the Show Secretary in question to ensure that the show will accept a Probationer. Once this is agreed, you should then write a letter of confirmation to the Judge.
You will be given Report Forms which should be given to the Judge after the class together with a SAE marked “Probationer Judges Scheme” and addressed to the BCPS Office.
As a Probationary Judge, you must:
- Be suitably and smartly dressed, wear a hat and wear an armband (armband to be your own and is not supplied by the Society)
- Arrive in good time to meet the Judge
- Be prepared to pay your own expenses
- Accept as strictly confidential any remarks made by the Judge in your presence
- Remember that the pony is being judged on the day
- Not refer to a catalogue or ask for the breeding of a pony during the judging of a class
- Not ride as a ridden Probationers unless arrangements have been made for you to do so
- Remember that classes have to be for Connemara ponies only
- Not compete at any show where you are probationing
- Fill in your name and address and details of the show on the Report Form before handing to the Judge
Guidance notes for Probationer Judges can be downloaded from this page.
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