SHOW JUDGES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 546, 1 March 1913, Page 2

SHOW JUDGES.

SHOULD THEY WRITE REPORTS. The much debated question of whether judges, after a show is over, should write reports upon the reasons for making their awards is again raised by Sir Merrik R. Burrell in the Live Stock Almanac for 1913. The writer has provided such reports, and he argueß that if a man cannot put down on paper his reasons for his adjudication he is not fit to go about judging. When there are two judges, each judge should send in his own report, and no one man write it out for both to sign. This would help executives in finding out which were the sound judges and which were not. It can also, sometimes, strengthen a judge's hand, and enable him to reverse hiß own former judgment without appearing inconsistent. For instance, a few years ago Sir Merrik Burrell was judging yearling hunter colts at one of the leading Irish shows, and put a chestnut first and a brown second. In his report he said that there was little to choose between them, but that the chestnut was more forward in condition and made the better show on the day, but that the brown horse was probably capable of the greater improvement, and would very likely beat the other later in the season. Some two months later he happened to judge the same horses again, and he put the brown over the chestnut, though he does not think that either won the cIaHS. His change of opinion was criticised, but the criticß would have been spared their trouble had judges been in the habit of writing full reports. The publication of the reports also would be of interest to the exhibitors and of educational value.