As a judge for The Californios I naturally get a lot of questions about the placing of teams in the roping or contestants in the stock-horse contest, most of them are fair questions. The judging system is not like any other cow horse event and the roping like no other ranch roping event.

Basically the stock-horse event is judged primarily on the horse we would pick as the one we would most like to own based on what we see that weekend. If I am not impressed with how the horse is shown or the rider seems to be hiding something, we may pick a horse that is less flashy but seems to be more honest.

There is no penalty system, like losing a cow in the rodear, or missed loops. If the horse shows a lot of experience and ability to control a cow they will place higher than one that looks good in a certain pattern. A horse that carries the bit well and responds to it nicely will place higher than a horse that is better trained for the maneuvers but is not bridled up correctly. I am not looking for a show horse, but a good honestly made horse. On the roping, the shot executed is only part of the score. The other portion is influenced by things like how quiet they are in the rodear, how they handle the cattle on the rope and everything else that makes a run smooth and efficient. We are not looking for a fast run but equally so, we do not want to see it drawn out or the cattle stressed. The more skill and experience that is demonstrated by the contestants to make an effective and efficient run, the higher the score they receive.