Placing Your Models in the Ring

More helpful tips from guest blogger Tiffany Birkinbine:

If a show hall has varied lighting then evaluate a table’s lighting before the show begins. If you have a horse with a ghost scratch or small flaw, place your model in a darker area. This will help keep the judge from seeing it as well compared to an overhead light emphasizing the flaw. However, if you have a model that has beautiful detail and the table has an area that is highlighted more by lighting then place your model in that area so that your model’s detail can be highlighted better.

I always try to find a spot on a table that isn’t real close to a Trad so that the bigger model doesn’t overwhelm them. Sometimes that is not possible in a big class but if there are other stablemates in the class I try to set my models next to them. It’s all about making sure the judge can get a good view of my model and not get lost in the crowd.

Laura in: As a judge, I love to see a class organized like this. If the class is big and the minis are already grouped, it encourages me to split the class into big guys and minis.

To help stablemates stand out and not get lost among the Trads in a class; place them on a base. You can buy beveled wooden bases at a hobby store for about a dollar. For some added touches, paint or stain your base, glue on model train grass or dirt, add flowers, tall grass or rocks. All of this can be bought at hobby stores or model train shops. Just make sure it’s not so heavily decorated that it detracts from the model and also check your show’s rules as some shows do not allow bases.

Laura in: You may also want to check with the judge. Some judges like them, some judges hate them, and some are indifferent.