{"id":29609,"date":"2026-04-24T11:07:53","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T18:07:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/4h\/?page_id=29609"},"modified":"2026-04-24T11:24:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T18:24:12","slug":"4-h-judges-score-card","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/4h\/projects\/animals\/horse\/4-h-judges-score-card\/","title":{"rendered":"4-H Judges Score Card"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

4-H Judges Score Card <\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"4-H<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

4-H Judges Score Card – detailed description of image and rules<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • Each scorecard lists at top of page with a line for Event, Judge Name, Participant Event, Date, Class and Pattern<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • There are ten spaces that go across the page with the following categories: Draw, Exh #, spaces for penalty and scores for Maneuvers 1 – 7. At the end of each maneuver line, there is a Penalty total box and a final score box for that individual maneuver. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Scores are explained in detail below in the 4-H Judges Score Sheet<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    4-H Judges Score Sheet <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Each Maneuver should be scored according to the following scale:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • 1 \u00bd = extremely poor 1 = very poor<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • \u00bd = poor<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • 0 = correct<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • + \u00bd = good<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • + 1 = very good<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • + 1 \u00bd = excellent<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Penalty Application<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Penalty Application: There are certain penalties which are applied should the rider not execute a precise maneuver or deviate from the exact written pattern. These penalty points have a negative impact as they are deducted from the \ufb01nal score.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Score of 0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      • Use of illegal equipment (including whips or bats)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Use of 2 hands with a leverage bit<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Use of more than index \ufb01nger between reins when using 1 hand<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Failure to complete the pattern as written<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Equipment failure that delays the pattern<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Performing maneuvers other than in the speci\ufb01ed order.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • The inclusion of maneuvers not speci\ufb01ed, including but not limited to: o Backing more than 2 strides o Turning more than 90 degrees<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Stopping (exception is a complete stop in the 1st quarter of a circle is not considered an inclusion of maneuver but a break of gait and therefore a 2 point penalty will apply.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Balking or refusal of command where pattern is delayed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Running away or failing to control horse.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Jogging in excess of \u00bd circle or \u00bd the length of the arena<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Over spins of more than \u00bc turn.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Fall to the ground of horse and rider.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Dropping a rein that contacts the ground while the horse is in motion.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Abuse of an animal in the show arena and\/or evidence that abuse has occurred prior to or during the exhibition.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Failure to have correct exhibitor number displayed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Penalty of 3 Points<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
          \n
        • Break of gait<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Freezing up in spins or rollbacks<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • On run in patterns, failure to be in a lope prior to reaching the \ufb01rst marker.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • If a horse does not completely pass the speci\ufb01ed marker before initiating a stop position.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Starting or performing circles or eights out of lead will be judged as follows:<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • \u00d8 Each time a horse is out of lead or has a delayed change of lead, a judge is required to deduct 1 point, which is cumulative.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • \u00d8 The judge will add 1 penalty point for each \u00bc of the circumference of a circle or any part thereof that a horse is out of lead. A delayed change of lead is a 1-point penalty from 1 stride to \u00bc of the circle.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          Penalty of 5 Points <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
            \n
          • Spurring in front of the cinch.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Holding the saddle or touching the horse with free hand<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Blatant disobedience including kicking, biting, bucking or rearing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            Additional Penalties <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
              \n
            • Deduct \u00bd point for starting a circle at a jog or exiting rollbacks at a jog up to two strides. Jogging beyond two strides but less than<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • \u00bd the circle or \u00bd the length of the arena, deduct 2 points.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Deduct \u00bd point for over or under spinning up to 1\/8 of a turn; deduct 1 point for over or under spinning up to \u00bc of a turn.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • In patterns required a run-around, failure to be on the correct lead when rounding the end of the arena will be penalized as follows: for \u00bd turn or less \u2013 1 point; for more than1\/2 the turn \u2013 2 points.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Deduct \u00bd point for failure to remain a minimum of 20 feet from wall or fence when approaching a stop and\/rollback<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

              Suggested Danish Ribbon Placing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                \n
              • Blue: 63 and up \u2022 Red: 56 through 62 \u2022 White 0 through 55<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                4-H Judges Score Card 4-H Judges Score Card – detailed description of image and rules 4-H Judges Score Sheet Each Maneuver should be scored according to the following scale: Penalty […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":0,"parent":9927,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":0,"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_expiration_date":""},"categories":[61],"tags":[63,62,296,229],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/4h\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29609"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/4h\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/4h\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/4h\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/4h\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29609"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/4h\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29609\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29616,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/4h\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29609\/revisions\/29616"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/4h\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9927"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/4h\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/4h\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/4h\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}