Heard at a show the other day that one of the Gundog breeds have sent to their owners a proforma they can fill in and return with a critique about the judge who judged them that day. It appears that the entries are dropping so drastically and the main complaint is about lack of knowledge on the part of the judge or plain all round crookedness. Not sure what they hope to achieve by it or if it will be abused.
I presume that they will have to be signed. Interesting concept. Thoughts anyone? Jan

It might be interesting to read assessments if they were done after the judging, but before the awarding of places. And then have a new questionaire handed out after the results were final, just to see who changed their mind :)
Perception vs. Placement? ;) :)

You can assess the judge for the knowledge of how the ring should be run, and their courtesy to the exhibitors & stewards. Also if they treat all dogs the same, but everything else is a matter of opinion and interpretation of the breed standard. Im not sure what the assessment that is carried out for the KC of Championship judges is but I would have thought it would just be their ability to run the ring and perhaps the reasonable simularity of the final line up. Perhaps someone who has done it can let us know. Ja:)kie

A true Judges Critique!! How novel.
Having only judged irregularly I find the process extremely stressful I would not like to even contemplate the exhibitors doing a critique on how I judged. Maybe the exhibits LOL!
Seriously though it is an interesting proposition but in my breed, as many others, there are various types and although you judge to the breed standard as you interpret it, there will be variances in opinion of the judging as much, or even more, than variance in the judges' opinion of your dog.
There are folk whose judging I appreciate but will not show under and those whose opinion I do not think valid and will not show under! There is a vast difference.

BUT if I were to write a critique on some judges I could say they were colour blind as only fawns and blacks were placed - when in reality the fawns / blacks were the type the judge preferred rather than our type.
OR only faces were placed, the fact that the 'faces' had the best dogs being irrelevant.
OR the judge doesn't give the exhibit the attention it deserved, just a pat and disregard it without even looking etc. (Now who do I mean?? - answers in sealed envelopes addressed to The Kennel Club - JOKE!!) BUT I would not show under this(ese) judge(s) anyway.

You will only learn the 'honest' judges by experience. And not all judges who place their friends are bent it could be that they have similar lines and like/breed the same type of dog.

Maybe the KC/breed council should set up 'observers' of judges at various levels and only those that pass muster be allowed/asked to judge at higher levels.

Observers. the KC do, but only new judges not the old established judges. Ja:)kie

Take a look at the current edition of Our Dogs re; honest judges !

Pam

hi ,
i read the artical, and also a letter in the letters to the editor "voting with their feet" wich i thought summed up preety well , i also like a.o.b he say's it how it is,i am a new comer to the world of dog showing, i am afraid i take it how it comes most of the time, as long as i get there and back in one piece and my dogs are safe and happy that is all i am concerned with, but am fully aware of the polotics involved in the world of dogs, what is a breed standard, does it realy excist, do the judges know the breed standards, some i think not, at times it can be disheartening to the newcomers who study the breed standard and try to learn as much as they can about conformation and good movement, to see poor movement and poor conformation being put up, long dog made a good point with regards to the "friends" being put up, if you stay in a breed long enough you are bound to know people and there line in breeding, it's when they don't judge to a type and you can't follow there pattern of judging, a big one here a little one there, more difficult at open shows as you have to go on what's there on the day, harder to judge a group of poor quality dogs than a class of quality ones, i take joans saying and take the rough with the smooth. regards tina