Hi im new to showing, can someone please tell me how I can check of an approx time of when I will be in the ring with my dog by looking at the show schedule? how do i know by looking at it? what breeds are before me, if im in ring no 8, is there only one ring no 8 at the show? and the breeds listed in ring no 8 in the schedule first will they more and likely be in front of me?

Hi, it's always difficult to be precise about timings and the bottom line is that it's your responsibility to be ready on time. Sometimes that means arriving in time for the start of judging and waiting around till it's your turn. However by taking account of other factors you can estimate but err on the side of caution.

Judging is always in schedule order, so.........if your Judge is doing other breeds which are listed in the schedule before yours, then they will be judged before yours, the diffculty is guessing how many dogs will be present and that really is a guess. As you are new to all this, the best thing might be to arrive early to settle the dog and sus things out. Have a lovely time and good luck.

Dawn R.

If it is an open show, then the order of judging will be listed in the schedule MOST of the time.(It will tell you ring number and a list of breeds, if your breed is the fifth listed it will be fifth in that ring.) What you will not know is how many dogs per breed will be entered. You could have four breeds before you with one dog per breed or 20 dogs per breed or anything else. For championship shows the order of judging will either be listed in the schedule or you will be sent it (or can download it) before the show, and you can then also find out how many dogs are entered a week or two before the show, and can count roughly on 2 minutes per dog so if you have one breed with 100 entries in the ring before you, count on it taking at least 3 hours 20 minutes. It's all a bit hit and miss though as there can be absentees etc.

Judging is always in schedule order

Sorry beg to differ, schedules are in alphabetical order, judging is not. Most, well I hope most, societies will try to balance the judging so all rings finish at about the same time - although I have been to some shows there the completion of breed judging and the avoiding of empty rings seems the last thing on the organisers minds. To balance out the rings you need to know the number of dogs entered in each breed so organizing the running order can't be done properly before the entries are in.

Hi thanks for all your help, Goldmali where online would I find how many dogs are entered for this champ show?

Who printed the schedule, if you look on the printers site they will have the running order when it is available. It is also sometimes in the dog papers and if you are sent passes it is usually set with them.

Having nearly missed a Post grad and limit bitch class , arrived at show opening time , but wandered looking at the stalls on the way , luckily someone just passing  said ''you do know he is on Junior bitch now don't you'' . It was Joe Braddon and he had judged quickly . I just had time to drop my stuff at the ring , brush her , as we had travelled on public transport , and get in the ring.Taught me a lesson .(especially as I got my stud book no that day ).
.I get there at opening time , check the ring numbers and times, settle the dog , go to the loo , have a  cup of tea, I don't mind waiting , rather than miss it . I watch other breeds, talk to other exhibitors....

Goldmali where online would I find how many dogs are entered for this champ show?

It depends on what company takes the entries and prints the catalogues etc, but it is almost always one of two;
http://www.fossedata.co.uk or http://www.highampress.co.uk/

It really depends on whether the show is a championship show, or an open or limit show.

Open and Limited shows are not usually done by fosse data or higham press, but the name of the printer is on the schedule so you can go and have a look on the website. These types of shows are usually printed in the order the dogs are going to be shown.

There will only be one ring with the number 8, so no need to worry about that, its finding the ring that can be a problem at times ;-)

not just finding a ring sometimes , what about the benching numbers two shows this year a nightmare to find the benches and numbers people wandering around looking so lost.