Just done my second judging appointment in two weeks ( why are they like buses - nothing for ages then loads come along at the same time ?) - and I got to thinking ....what do I prefer, showing or judging ? - no contest for me I very much prefer showing ..but what do other people prefer ?

Yvonne

I prefer showing that's why in over 20 years I've only judged four times.  My first judging appointment my BOB Pom got RBIS and the pup was in the final 4 and that was in the day when all dogs stayed until the end.  It was at Newark and the line-up for both BIS and BPIS went up one side of the hanger, across the top and most of the way down!!

I am hoping to judge my breed next year though when we are fully accepted and have already been asked if I'd be interested by a few clubs.  I would like to do this as I am the only one of the original importers who still shows and breeds them after having them for 15 years!

Showing.

Only judged at breed matches - done three.
My first BIM winner went on to win a CC, my second BIM winner already stud book qualified.
My third BIM winner has just won a RCC.
I'm thrilled. :)

But I much prefer showing - lot less stressful - I get really nervous when judging

How the heck do you get judging appointments?  I've had my breed for almost 20 years now, bred 2 Sh.Ch.'s & 4 RCC winners yet only had 1 judging appointment!

I got invited haven't pushed myself forward for the invites either.
Haven't put myself on the breed councils judging list either.
Been showing Boxers for 18 years or so now.
Have yet to get something in the stud book..that's my next goal.
But as I can only have 4 dogs max and don't rehome my dogs once
they are retired from ring I have to be patient.
Oldest bitch got in final 4 for CC, got 2nd at Crufts ...could possibly have gone
higher but she was a handful to show.
Her daughter got to Crufts, placed 2nd. Her highest accolade winning a daily heat of PetPlan Junior stakes
class when she was still a puppy.
Just about to think about breeding my youngest girl - my 2nd litter in having/showing dogs.
My first litter are  6yo this July.

Hope you get another judging appointment soon :)

It's blooming hard and it annoys me that a person who may only of had the breed for a year or so, hardly ever shown but goes to all the seminars etc. can be higher up than the person who actually imported the breed and has done their best to improve the breed :rolleyes:

Who said people where higher up though?  it's just who pushes themselves the most...

Due to them going to seminars etc. means that they can be higher on the category of being a judge, doesn't seem as though being with the breed, breeding, showing etc. means anything!  As long as you go to seminars, pass tests etc. the knowledge of having a breed for a number of years means nothing!!!

But to move up within list of judging (is that what you mean?) For breed specilists you have to have owned the breed for a number of years.  To go up onto A3 specilists you need to have owned and have dogs in the stud book (of course only for breeds with CC's) so your showing and success does have something to do with it.

For non-specilists you have to already give tickets in another breed to go on the A3 list.

Of course for C and B lists you don't even need to pass or go to seminars.

But then again to judge 2/3 classes of dogs you don't even need to be on a list which in a way there's no point in them, on the other hand I have appointmenst for breeds I'm not on the judging list for but do have an intrest in judging the breed and the breed appeals to me :)

Like I say, to get anywhere you need to know people and push yourself forward.  I'm just learning this after I was put on a club B list even though I don't have the numbers (because the club wanted breed specilists on the B list so picked out afew who they were confident to judge and chose a handful of people.

Sit by the phone and wait paitently :)

Also know people on committees and make sure they know what your intrested in judging so they can put your name forward.  Most secretaries like to get names from people rather then pick random from a judging list, if they get given a name it's likely that the judge will pull an entry because someone knows them. :)

Yup it's who you know not what you know unfortantly.

I prefere showing but also enjoy judging. :)

Haven't had anything for ages though and in the next year and half I have 4 appointments of various breeds/handling up and down the country! :)

The problem with judging for me is I've handled for afew people in my breeds which means they can't enter those dogs under me which brings my numbers down, also I seem to be attracted to smaller breeds (nummber wise) and so hard to get appointments.

I think that if you're on the B list it's a lot easier to get judging appointments than when you move up to A 3 - simply because there are so many people now passed to give tickets and there is nowhere else for them to go ! - (well I suppose they can go on to the A* list that that does'nt really affect the likelihod of getting more appointments.)

The problem is that judges approved to award CC's are not asked to judge their breed at Open level - except for groups - and this causes a shortage of available judges at this level - well it does in a numerically small breed such as my own - I'm on the B list of my club and have been asked 5 times so far this year ...but just accepted 2 ... and have another booked for next year. Hubby who is on the A list is ...after a long wait .....finally giving CC's in the breed this year ...he has no other appointments for the forseable future !.   It makes you wonder if it's worth jumping through all the hoops to award tickets when your judging carreer could then grind to a full stop.

Personally I think far too many of the 'big name' all rounders get more than their fair share of the CC appointments and I'd like to see many more experienced breed specialists out there, just look at Crufts - so many of the same names crop up every year !.

Yvonne

I enjoy both :)  I love handling the dogs and having a day out without too much hassle but I also love the challenge of judging. 

As for lists and judging appointments etc:  Yes, seminars are a must these days.  You need to do them before you progress onto an A list and, in quite a few Clubs, a breed specific seminar (and possibly exam) is required for inclusion onto the B list too.  I think seminars are good things really - if people can't be bothered to go to them then they have no interest in the breed as far as I'm concerned.  I've heard the old excuse of "not having enough time to do seminars as well as everything else in life" but to me that doesn't hold water.  I bet you anyone who says that would soon find the time to take a day out to judge the breed ;)  If people can get themselves onto a B list then the appointments will come. 

Re: CC judges doing the breed they're passed for at Open shows, I personally don't agree with it.  People can't be saying one minute that a judge on a B list isn't getting appointments and then say that CC judges should be able to judge more often which means judging at Open level, thus taking away the appointments from the B list judges.  I only judge my breed once every three or four years due to being passed for CCs.  It's a shame but, if all judges were only allowed to judge a certain breed with CCs once every three years, then all the judges on the A list would probably have their fair share of appointments.  It's not only all-rounders who judge too often, there are many breed specialists who do it too.  We have one who did October 2006 and is doing July 2008 - way too close IMO. 

I guess it all comes down to fair play.

Debs

Ahh but in my breed we only have one seminar a year and as I'm a member of the Club and my mum and I do the fund raising side of things I'm already there :d

Agree, we have specialists and all rounders judging with CC's every year to 18 months with others that never get an airing.

We have a judge who gave CC's yesterday (club show) and is doing Crufts 2009 (which does seem too close, it's less then 2 years) but he hasn't given CC's since 2003 prior to yesterday.

We get the same judges coming up every two years, more so on the judging list the years the judges awarded CC's is listed.

showing.....except when i judge at trials....i love doing that!