Over the last several years I have worked my way through the Judges mentoring training scheme. In 2019 I qualified as a Championship judge and both set, chaired and judicated the Victorian State Championship that year.
2023 I was asked to co-judge the Australian National Retriever Championships, the first National in three years post covid.
It is a real honour and privilege to be invited to judge a Retriever trial and judge other peoples dogs. We have set criteria for all these competitions including the testing standard and a point scoring system to make this as fair as possible for the Competitors, dogs and judges.
I have studied very hard to get this right and received instruction and mentoring not only in Australia but overseas too by professional trainers and judges. I have written several articles on judging as I feel we can always do better; I constantly look at ways or areas that we can improve upon just like our dogs training methods. I’m passionate about the sport; if I am asked to judge or take an appointment I will be as professional and as fair as I can to judicate everyone’s dog with an ambit of equality. I want competing competitors to feel comfortable that their dog will be presented a great test at that level they are running and competing and providing that dog has been trained correctly the test will be very doable. This in turn will allow me to make a fair assessment on the day using all of my judging criteria in the ANKC Retriever Trials rules.
Judges Mentoring Scheme
If you would like to become a Retrieving Trial judge we have a mentoring scheme to train people and when you feel comfortable with the rules of the competition you can sit your theory test.
In the first instance please approach your residential or local Retrieving Club. The club will normally allocate a judging training mentor to you. Once you have gone through a series of practical run assessment. You will set your own competition and will be assessed on that criterion. Information is contained again at the Retriever Australia site; I have written articles that may help you on your way.