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If you are as old as I am, you’ll remember that popular catchphrase from the Seventies, “Here come da judge.”  It suggested an inflated sense of authority, arrogance and importance.  Well that is so far from the truth when it comes to the preliminary judges for the American Horsewoman’s Challenge.  This team of dedicated professionals went about their task of reviewing and scoring the entry videos with anonymity, grace, and fairness.

They endured hours of music from almost every genre and squinted through scores of video to try to see the subtleties of soft feel, quiet ask, proper lead and willingness of the horse.  Although a bit burdensome at times, they approached each competitor with an open mind and heart; hoping for the best from each horsewoman.

Every entrant in the American Horsewoman’s Challenge was reviewed by two judges and their scores were averaged to determine if the entrant met minimum qualifications and where they ranked among the other entrants.  Of course I am not going to tell you who did best or worse.  You’ll just have to join us at the Finals in October to see who’s the best, who’s the dark horse and who’s the surprise.  In an open competition such as this you would expect a huge swing in talent, but I am happy to say, the quality of the entrants was very good and it’s anyone’s event to win.  I will admit though, most have some work to do on their Liberty.  :)

I would ask you all to please join me in honoring and thanking the preliminary judges of the American Horsewoman’s Challenge.

Barb Apple
Roy, Wash.
Barb is owner of Horse Play, LLC and a longtime natural horsemanship instructor, trainer and endorsed Cowboy Dressage professional.  Her emphasis when teaching is to advance the thought of  “Communication through Consideration.”  She has demonstrated this through a career as a featured clinician at horse expos, in the success of her students and in the amazing horses she has developed.

Dorothea Coomer
North Bend, Wash.
Dorothy is the chief instructor and director of children’s programs at the Northwest Natural Horsemanship Center (NWNHC) in Fall City, Wash..  She grew up on a ranch in Oregon with horses, sheep and cattle and is a graduate of the natural horsemanship degree program at University of Montana Western.  She is also a long-time 4H competitor, judge and now coach of the King County 4H horse program’s Competitive Knowledge Teams.

Terry McIntire Hutchins
Redmond, Wash.
Terry is a long-time student and teacher of natural horsemanship and a Registered Nurse with a specialty in critical care for bone marrow and stem cell transplant patients. She started her horse career in earnest with a troubled Thoroughbred off the track and learned her craft through her unwavering commitment to “Bill,” the school of hard knocks and scores of clinics, workshops and intensive studies.  Terry was also the co-founder of NWNHC.

Nancy Kittleson
Edmonds, Wash.
Nancy is a Carolyn Resnick Method Liberty instructor and a certified Centered Riding instructor.  She is owner of Naturally Centered With Horses, has a BA degree in Animal Science/Equine Studies from U-Mass, Amherst, and is a lifelong competitor in Third Level Dressage and Hunt Seat. She has more than 40 years of experience actively competing, training and teaching.

Dee Ladd
Apache Junction, Arizona
Dee made her mark in the horse world as a successful mounted shooter and is a member of  the Cowboy Mounted Shooters Association (CMSA) Cowgirl Hall of Fame. She is also a certified judge for the Extreme Cowboy Race Association (EXCA) and a teacher of American Government and World History at Hamilton High School.

Diane McMurtrey
Winter Garden, Fla.
Diane is a member of the Extreme Cowboy Race Association (EXCA) Hall of Fame and has judged the EXCA World Championships three consecutive years. She is also  a Tennessee walking horse judge and lifetime walking horse rider.  If that isn’t enough, she also shares her talents as president and co founder of the Southern Obstacle Challenge Assoc. which conducts obstacle challenges throughout the southeastern U.S.

Lyn Ringrose-Moe
Davis, Calif.
Lyn is the owner of LRM Equestrian.  She stated her horse career in eventing, but soon settled on the sport of dressage where she successfully competed, trained, and coached to the FEI level.  Lyn also completed the USDF  L  judges program.  Lyn has trained and competed on many breeds of horses and coached many riders successfully up the competitive levels of dressage.  Her latest passion is Cowboy Dressage.

Lillan Roquet
Riverton, Utah
Lillan is a Three-Star Parelli Professional who travels throughout the U.S and overseas to share her unique talents and incredible knowledge with students. Her amazing Liberty skills and relationship with her horse “Damo” have amazed audiences across the country at many a Parelli tour stop. I am also proud to say she is a former intern and instructor at NWNHC.

Alice Trindle
Haines, Ore.
Alice, owner of T&T Horsemanship, was born on a ranch in eastern Oregon where she learned to ride behind the saddle, holding on to her brother’s belt loops. In the past 20-plus years Alice has continued her relationship with horses, and had the opportunity to study with several true horsemen such as Tom Dorrance, Ray Hunt, Dennis Reis, and Bettina Drummond. She conducts clinics in Oregon, Washington, California, and Idaho, and offers multi-day horsemanship retreats at her ranch in eastern Oregon.

Terry Wilson
Pagosa Springs, Colo.
Terry Wilson (the token man) is a Three-Star Parelli Professional who specializes in starting colts, building foundations on young horses and cultivating his own talent with problem horses.  He studied under world-renowned horse developer Ronnie Willis and now helps clients and their horses facilitate a positive relationship through the principles of love, language and leadership. In addition to being an instructor, Terry is also an accomplished farrier.

Thank you all for a job well done!

Trivia Note: Despite what most people think, “Here come da judge” actually originated with Pigmeat Markham on the Ed Sullivan Show.  It was popularized by comedian Flip Wilson on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh In and the Flip Wilson Show.