JUDGING JUMPS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14889, 31 January 1914, Page 14

JUDGING JUMPS.

SHOULD JUDGJiS BE STRAXGEUS? -Mr H. L. Collinson, a prominent member of the Manawatu Hunt Club, and tho rider of Major Wobb in tshow jumps on many successful occasions, told a newspaper representative that he considered it urgently desirable that tho judges in tho ring events at the Various shows should be strangers. No northerner should judge a northern show. It is recognised, lie added, by exhibitors of cattle that tlio witmiuk cattle are usually quite lamuiar to the judges, and, on thut account, Very strong efforts are often made to get judges from a distance—even from Australia. How much more must a judge of ring events, particularly jumps, be aware of the ownership of the competing horses when the owners themselves are prob-ibiy liding them. •'On v recent occasion," eaid Mr Collinson. *'a judge had to perform tho delicate task of awarding first prisio to a huntsman to whom lie had sold the horse he rode. "To some extent tho judging of tho jumps would be freer from criticism if performed on a scale of points," in which each horse would bo pointed for stylo ami other qualtt-'es shown. Sometimes I have- wondered how judges arrived at their' decisions, and have occasionally asked to sec tho judge's notes, but havo receive!! only the vague reply that they gave the 2>n'zes to the best horses. "What seems sometimes to happen is that a few horses catch the judge's eye, and the others s.re quite neglected. How they inimago to como to an agreement ■when several judges are engaged pu7.r.U*s mc. "An alternative to this system would be the method in vogue at Home, where style in jumping is quite ignored, aud the decision based entirely on the effectiveness with which obstacles nre cleared. I watched an event at Olympia, whero one contest had 500 entries, and took three days to complete, 'ihe obstacle-* weffi of ths usual varied nature, but nil possessed features in common, and a series, of laths were placed at various heights. When a horse displaced x lath it was quite visible to tho spectators, tvho thus, were able to keep pace with the judgdi- in awarding points. Each lath possessed a" fixed value, and nothing was awarded for style. I do not go so far as to advocate this for New Zealand, hut it is certainly free from the suspicion of favouritism,; -which our present vaguo system excites."