Dealing with "Bad" Judges

You will not see eye to eye with every judge. This is becomes increasingly more likely when you gain more experience with live showing.

Personally, I think almost all judges are not “bad.” They have different point of view. Since showing is subjective with no agreed upon standard, not everyone will be on the same page.

If you find yourself showing under a judge you disagree with, try to focus your energy elsewhere. Talk to the hobbyist around you. Try to make new friends. You're surrounded by people that share your unique interest, so take advantage. And most importantly, have fun!

Experienced showers will often try to bring show strings that spread across more than one division. The advantage of this is that if you find yourself showing poorly under a particular judge, you can refocus your energy elsewhere. I don't endorse this for someone who is still learning the ropes, but it is something you may want to consider once you get the hang of the basics. (Expect a future post of strategies for balance multi-divisional show strings.)

You should always thank your judge at the end of the show, but I always thank a judge I didn’t agree with. They worked hard to do their best. Their opinion is different, but that’s not a good reason to create friction between you. Remember, it’s a small hobby after all and you will continue to run into the same people at shows.

You will hear rumors of judges who cheat. Take them with a block of salt. They are almost never true. After attending over a hundred shows, I’ve heard plenty of rumors but I've never seen a judge cheat. Never.

OT: I'll be attending Mid Valley Live this weekend in Oregon. Expect plenty of pictures sometime mid-week.