Judges' Section - Agility
Judges at Kennel Club licensed Agility Shows are expected to maintain and abide by the highest standards, judging in accordance with Kennel Club Agility Regulations and behaving in accordance with the appropriate Kennel Club Code of Best Practice, as set out in the Guide for Obedience Judges and Stewards. Judges should maintain a record of all judging appointments, and the Kennel Club Judges Record Book is useful for this purpose.
Online Shop - Buy Judges Record Book (£1.50)
Agility Regulations Booklet (£1.50)
Guide for Agility Judges (£3.00)
Download - Guide for Agility Judges and Stewards
WT38 Judges' Guide to Agility Equipment
Download - Guide to calculating Course Times
Download - Agility (H) Regulations
How to become an Agility judge
There are only two specific criteria to meet before you can judge for the first time at a Kennel Club licensed Agility Show:-
- You must have attended a Kennel Club Agility Regulations and Judging Procedure Seminar and passed the Regulations and Judging Procedure examination . The exam is held at the end of the seminar day and consists of a short multiple-choice question paper based only on the material covered during the day at the seminar.
- You must also have attended an Agility Course Design and Practical Judging Seminar and passed the accompanying assessment. The assessment is a straightforward practical assessment of the candidate's judging practice on the same day as the seminar.
In addition, you must have sufficient knowledge and experience of agility to judge fairly and accurately. Most judges will have already competed in agility for several years and will have assisted as ring managers or on show committees in the running or organisation of agility shows, so as to be aware of all the elements of running an agility class safely and efficiently and providing valueto the competitors.
On accepting a judging appointment, agility judges are required to confirm in writing that they are qualified to judge in accordance with the Agility Regulations. The organising Society also has an obligation to ensure that anyone invited to judge is competent to fulfil the appointment.
Many judges 'cut their teeth' by judging at club competition nights, inter-club matches or limited agility shows before judging classes at Open Agility shows.
A Kennel Club publication Judges' Guide to Agility Equipment', used at the Judges Training seminars, is also available to download for the information of exisitng and potential judges and other interested parties.
Finding an Agility Seminar
Click here to see the full list of seminars on our Training Seminars page
Organising an Agility Seminar
- Judging seminars are most usually hosted by Registered Clubs and Societies, but any individual or group is welcome to organise and host a seminar.
- The seminar content must be presented by an officially appointed Kennel Club Accredited Trainers
- Societies, individuals or groups organising a seminar should contact one of the accredited trainers (see List of approved Agility Accredited Trainers) to invite them to conduct the seminar and arrange a suitable venue. They can then advertise the seminar to attract sufficient attendees. The organisers charge attendees reasonable fees at their discretion and should arrange for payment of the accredited trainer's expenses with the trainer. Trainers will usually bring relevant literature (such as regulation books, judges' guides and judges' record books) to the seminar for purchase by the candidates - in some cases the cost may be included in the seminar fee.
- Anyone who is holding an agility–related seminar is invited to email the details to the Kennel Club’s Canine Activities Team at canineactivitiesteam@thekennelclub.org.uk so that the seminar can be listed on our Training Seminars page.
Successful Agility Seminar Candidates
To see a list of all those who have attended agility judging seminars and passed the examination or assessment, please follow the links below. Please bear in mind that although it is necessary for new judges to have passed the seminar and exam, successful candidates will not necessarily be ready to become agility judges. Before inviting a judge who is not known to them, show secretaries should establish the level of the intended judge's knowledge and experience as a competitor and judge.
Successful candidates - Agility Regulations and judging procedure seminars
Successful candidates - Agility regulations and judging procedure - Contact details not published
Successful candidates - Agility Course Design and Practical Judging
Successful candidates - Agility Course Design and Practical Judging - Contact details not published
How to become a Championship Agility judge
Once you have been judging for a number of years you may be asked to judge a Championship Agility class and award Agility Certificates. Championship judging appointments must be approved by the Kennel Club General Committee.
'First-time' Championship judges will need to complete a Championship Judges Questionnaire (see link below) to show that they:
- have a minimum of 5 years experience of competing at Kennel Club licensed Agility Shows, and
- have a minimum of 5 years experience of judging at Kennel Club licensed Agility Shows, and
- have judged at a minimum of 10 licensed Agility Shows over the previous 3 years including standard classes in each height category which must include Grade 7, and
- have handled a dog competitively at Grade 6 or 7;
- have attended a Kennel Club Agility Regulations and Judging Procedure Seminar and passed the Regulations and Judging Procedure examination, and have attended the Kennel Club Agility Course Design and Judging seminar and passed the assessment (see above for more details on these seminars) - this applies regardless of the judge's experience in judging non-Championship classes.
- OR have been approved to judge the Agility Stakes at Crufts Dog Show or otherwise approved by the General Committee.
Once the judge has been nominated by a show society, they must be assessed while judging a non-Championship class at a Kennel Club licensed show. The Kennel Club will arrange for the assessment to take place.
Organisers of Championship shows must obtain Kennel Club approval of the Championship Judges they wish to nominate for Championship Agility classes. Nominations must be received by the Kennel Club from the shopw society at least 9 months before the date of the show, using the official nomination form (see link below). All first time appointments must be applied for at least 12 months before the show date using the Agility Judge’s questionnaire (see link below).
SH07 Championship Agility Judges nomination form
Agility Judge's Questionnaire (Form JD11)
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