Workmanship Classlists

I've seen workmanship classlists organized three basic ways: by color, by breed, and by degree of alteration.

By degree of alteration, I mean the style of customizing (etching vs. repainting) and the amount of changes to the original body (simple custom vs. drastic custom). This type of classlist is only seen for custom models. Resculpting is uncommon on custom glazes or artist resins. This classlist, from Red River Live, is typical:

Custom Workmanship
G1 - Repaint Only Trad Scale
G2 - Repaint Only Classic Scale
G3 - Repaint Only SM Scale
G4 - Etched Models Trad Scale
G5 - Etched Models Classic Scale
G6 - Etched Models SM Scale
G7 - Simple Custom Trad Scale
G8 - Simple Custom Other Scale
G9 - Major Custom Trad Scale
G10 - Major Custom Other Scale
G11 - Unrealistic Custom

These classes are also further broken out by scale. Red River Live is an established show held by an experienced show holder, who anticipated that the Etched and Repaint only classes would be the most popular. As a result, she split Etched and Repaint into three scales while Simple and Major custom are split into only two scales.

This kind of classlist is popular in Region 5. It works really well when most showers are familiar with the definitions of each class and know where most of their models go without asking a judge. We experimented with this kind of classlist in Region 1 once...it didn't end well. Because so few showers were unfamiliar with this system, we didn't have enough mentors to teach which models went where and why.

Traditionally, Region 1 uses the same system as NAN. We split by color. Because this is the system NAN has chosen in recent years, this is the most common kind of classlist you will see. This example is from Rose City Live, where I judged a couple weekends ago:

Simple Custom Workmanship

S28 Bay
S29 Black/Brown
S30 Chestnut/Sorrel
S31 All Grey
S32 Palomino/Buckskin
S33 Roan
S34 Dun/Grulla
S35 Other Color
S36 Pinto - Tobiano Pattern
S37 Pinto - Other Pattern
S38 Appaloosa Pattern

Seems much simpler than the previous list, right? Yes and no. Would you put a tobiano roan in tobiano or roan? Does varnish roan go in Appaloosa or roan? What about a minimally expressed pintos that don't have body white?

Rags to Riches first foal. Like her mom, a minimally expressed sabino.

As a general rule, pinto trumps solid colors (including roan) and oddball colors (zebra stripes, brindle) trumps everything else. "Pinto" only includes horse with body white, so the baby above would show in chestnut. All Appaloosa colors (varnish, snowflake, blanket, leopard) show together. Roan only includes dark head roans and rabicanos. If you're still confused about where your horse should show, always ask the judge.

The final split, by breed, is my personal favorite. Horse are called up for their breed classes and are "double-judged," meaning two people judge the class at the same time. One looks at workmanship, while the other evaluates realism and conformation.

Double-judging is quicker because every horse only has to go on the table once. Also, it's an instant second opinion. If one judge doesn't care for your models, the other may have a more positive opinion. The downside is judges are often in too short supply to arrange this kind of classlist.