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
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