The Kennel Club is hoping for a large response to its consultation on the Judges Competency Framework (JCF), the second phase of which has been launched in the form of a survey, it has been announced.
This along with the work of the JCF review panel, which has held two meetings to date, will inform the Board’s decisions on the future education and training of dog show judges.
The JCF review was formed as a result of a resolution passed at the Kennel Club AGM in May of this year that the JCF be placed on hold pending a complete assessment of the scheme by an independent review body.
Vivid Interface Research has been commissioned by the Kennel Club to carry out the consultation on its behalf, the first phase of which saw representatives from the company interviewing judges, exhibitors and officials at Richmond and Darlington championship shows in September. Representatives will give exhibitors and judges the opportunity to participate in the survey at South Wales championship show as well as Hitchin and Rugby open shows over the weekend of October 11-13.
The Kennel Club will be contacting as many judges and exhibitors as is possible via email in order to publicise the survey, which can be answered both online and by mail, and details will also be disseminated via the canine press and on social media.
Kathryn Mansfield, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “Vivid Interface Research was employed previously by the Kennel Club more than five years ago when the Dog Show Promotion Working Party was gathering data about the dog world, so the Kennel Club is confident that the company already has a good understanding of how dog shows operate. We would urge as many people as possible to answer the survey, so we can get as clear a picture as possible of what exhibitors, officials and judges want when it comes to the education, approval and listing of judges. We owe it to future generations of dog show enthusiasts as well as to ourselves to get this right, so please have your say.”