Announcing a judge’s re-certification and applicant’s educational two day seminar sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Horse Association (RMHA) in Lexington, Kentucky. The seminar will be held on April 1-2, 2023 at the home offices of the RMHA, Bluegrass Stockyard, just 5 minutes from the world famous Kentucky Horse Park.
The seminar instructor will be Wayne G Hipsley, BSc, MSc, an internationally recognized multi-licensed judge who has conducted judge and exhibitor education seminars and clinics for the RMHA over the past 20 years. He brings to the seminar a wealth of knowledge on the history and traditions of the breed, along with knowledge he gained in producing the educational video, Judging and Showing the Mountain Horse.
Hipsley has worked with the RMHA President, Gina Perdue, on advancing the educational subject matter and techniques to educating judges and exhibitors. Hipsley firmly believes that once a person has learned to observe the qualities of this gaited breed they are well on their way to becoming a successful judge, therefore learning the assessment technique is an important portion of the subject matter presented during the seminar.
With over 30 recognized and approved horse shows in the US in 2022, the ever growing demand for comprehensive show rules and regulations are a vital area for the judges to understand, and differentiate between the rules for other breeds and disciplines. Hipsley places a strong emphasis upon adherence to the breed standards for this unique breed and its differences from the traditional breeds in the rules and regulations. As he says, the Rocky Mountain horse evolved from a strong ‘multi-use’ background, to a recreational riding horse and show horse.
Whether the exhibitor is an accomplished rider or novice in the show ring, in-hand or undersaddle, the judges must be up for the challenge to have a broad base of knowledge for officiating. Like most expanding breeds, amateurs and youth play a very important role in the ranks of competitors. During the seminar, Hipsley will discuss everything from judge ringcraft to judging all types of performance classes where the gait and image of the horse is the number one consideration.
With the aid of PowerPoint and newly introduced Video presentations, the seminar brings life to the presentations and necessary information to become a successful judge. Hipsley’s style of presentation is engaging, providing insights from over 45 years as a licensed judge, and exposure to many styles of judging from other parts of the world. Through Hipsley’s experiences, he can provide insights into the do’s and don’ts of judging.
The judges’ seminar contains input from its strong amateur base of exhibitors who expect judges to work to achieve a single standard regardless of the class whether it be English or Western. Through video performances, Hipsley provides background to judges using formalized score sheets and discusses appropriate notes for multi-exhibitor classes.
And there is even a brief discussion on the professionalism expected of licensed judges along with some aspects of the ‘business’ as a professional judge.
For more information about attending and obtaining a judge’s application contact Lori Nelson, Executive Director, at 859-644-5244.
About – Wayne G Hipsley, BSc, MSc, Hipsley and Associates, International Consultants and Educators. Wayne is a full-time equestrian professional who has been a licensed horse show judge for over 45 years, judging many different breeds of horses, from Miniatures to Draft and Warmbloods and lots in between. He has judged and participated in evaluations of horses in 17 foreign countries, which provides him with a unique understanding and appreciation for adherence to the standards for a breed. Wayne has authored many educational manuals for judging horses and ponies starting with a Cooperative Extension bulletin while teaching equine studies at the University of Massachusetts. He has coached highly successful intercollegiate horse judging teams, and worked with potential judges of many different ages and backgrounds, starting with the fundamentals and reaching beyond to advanced levels. Wayne enjoys teaching and helping people learn new topics and develop skills to be better horsemen and horsewomen.
Contact: Wayne G. Hipsley, BSc, MSc
Hipsley and Associates, Lexington, KY
HipsleyandAssocs@aol.com (859)621-6995