Application Procedure for new judges

Application Process & Guidelines

  • Check that you are eligible to apply – applicants must be at least 20 years of age on the 1st of January in the year of applying and have been a member of the SPS-BS for a minimum of 4 continuous years.
  • Request an Application Pack from the SPS-BS Office.
  • Complete the first section on the Nominating Judge’s Questionnaire and send a copy of your application together with the questionnaire to your nominator. Please provide them with an SAE for them to post the completed questionnaire to the SPSBS Office.
  • No applicant can be nominated by a current SPS-BS Council member.
  • No SPS-BS panel judge may sign a nomination form for a family member.
  • No SPS-BS panel judge may nominate more than one applicant per assessment.
  • Submit your completed application and accompanying CV to the SPS-BS Office.
  • All eligible applicants will be invited to attend an assessment day.
  • There will be a £20 charge per applicant to attend the assessment day.
  • Applications may be submitted at any time but assessments will only be held every 2nd year.
  • Applicants must undertake 2 stewarding appointments under any recognised pony panel judge, not just SPS-BS, BEFORE attending the assessment day. Stewarding report forms must be completed by the officiating judge and submitted to the Society office.
  • Applicants will be expected to be neatly and appropriately dressed – as though attending a show in a judging capacity.
  • At the assessment day applicants will be expected to judge ridden, as well as in-hand ponies of mixed heights and colours, explain their reasoning for placings and respond to scenarios regarding situations that may arise when judging.
  • Applicants will be notified following the autumn SPS-BS meeting whether they have been successful or not.  If successful, following assessment, applicants will go forward to the trainee judges’ probationary panel and must complete a 2 year probationary period with 2 probationary judging appointments to be undertaken each year.
  • If the probationary period is completed successfully then the applicant will move on to the intermediate judges panel.  If successful, from date of appointment to the Intermediate Judges’ panel, applicants must attend some sort of CPD event once every 3 years. E.g. Judges seminars/conferences, clinics etc not necessarily run by the SPS-BS.
  • Applying to join the trainee scheme does not necessarily mean automatic acceptance on to the trainee panel. A maximum of 8 applicants will go forward onto the probationary panel following the assessment day.
  • Please pay particular attention to the judges rules. You will be expected to uphold these and to be familiar with them.

For information contact the office on enquiries@shetlandponystudbooksociety.co.uk