www.akc.org
Ringside Observations
Criterion
Ringside mentoring has
been going on since the implementation of the present policy in January
2000. It has been highly successful and
controversy free until its replacement of In Ring Observation opportunity
was announced. Then detractors found a myriad
of problems with it and reasons why it would not work.
Ironically ringside mentoring is the
most frequently used aspect of mentoring already listed under the mentoring
component.
A mentor is an individual
with whom a prospective judge has established a long term, ongoing relationship
with. He or she may or may not mentor ringside.
A ringside observation may be experienced with an applicant’s long
term mentor or a designated ringside mentor.
The ringside mentor may become a long term mentor or not.
Three Ringside Observations will be needed to satisfy this component.
The
majority of Additional Breed applications currently considered list
ringside mentoring experiences as part of the mentoring process.
They are not disruptive and have been going on hardly noticed.
Host clubs are not obliged to provide space or resources.
Judges may receive
one component toward the Additional Breed requirements for Ringside
Observations which meet the following criteria:
- Observer must be approved
to judge at least one breed.
(This component only
applies on Additional Breed applications.
New Breed Provisional Judges may observe ringside, however)
- Observer may
observe with parent club approved mentors or breeders with a minimum
of 12 years experience breeding, exhibiting, or judging the breed
in conformation. Observations
with mentors not meeting the criteria will not be accepted.(Mentors
will be permitted to participate on days they are exhibiting up
to the class in which they have an entry. They will not be allowed
to participate thereafter except at National or Regional Specialties
where formal ringside mentoring is organized by the host club (This
is as it has always been). Mentors will
be asked to document their own experience on the Observation Form
when they sign it)..
- There must be
adequate entries for the breeds observed. Smaller entries may require
more observations.
(Two entries of 50
plus dogs observed may satisfy this requirement; whereas three observations
of seven or eight dogs meet the requirement but do not accomplish
the greater objective. Sincere effort
in the other three components will be expected).
- Observer and
mentor must properly complete an Observation Form which must be
submitted with the application for that breed.
A minimum of three
ringside observations for each breed requested including at least
2 majors.
(As stated above, the
observation of fewer large entries may satisfy this requirement.
“Large” means 50 or more. Three
“Majors” may satisfy the requirement but are not “Large” entries).
.
- Judges may observe
at shows where they are judging.
A minimum of three
ringside observations for each breed requested including at least
2 majors.
- Judges may mentor at shows
where they are judging.
All additional breed forms available
at: www.akc.org/judges/conformation/index.cfm
|
