Judging at Crufts

So it is clear that there is a lot of excitement about Crufts from you all out there. So what about me? How do I feel?

Well this year is a very special year for me for, after almost 25 years of exhibiting my dogs at Crufts, this year I will actually judging.

It will certainly be a very exciting moment for me. It is the first and probably the only time that I will ever judge at Crufts and I will feel quite proud and honoured when I step out onto that green carpet. I suspect I will feel a bit nervous as well; believe me judges can get just as nervous as exhibitors, and although I have judged shows on many occasions in many countries around the world I am sure nothing will quite live up to Crufts.

However no matter how nervous I may get, the nerves will soon go, because as I know that as soon as I lay my hands on the first dog, it will become a very serious business and it is surprising how little of what else is going on that you actually notice when judging. Judging takes a great deal of concentration; the need to inspect and digest every aspect of each dog is so intense that everything else tends to get blocked out, and one becomes completely absorbed. Every dog has is faults and its virtues, and it is up to me as the judge to balance those against the breed standard and see which dog in my opinion comes closest to the ideal.

But as well as it being a proud moment for me, it will also be a proud moment for many of the exhibitors. Naturally everyone is proud of their dogs but to actually get to Crufts and to exhibit at the Worlds greatest dog show will be the pinnacle of many exhibitors showing career. As a judge you have to respect that and ensure that you give every exhibit every opportunity to “get it right”. As a judge you want to see each and every dog looking its very best, everyone has paid their entry fee and deserves the same chance, and the judge has a great responsibility to get it right.

What many spectators may not realise however is that the judges’ job is not done once the judging is completed. At some point the judge has to write his report, a description or critique of each of the higher placed dogs. It has often been said that the very best judges are able to paint a “word picture” of each dog they judge. That is why you may see judges making notes after each class, either furiously scribbling notes or even as some to speaking into a tape recorder- it helps to have shorthand!. For many exhibitors the written critique, which appears in the dog press shortly after the show, can often be the acid test of a judge. A good judge will be able to explain clearly why they made each decision. Not everyone may agree of course, but providing the explanation is clear and reasonable then most at least will understand why their dog may have been placed in a particular order.

But of course it will be the day itself that most will remember and whatever happens you cannot change what happens on that particular day. Dreams can come true and hopes can be shattered at Crufts and a whole year of preparation can often come down to that final few minutes in the ring.

No wonder even the judge gets nervous!