Being judged is always emotional, even when you choose to be judged in the name of competition. Subjective sports are often rife with controversy, because let’s face it, everyone has an opinion. Cutting is no exception.
Judging only works when there is a clearly understood system governed by rules, enacted by experts, and most importantly, is delivered consistently. You could say, this has been the overriding mission of Russell McCord for more than 30 years!
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The card explains what the judge looks for, what the marks mean, and how many points are penalized for different infractions or awarded. Much of this is subjective based on the style of horse the judge prefers and that is why it is extremely show smart to look at the judge’s cards at each show before you compete. This allows you to see exactly what they are awarding and deducting points for at that show.
➤ Different judges have different styles of using the marks. You may see a box with 3 +’s in it, that just tells that judge he wants to give more than 1 point on that cow or run. 
✔ does not add or subtract any points, ✔+ adds ½ point, + adds 1 point, ✔- subtracts ½ point, and, – subtracts 1 point
➤ Some judges will use a little + or a big + to determine a higher score. The point is, don’t try to calculate the score literally. Each judge’s sheet is based on his or her educated opinion of how well or how poorly the run was performed.
