Some that has happened recently that has made my blood boil that shows up the KC to be an arrogant ignorant organisation

A lady who has been in Obedience for over 30 years, who can no longer compete because of disablility was judging the Championship Dog class at a show in August, she judges from a wheelchair, so does not follow the handler & dog around the ring as most judges do. Her winner was a first Ob CC for owner & dog(at least I think it was both it was definitely the first for the dog), but they have now won a second Ob CC.

This lady was secretly videoed during the show by a KC Rep(identity not disclosed)& the video presented to the KC WTOA committee, who have deicided that this lady is not able to judge & have banned her from judging at any level again-reason not disclosed

Now anyone who entered this show in the Dog Ticket class would be aware of the lady's disability & there is no splitting of ticket classes so they would also know beforehand that they would be competing under her judgement so who was it who complained ? Not known it must have been before the show for the KC rep to be present suitably armed with a video camera

The lady herself has only received the initial information regarding the video & then subsequently the banning letter-no opportunty to appeal or be represented when the WTOA commttiee made the decision

The rules for judging obedience do not instruct Obedience Judges to follow the dogs & handler in the ring, they simply have to be present when the dog is in the ring & I have been judged by someone sitting on a shooting stick in the corner of a ring !!(He was I believe a KC member !)

This lady puts great effort assisted by her friends when devising the round to make sure she can observe clearly the dog & handler at all times. They go through all aspects of the round so that she can judge the work & from people who have worked under her-they have all said the same thing-she is a very good honest fair judge who picked up their mistakes !

The Obedience E mail lists & Obedience UK site members are up in arms & "to a man"have voiced their disgust @ the KC & their support for this lady

The KC in the past have tried banning a deaf handler's interpreter & a wheelchair handler(who has a Pem Corgi & has won classes) only to have to back down because od the DDA(Disability Discrimination Act). There are handlers who have to use crutches, walking sticks etc who also judge & who are now concerned it could be them next ! There is a real shortage of good honest judges(& judges of any sort TBH)so banning disabled ones is hardly in the interest of Obedience

I've got mobility problems at times & at the end of a day of judging I am usually hobbling-I've just unearthed my shooting stick so for certain exercises I can have a bit of a rest. Will I be banned because I don't write down the marks as the dogs work ? I use a talley counter because of my lack of grip in my hands which would mean I wouldn't be able to write after judging anything up to 60 dogs & note the marks for each exercise at the end of that phase with symbols for the faults that occurred

Grrrr I am sooo very very angry that the KC can do this yet ignore other things that are reported to them especially via the shows's incident books ! by judges

Being god freinds with a lady of the same era as this judge, and who is disabled, and had to give up serious competing because of it, I think this is outrageous.

This is disgusting :( I am not disabled and I feel angry that the Kennel Club, who are supposed to promote ALL things doggy, should discriminate in this way. After all, as you have said, the people who entered under the judge obviously knew of her disabilties before entering their dogs. Let's hope that someone complains to the KC about their discrimination, and that something is done about it.

the kc are treading on very thin ice i think, due to disablity laws etc, but i thought you where not allowed to video or take pictures without prior consent of the person you are taking pics and videos of,
the kc seem to think they are outside normal laws, or should i say  they are a law unto them selves.
carolann

the kc seem to think they are outside normal laws, or should i say  they are a law unto them selves.

You have hit the nail on the head, you would have thought that Florence Nagle would have taught them a never to be forgotten lesson, after having been defeated by the ladies this "gentleman's club is now taking on the disabled among us

The obedience competitors are not going to let this drop

I have now found out one "ticket"handler didn't enter because of who was judging Hmmmm Interesting !

Although in a public place I think you still have to ask if it's ok to video you, most people would take photos/videos at show are videoing the handler & dogs as a training aid not the judge

I've been asked to judge a C next year I'm thinking long & hard-do I really want to possibly judge the insigator of this ? -rhetorical question really obviously I wouldn't