In the past a panel of judges would principally be made up of titled
people ex-military and even members of the clergy but in recent years
showing societies have made a great effort to shed their ‘closed shop’
image and are openly encouraging new people to come forward for
consideration. This comes at a time when there seems to be a greater
interest in judges’ decisions and all judging methods. Shows demand
more judges each year as new competitions are introduced and
restrictions on judging certain qualifying rounds are imposed.
Supplying this demand by appointing more judges has also given both
show secretaries and competitors more choice – something that can only
be good for showing. Judging is based on personal opinion backed up by
a sound knowledge of certain values applicable to each class. Each new
judge should bring a fresh outlook to the showing circuit and this is
what makes showing evolve and the show ring a place of great
speculation and interest. This general guide is essential reading for
those who aspire to become judges and provides a unique insight into
the judging process based on the authors’ own experiences in training
young judges organizing and adjudicating at assessment days and
examining probationary judges.
