Judging

The journey of judging

The highly regarded position of Judging requires time and commitment. It involves becoming proficient with all aspects of the sport. Several requirements must be completed to gain the necessary experience and qualifications to progress though the stages.

Step 1: Appointment to the Aspiring Judges List
(minimum requirements for appointment)

• Have bred dogs for a minimum of three years and exhibited dogs for a minimum of six years (these years can be concurrent).
• Have been actively involved in a member society or member societies including active involvement in matters connected with Show Ring procedure at Recognised Shows.
• Have kept and maintained a New Zealand Kennel Club Stewarding Record Card of Stewarding appointments which should number 10, 5 of which must be at either Championship or Open Shows. (Usually numbers 10 and under are written in word form)
• Be approved by the Executive Council to be placed on the Aspiring Judges List.

Step 2: Appointment to the Ribbon Parade Panel
(minimum requirements)

• Been appointed and served on the Aspiring Judges List
• Obtained 50 Ribbon Parade credits in the preceding year
• Sat and passed a written examination on the rules and regulations of the New Zealand Kennel Club and the anatomy of the dog.
• Judged at a Ribbon Parade at a show conducted by a Branch of the Judges Association and obtained a favourable report from an independent assessor appointed by the Executive Council with such report to be on a form approved by the Executive Council.
• Be approved by the Executive Council for promotion to the Ribbon Parade Panel.

Upon appointment to the Ribbon Parade Panel the judge shall:

• Nominate one group with which they wish to be associated and:
• For the first three Ribbon Parades judged after appointment to the Ribbon Parade Panel the judge shall be restricted to judging the group nominated provided however if the appointment to judge is at a Ribbon Parade conducted by an All Breed or Multi Group Club the judge can judge that group and not more than one other. Where there is only one or two judges appointed to judge the show this restriction shall not apply.

Step 3: Appointment to the Open Show Panel
(minimum requirements)

Either have been listed on the Ribbon Parade Panel for a period that at the time of effective date of promotion will total at least two years and have judged 10 Ribbon Parades at the time of application, or have judged 20 Ribbon Parades at the date of application and,
Obtained 50 Open Show Credits and,
Sat and passed a written examination on New Zealand Kennel Club Rules and Show Regulations and the anatomy of the dog if this was not done when they were appointed to the Ribbon Parade Panel.

Notes
(b) All Breed Judges may not judge at Open Shows in New Zealand.
(c) Judges appointed to Group Championship Panels shall also be eligible to judge at Open Shows including best in show.
(d) Any person listed on the Open Show Panel may judge Best in Show at any Open Show.

Step 4: Appointment to Specialist Breed Panel
(minimum requirement)

• Justification of the appointment of a Breed Specialist taking into consideration the number of exhibitors and specimens of the breed being shown and:
• A demonstrated involvement with all aspects of the breed over a at least twelve years including breeding, exhibiting and club administration and:
• A demonstrated status and reputation within the breed and:
• Have been appointed to the Open Show Panel for a period that at the effective date of promotion will total at least two years.
• Obtain a total number of 50 specialist credits and:

At the expiry of 2 years on the Open Show Panel:

• Sat and passed the necessary qualifying written and practical examination on the breed aspired to. The written examination shall consist of 20 questions on the standard of the breed, 10 questions on the New Zealand Kennel Club Rules and Regulations and 10 questions on glossary terms and anatomy of the dog as defined in the syllabus.
• Be approved by the Executive Council for promotion to the Championship Specialist Breed Panel.

Step 5: Appointment to the First Group Panel

• Have been appointed to the Open Show Panel for a period that at the effective date of promotion will total at least two years,
• At the date of application judged the particular group at least five times at a Ribbon Parade or Open Show.
• Obtained 50 Group Credits and;
• Passed the necessary qualifying written and practical examinations for the Group. The written examination shall consist of 80 questions on the Standards of the Breeds for that Group, 10 questions on the New Zealand Kennel Club Rules and Regulations and 10 questions on Glossary of Terms and Anatomy of the Dog as defined in the Syllabus.

Note: A judge appointed to any Championship Breed or Group Panel is automatically eligible to judge All Breeds and/or Best in Show at Open Shows and Ribbon Parades.

Step 6: Appointment to Additional Group Panels

• Second Group Panel - have judged at Championship Show level the FIRST Group to which appointed at least twice and have fulfilled a total of two Championship Show Group judging appointments and obtained 50 Group Promotional Credits.
  
• Third Group Panel - have judged at Championship Show level the second Group to which appointed at least twice and have judged a total of not less than 500 dogs at Championship Show judging appointments and obtained 50 Group Promotional Credits.
  
• Fourth Group Panel - have judged at Championship Show level the third Group to which appointed at least three times and have judged a total of not less than 900 dogs at Championship Show judging appointments and obtained 50 Group Promotional Credits.
  
• Fifth Group Panel - have judged at Championship Show level the fourth Group to which appointed at least three times and have judged a total of not less than 1,500 dogs at Championship Show judging appointments and obtained 50 Group Promotional Credits.
  
• Sixth Group Panel - have judged at Championship Show level the fifth Group to which appointed at least three times and have judged a total of not less than 2,300 dogs at Championship Show judging appointments and obtained 50 Group Promotional Credits.
  
• Seventh Group Panel - have judged at Championship Show level the sixth Group to which appointed at least three times and have judged a total of not less than 3,300 dogs at Championship Show Judging appointments and obtained 50 Group Promotional Credits.

and have,

• Passed the necessary qualifying written and practical examinations for all Groups. The written examination shall consist of 80 questions on the Standards of the Breeds for that Group, 10 questions on the New Zealand Kennel Club Rules and Regulations and 10 questions on Glossary of Terms and Anatomy of the Dog as defined in the Syllabus.
• Been approved by the Executive Council

Step 7: Appointment to the All Breeds Panel

All persons appointed to judge seven Groups at Championship Show level shall be appointed to the All Breeds Panel.
All Breed Panel judges shall be given an appropriate “All Breeds Judges” badge.

Step 8: Appointment to the General Specials Panel

All persons appointed to the All Breeds Panel may at any time request that the Executive Council remove them from that Panel and place them on a General Specials Only Panel. Any person listed on such Panel can judge General Specials at an All Breeds Championship Show only. Any person so listed shall remain on the Panel without further application or payment of fees until such time as they request to be removed.

People authorised to judge at Championship, Open Official Shows and Ribbon Parades are known as the Official Show Judges Panel. The New Zealand Kennel Club Official Show Judges Panel comprises of the:

• Ribbon Parade Panel
• Open Show Panel
• Specialist Breed Championship Show Panel
• Group Championship Show Panel
• All Breeds Panel
• General Specials Panel

Before members can be acknowledged as an Official Show Judge they must be accepted onto the Aspiring Judges List (and pay the appropriate fees). Only members of the NZKC, permanently resident in New Zealand, are eligible of appointment to the NZKC Official Show Judges Panel or the Aspiring Judges List.

Overseas Judges

Overseas Judges require prior approval of the Executive Council. This is outlined in The Guide for Judges Judging in New Zealand.

Judges judging in New Zealand are expected to judge to New Zealand Kennel Club Standards. These standards are unique to New Zealand and are not the same as those used in Australia, United Kingdom or the FCI.
Overseas judges are only permitted to judge at Open Shows for Specialist breed clubs. To gain this approval they must be acknowledged specialists in the breed. In no circumstances are overseas judges permitted to judge at Ribbon Parades.