Please can people reply to help.  I would like to become a judge but wanted to know how many stewarding appointments I needed and how to go about all of this.  I believe also you need to take 3 examinations, how do I find out about these.

Thank you for your help.

In the back of Dog World there is the section 'Chances To Learn'. Look in there for seminars for KC requirements. I think you have to have stewarded 12 times too. Ask at your local society if they need stewards. Most societies are grateful for stewards.
Your breed club should also have a judging list which you can ask for the form to fill in to go onto the list.

The first step is to apply to your breed club.
You need to have attended a breed seminar, one on rules (with exam) one on construction (another exam) and before awarding CCs have stewarded 12 times, and had 3 dogs in the stud book.
Most people who have been in their breed for a while and had some success will get asked to judge a few classes, and it tends to grow from there - I assume you have been showing for AT LEAST 5 years and had some success in the ring during that time.

That's what I was trying to say but this sun is playing havoc with my brain

Stewarding 12 times is a requirement if you are giving CC's. For open shows etc you don't have to have stewarded. However the more experience you can add to your application to your breed society the better. You need to look at KC approved seminars for Judging (including exam) hands on assessment (these are sometimes available to do at champ and open shows as well, look in schedules) Breed specific seminar with exam, hands on assessment (practical and written exam)
Along with with a minimum of 5 years in the breed itself (not always the case) and being active in the showring with your breed with some success.
You don't automatically get put on the judging list. The relevant breed society will review your application and make a decision from there. Getting on a show committee is also useful experience if you have the time to do it.

As well as the stewarding and the three KC seminars you'll also have to do a breed specific seminar and possibly an exam which could be written and/or practical (judging 5 dogs in front of two or three examiners and then giving either a verbal or written critique or both).  These are just the criteria that the KC set down - some breed clubs ask for more and it's they that set the criteria for getting on their judges list.  They will also want you to be actively involved in your breed for a certain amount of time - normally 5 years.  You may have to have been an "observer" in a ring (i.e. in the ring with an experienced judge who can tell you what he's looking for - invaluable IMO) but that doesn't happen too often.  During your first couple of judging appointments you may be assesed by someone who knows the breed while you're in the ring.  You won't know who the assessor is.

My personal opinion is that no-one should start judging unless they've had some higher success in the ring with their own dogs (i.e. Res CC or above).  Taking exams and seminars is no match for actually living with quality dogs.

HTH

Debs

I would have to agree.  When you have lived with dogs of varying quality, it isn't until you have the quality animals that you realise the shortcomings of your beloved less quality ones, and why they never did anything memorable, though you had fun showing them. 

It also doesn't/shouldn't blind you to the failings of the better ones either   That is called Kennel Blindness, you should find that you actually get more and more critical the longer your at it.

Judging is of course about virtues, so you should be able to see these bearing in mind the shortcomings.

Not everyone is suited to judging, or wants to judge no matter how experienced or knowledgeable.  it is one thing being able to assess the qualities of ones own breeding and then that of potential mates, but something altogether different weighing up the relative merits and demerits of dogs to put them in order of merit, usually the first and last are easiest, but the ones in the middle hardest.  This takes a lot of concentration among other things.