The Kennel Club Board has agreed a change to the criteria to be an A2 assessor, in that any judge who has previously awarded CCs in the breed can undertake this role, provided they are listed on the Kennel Club’s Find A Judge facility and have judged the respective breed within the last ten years according to their FAJ record.
This move will expand the number of assessors available and should help breed clubs to use this route. This change comes into effect immediately and negates the need for breed clubs to request a list of assessors from the Kennel Club.
In making this announcement, the Kennel Club wishes to remind people about the A2 assessment route when it comes to candidates being approved to award Challenge Certificates. This is especially important, as the opportunity to go down this route will cease when the Judges Competency Framework (JCF) transition period expires at the end of 2021.
Between that date and now, any candidate who is progressing their judging along the traditional route and whose name appears on any breed club B list or above may request that a breed club considers arranging assessments when judging the breed at open show or breed club limited show level or at a seminar/breed club assessment day. It is suggested that breed clubs are asked to assess judges at their breed club shows as a matter of course.
It is also possible for candidates to be assessed at general canine society open shows, as well as when judging special awards classes at breed club open shows or when judging ‘mock classes’ after a show or seminar has finished. A minimum of five dogs must be present in order for the assessment to take place. However, two assessments may be conducted by two assessors at one event if a minimum of 12 dogs are present.
When a breed club wishes to forward an A2 questionnaire to the Kennel Club to be considered for approval, the application – provided the three assessments have been undertaken and received by the Kennel Club – will be considered by the KC Judges Committee. Successful nominations can then be included on a breed club’s A2 judging list and will be eligible to award CCs and subsequently register on the JCF at Level 4 without having to achieve any further criteria.
Judges who have a forthcoming CC appointment before the end of 2021 have no need to use the A2 route as they will automatically transition over to JCF Level 4 once their first judging appointment has been undertaken in the respective breed.
All current CC judges in a breed can be viewed on the Kennel Club’s Find A Judge facility.