It’s interesting to note that the poll about becoming a judge has resulted in a statistical tie. I didn’t vote because, although I have thought about becoming a judge, I guess I’m not decisive enough to make the commitment.
I also see in the Network that the AMHA Professional Committee “continues to work on a solution to the limited pool of judges available for the GN.” As I understand it, the problem is that many of our Morgan judges are trainers who make their living getting horses prepared to show at the Grand National. It’s unreasonable to ask them to give up the income they generate by qualifying a horse for, and then showing it at the Morgan Grand National, in order to judge the show. We need more Amateur Owners and Breeders to become judges and we need to encourage and support them to do so. So, whose responsibility is it to see to it that we have enough qualified judges to judge our shows, including the Grand National?
I submit that it is not AMHA’s responsibility, but rather, it is the responsibility of those of us who want to show our horses. AMHA’s primary responsibility is the integrity of the Registry and promotion of ALL Morgan horses. Showing is only a part of AMHA, not the whole enchilada. I think it’s terrific that in order to promote the standard, there is a school for those who aspire to become Morgan judges, and that the 2 dollar Judges’ Education fee that we pay at Regional shows finances that effort. However, I think that we, the exhibitors, can do more.
