Designation as an AMA-approved judge is a privilege, not a right, bestowed by the Judge’s Committee to individuals whose equine expertise and personal character merit the honor. An individual’s conduct as a member, exhibitor, and judge must be exemplary and is subject to continual Judge’s committee review. All judges must be members, qualified, and approved by the AMA Judge’s Committee.
Judges must pay a $10.00 yearly Judge’s Fee.
Failure to pay Judge’s Fee and membership by March 1st of the current year, shall automatically revoke said judge’s AMA license.
Judges are required to take any test chosen by the AMA to be eligible to judge AMA-approved events. Judges will be retested periodically on current rules, general knowledge of mules and donkeys, and judging practices. Judges carded with another credited association approved by the Judge’s Committee can forego testing upon yearly approval.
The Judge’s Committee, upon receipt of information regarding a person’s ability to be a judge, may temporarily suspend a Judge’s privileges. The Judge’s Committee shall have the authority to remove a Judge’s name from the approved Judge’s list, subject only to ultimate review by the executive committee.
Selection of approved judges should be made by a Committee of the Judge’s Chairman, Performance Chairman, and Packing Chairman.
No judge shall judge any person he or she may be related to (sister, brother, wife, husband, mother, father, etc.) or any mule they may own.
No judge will judge any mule that he or she has an interest in or has owned, trained, or sold within the past six months.
A Performance Judge may judge one division at one show and another division at any other show. Performance Judge may only judge two(2) shows per year per 250-mile area. These cannot be back to back shows in the same area.
Packing judges may judge back to back if needed. You may only judge three(3) shows per area per year.
The decision of the judge will be final. Any protests must be handled through a representative or director of the AMA.
No performance judge may judge the same division or class at a show more than two(2) years consecutively. Packing judges may.
As to judges competing: A performance judge may judge the performance events, and still compete in the packing events at the same show. The packing judge may compete in any of the performance events at the same show that they are judging packing. If the judge is judging both performance and packing classes of any kind, they shall not compete at the show.
Judges must at all times, dress and act in a professional manner.
Judges shall not touch a mule or donkey’s saliva during any competition, regardless of reason. Instead, they shall ask each exhibitor to open their own animal’s mouth, drop the bit, and show the teeth. etc. This applies to all classes. No exceptions.
Judges must judge all classes from inside the arena except in individual work classes.
Judges should dress in attire appropriate for the divisions being judged. Also applies to Ring Stewards.
Judges may order any person or mule/donkey from any competition for poor conduct of either and may disqualify any contestant for excessive abuse of a mule/donkey.