That happy smile at the end of a test well ridden.

To ride a dressage test at a show, you and your horse enter a 20 X 60 meter arena all by your friendless lonesome.

For the next 5 to 7 minutes, you will guide your horse through a prescribed series of patterns, gait changes, and movements (the uncouth call them tricks) which fall under the umbrella of dressage.  With a little luck you will remember all 25 plus movements, and with a little more luck, you’ll remember them in the right order.

Accuracy of the test, quality of your horse, his training and your riding are all up for inspection.  You are going to do this under the scrutinizing squint of … The Judge.

The Judge will sit in the best vantage point to allow thorough examination of your ride.  They will give you a score of 0 to 10 for each of the movements in your test.  Ten being perfect and rare, and zero being … not so perfect and not so rare.

To make sure that The Judge won’t miss a single mistake you make, a scribe will sit beside The Judge and record each score and every derogatory comment.  Because of the scribe, The Judge never has to look down at the score sheet, so quite literally, they are watching every move you make.

After the class, you are given your score sheet so you now own a permanent written reminder of every failure you presented before The Judge.

Perhaps you won’t be surprised to hear some people vomit before going into the ring.

Okay.  You know all you need to know about The Judge.  Or do you?

My horse Rusk had come up lame.  Vet’s prescription; time and rest.  With my show season swirling down the drain, I volunteered to scribe at an upcoming show.  Although somewhat intimidated by the thought of sitting beside criticism encapsulated in human form, I decided to make the most of the opportunity.  I would try to discover what The Judge was looking for and what would earn scores closer to the vicinity of a ten as opposed to zero.

Showtime.  The first girl coerced a tail-wringing chestnut mare into the ring.  I think the mare may have been in heat.  That or she’d never seen a saddle and bridle before.  The scores I was recording reflected the disaster playing out in the ring.  Finally, the horse launched out of the ring resulting in elimination.

“Oh dear.”  The judge said.  She motioned for the girl to approach our booth. Giving in to her tears, the girl wrestled her naughty horse over.  I waited for the contempt, or frustration, maybe a withering look of scorn or disdain.  Something worthy of The Judge.

“Your mare is showing us some personality today.”

The girl nodded through her tears.  “I’m so sorry.  It’s her first show.  She’s usually not like this.”

“Don’t worry, you’re a lovely young rider and these things happen.” She smiled kindly.  “Hopefully she’ll be a little more cooperative for your next class.”

Over the next two days I sat beside The Judge as she assessed ride after ride.  Sometimes high marks, sometimes low, but always fair.  At the end of each ride, she would scribble a word of encouragement or advice at the bottom of the score sheet.

But what truly surprised me was the quiet comments she was whispering to herself.

“Oh, cleverly ridden.”

“Oh that’s too bad.  Such a good transition, if not for that moment of resistance I could have given a 9.”

“Did you see how much better she prepared the second pirouette? Good for her.”

I had expected to hear a snort of derision whenever she handed out a mark of 1 or 2, but what I heard and saw was … disappointment.  I began to understand that she wanted to give good scores, but her own justice and integrity forced her to judge with absolute fairness.

My previous assumption of judges began to erode as I realized it had been founded in fear and uneducated beliefs.  I began to re-evaluate, based on the truth I was seeing.

Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a ruling rightly given.
Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear.  Proverbs 25: 11 & 12

There will come a day when we all will stand before God and be judged, with absolute righteous integrity. I am not afraid because I know that on that day, Jesus will stand to claim me as His, my freedom from penalty bought and paid for by His sacrifice for me.  But what about now as we maneuver through the show ring of life.  We make mistakes and we cause hurt to others and ourselves. How does God judge to help put us back on course?

There are two ways we become aware of our mistakes.  One is through condemnation.  That is what I thought The Judge was like.  And there is a judge like that.  Be wary of Satan who will point at your failures and try to make you feel like you are worthless, a failure, and an unloved disappointment.  He will try to crush you into giving up, slyly whispering that you have no business even being in the ring.

In contrast, God’s judgement brings conviction.  Conviction brings awareness of your error so you can evaluate, repent, recover, and move on.  He comes alongside with justice, love, wisdom, forgiveness, and a desire to lift you up to be all that you were intended and created to be.

Condemnation attacks you and brings sorrow and self-doubt.  Conviction attacks your sin and brings you freedom.

But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be   condemned along with the world.   1 Corinthians 11:32

The following year my horse Rusk was back and ready to show.  We cantered down centerline and as per the test pattern I halted, saluted and threw in a confident smile for the judge.  We proceeded in collected trot and prepared to track left.  Wait.  Left?  Or was it right?