Judges Scorecard 🐴

I’m not a judge. I’m a spectator who sits in the stands and watches AQHA horse shows — Reining, Ranch Riding, Trail, Western Riding — and always wondered how they arrive at those numbers. What’s the difference between a +1 and a +1.5? Why does that horse get a 5 for that maneuver when this one got a 0?

So I built Judges Scorecard — a tool that lets anyone score a class the way the officials do.

Why I Built It

When you’re watching a show, there’s often a disconnect between what you see and what the judge writes down. You might think a horse was really nice, then watch them place mid-pack. Or think a maneuver was off, only to see them win.

This app lets you:

  • Pick a class type (Reining, Ranch Riding, Trail, etc.) and score each maneuver yourself
  • Apply real penalties — the same penalty buttons officials use (0.5, 1, 2, 5 for Reining; 1, 3, 5, 10 for Ranch Riding; etc.)
  • See the math — it uses the official AQHA base-70 scale, where every maneuver is scored from −1.5 to +1.5
  • Compare your placings — after scoring all exhibitors, the app ranks them and shows how your leaderboard compares to the official results

It’s a learning tool. The goal isn’t to replace the judge — it’s to help you understand what they’re looking at, so the next time you’re in the stands, you can follow along and learn the patterns.

How It Works

  1. Create a Class — Choose the class type (Reining, Ranch Riding, Trail, etc.) and give it a name.
  2. Add Exhibitors — Drop in back numbers (e.g., 127, 044) — you can rename them to rider names if you want.
  3. Score Each Maneuver — Go through each maneuver and assign a score from −1.5 to +1.5. Apply penalties as needed.
  4. See Placings — Once everyone has been scored, the app ranks them by total score and shows your leaderboard.

Key Features

  • Class-Type Penalty Profiles — Each discipline has its own penalty buttons. Reining penalties are different from Ranch Riding, which are different from Trail.
  • Base-70 AQHA Scale — Every maneuver starts at 70 and moves up or down based on your scoring.
  • Searchable Rulebook — Built-in 2026 AQHA rulebook reference, filterable by class, so you can look up exactly what constitutes a “3-point penalty” or a “5-point penalty.”
  • Offline-First — Works without internet. Your scorecards persist on your device.

Try It

Open Judges Scorecard →

No account needed. Just open the app, start a class, and start scoring.

Built for spectators, students, and anyone who wants to learn AQHA scoring from the stands.