IMHO – Why Are The Same Judges Appearing Constantly?
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By Elaine Lessig
Beverly Vics – AKC Judge
With so few clusters, has the dog show community benefited from seeing many of the same judges on panels recently?
It is never a benefit to see the same judges on judging panels frequently in the same area. I believe that it is most beneficial to the overall well-being of the breed and the sport to see different judges as often as possible. This recognizes and rewards more diverse qualities within the breeds and brings out entries; both beneficial to our sport. Each judge will have his own “priorities” when judging. Two different judges may, and probably will, have dissimilar “priorities.” Some put more importance on structure and conformation. Some put more importance on breed type. Subsequently, we may have two different winners on two days: both being the best on the day in the opinion of the presiding judge, but showing qualities in different areas; each winner having meaningful qualities to offer the overall well-being of the breed as a whole.
Has the time come to reinstate the 30 day/200 mile restriction between judging assignments for all judges?
Absolutely!! See answer to question #1. Long ago I remember reading where 10 percent of the judging community judges 90 percent of the shows. This, in my opinion, is a travesty for our sport. The more AKC can do to encourage clubs to hire a variety of judges, the better the sport will fare overall. Entries would increase and the sport would grow as a whole. We have seen a drop in our entries overall across the country. Could this be the effect of having 10 percent of the judging community judging 90 percent of the shows? Would we encourage more entries if we had new faces presiding in our rings? New opinions?
Marissa L. Clark – AKC Judge
With so few clusters, has the dog show community benefited from seeing many of the same judges on panels recently?
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