The Kennel Club has announced several updates to its Judges’ Education Programme (Breed Shows), following feedback from Breed Education Coordinators, breed clubs, judges, and societies.
These changes, which aim to address concerns raised by the canine community, are effective immediately. Updated versions of the Codes of Best Practice will be available on The Kennel Club website soon.
Enhancements to Mentoring and Mentors
A significant change has been made to the mentoring process, aimed at improving the development of judges. Group judges who have awarded Challenge Certificates (CCs) to a specific breed at least twice are now eligible to act as mentors for that breed without requiring breed club approval. This change is designed to increase the pool of mentors, particularly in breeds where finding mentors has been challenging.
Additionally, a new rule mandates that mentors must confirm a judge’s readiness to progress in their learning. Two of the three required mentoring sessions must indicate that a judge has sufficient knowledge before they can move forward with an observation. Judges are encouraged to seek both formal and informal mentoring throughout their education to gain in-depth knowledge of their chosen breed.
Changes to Code of Best Practice for Mentoring
The Code of Best Practice for breed mentoring has been updated to include more specific guidance for one-on-one mentoring. Mentors are now instructed to provide an impartial view of dogs exhibited and not to show favouritism or be overly critical of specific kennels or breeders. This adjustment is expected to help alleviate issues in smaller breeds where mentoring has proven problematic due to conflicts of interest.
To address concerns regarding the availability of observers for certain breeds, group judges who have awarded CCs to a specific breed at least three times can now act as observers without breed club approval. This change will help expand the pool of qualified observers, creating more opportunities for judge observations.
In response to difficulties faced by Breed Education Coordinators (BECs) in organising observations, the Kennel Club has agreed to allow observations to take place at a wider range of events. Judges may now be observed at group and general open shows, breed club shows, breed-supported entry classes, and championship shows without CCs for the breed.
Furthermore, if the required number of dogs for observation is entered but does not turn up on the day, the observation may still proceed. Observers will be required to comment on the judge’s performance and assess their overall understanding of the breed during a follow-up discussion. In exceptional circumstances, the Judges Committee may approve mock class observations on a trial basis.
Criteria for Group and Best in Show Judges
New criteria have been set for judges applying to be approved for group and Best in Show appointments. Judges seeking group approval must have awarded CCs to at least 20% of the breeds in the group, including one of the six breeds with the highest recorded breed entries in that group at general championship shows. For Best in Show appointments, judges must have experience judging a group and have awarded CCs to at least one breed from two other groups.
Additionally, all judges applying for these roles must have successfully passed the Eye for a Dog Assessment to ensure they meet the required standards for judging at these levels.
The criteria for policy judges have been updated, requiring them to have awarded CCs in at least 75% of eligible breeds within their group and to have passed the Eye for a Dog assessment. The deadline for submitting grandfathering applications for breed judges remains set for 31 December 2025. After this date, no further applications will be accepted. Judges applying for grandfathering must now be listed on at least 50% of breed club A3 lists for their breed, with breed clubs encouraged to align their criteria with The Kennel Club’s standards.
For group and Best in Show judges, the grandfathering process has now ended as the Judges’ Education Programme system for these levels is fully in place.
Transition to Judges’ Education Programme
The Kennel Club will continue accepting nominations via traditional questionnaires and A2 nominations until 31 December 2025. After that, all nominations must be for pre-approved judges or those who have been approved through the Judges’ Education Programme. This transition marks the final phase of the shift to the new education and assessment system for judges.
A three-year term of office for Breed Education Coordinators (BECs) will begin on 1 January 2025, bringing the role in line with other Kennel Club volunteer positions. Any BEC who resigns mid-term will be replaced for the remainder of the term. Current BECs who have the support of their breed clubs and wish to continue in the role will start their new three-year term in 2025.
