As I look through the list of specialty club shows each year I see the same pattern of judges over and over again--why is that??? Aren't there enough lab judges to go around that we could have different judges at most specialties? I think clubs would get bigger entries if they were more unique with their judge choices. over the years I have skipped many specialties that I may have travelled to except that they were the same judge A and B that I just went under at the last specialty! Any thoughts???

Oh boy! Do I agree with you on that! Once I have shown to a judge, and she dumps my stuff, why would I waste my time, money, and vacation days to show the same dogs to him/her again? Seems every specialty or supported entry has the same judges over and over! Fine for those that win under them, but it sure would be nice to see some new blood!

Alittle varation was also my hope when I posted the thread of who are the judges out there. Let's hope we see some changes. I hate the same pool of 6 people being used over and over and over.....

And most of the time it is the same people that win. There are LOTS of very nice dogs and bitches that deserve to win. JMHO!

I may be wrong, but I think that certain clubs (Potomac, for one) require that a judge not judge within the past year before the show. I really like this idea. The repetition we are seeing in the judges is really getting old (You know who you are ladies!)I was going to make a trek to a new specialty that I have never been to. I even made my hotel reservation way in advance. I had to cancel when I saw who the judges were. I had just been under them. I did ok under one, but was totally dumped by the other. I can't afford to take the time, when there is no chance of even a glimmer of hope. Judge selection committees-Try someone new!

Point well taken! Over a year ago, at the Potomac Specialty Seminar I made a plea for breeders of quality Labradors to get their license to judge so that we would not only have a more diverse selection of judges at the specialties, but also that many breeder judges would be hired on their provisional, as well as regular status, to judge at all breed shows where it is continuing to be difficult to achieve a major. As a licensed AKC judge of Labradors, I love judging and seeing what's new in Labradors as well as being able to judge those adorable puppies! It is an added advantage for me to also see Labradors in various parts of the country. Yes, making the requirement of a year or possibly six months prior to judging in a particular part of the country does give variety in selection of judges. Prior to judging last year at the prestigious Mid Jersey LRC with the requirement of one year prior to judging there not accepting another specialty or supported show in their time zone, I turned down 5 different specialty assignments and was pleased with the superb entry at Mid Jersey as a result. For those who are qualified, consider again getting your license and be prepared for the critiques, or criticisms, of your selections, but most of all you will thoroughly enjoy the experience. I only wish there was a way to award more points to more than just the WD or WB at our specialties since the depth of quality is usually phenomenal!

Thank you Kathy for posting exactly what I've been thinking! I skipped a spring specialty this year that is very close to me because the judging panel was judges I had recently shown to. Earlier this year I have planned on attending 2 summer specialties that also have all breed shows close or in conjunction and typically have all breeder judge panels. I was very disappointed when I realized that these 2 specialties/circuits are located 60 miles from each other, only 5 weeks time in between shows, and have 2 of the same judges on their panels. Not that they are judges who I don't like but with the cost of gas and entry fees and I'm simply not going to show to them twice in 5 weeks time - so one of these clubs is losing my entries. I do realize that smaller clubs have limited budgets and for those clubs overseas judges are not an option due to cost but come on there are other breeder judges then the same ones we've been showing to over and over. When's the last time anyone saw Janet Churchill's name on a judging panel? (Who by the way was somehow left off the previous thread of breeder judges). Come on clubs, show some creativity when picking your judges!

Picking judges is not easy. There is one thing I have observed & think it may be behind the too frequently used judges problem. Clubs are eager to find a new face. When a well known breeder gets licensed the clubs all get the same idea that if they quickly use him/her they will get a big entry from exhibitors eager to shown under somebody new. The result is the new judge gets used over and over and over again.

Great topic. My opinion and experience relates to Specialty shows and not all breed shows as I rarely attend unless a good breeder judge is on panel.

Our selection committee works really hard to come up with breeder judges every year. Reviews from past assignments, overall peer reputation as well as what they have been known to show themselves are also taken into consideration. Some judges have been used more than others. Most of us on the committee feel it makes less of a difference for sweeps as puppies change so quickly and the turnover in those classes are also pretty quick. Bringing foreign judges over is always tricky. If they start choosing dogs that are too different in quality or temperament from what we are breeding in the US a lot of folks are going to be unhappy, not just the ones who didn't win.

I also think most selection committees realize that just because someone is a breeder/judge who hasn't been used lately is not necessarily reason enough for a Specialty club to book them. Yes, sometimes committees just forget about some names but I feel that more often than not, there are reasons why some breeder judges are not used a lot. Newer people in the breed may not be aware of this. Bottom line is when picking judges the club always has to consider if this judge will draw entries and if they have a general overall good reputation.

I think that it really depends on where you live as to the variety of judges and number of entries.

Here in California, I can recall all of the last 9 Specialty shows that have been held all over the state as well as personally attending all 9 of them! Of every show, not ONE judge has been a repeat (this goes for the sweeps judges too)! The clubs in California have done a great job in bringing in judges from all over the world. I felt that I've always had a fair shot under each judge that I've shown to and for not being a big name, I've done very well.

Another reason to go to Specialties, is to see the dogs, stud dog shop, see who's producing what, etc. as well as meet up with friends and make new ones. Bringing home the ribbons is just the icing on the cake!

I think the reason you may be seeing smaller entries is due to the fact that there are so many Specialties in a particular area. Here in California we have at least half a dozen Specialty clubs with news ones forming all the time. This provides breeders with more shows to pick and choose from if they don't want to go all of them, instead of the few that used to held where it was something that everyone wanted to go to. However with more shows, breeders can now be more picky if they want to be. This is not just Labradors either, my Sheltie friends once told me that the more specialties that are put on in one state, the lower the entries will become. When I first started in Labs, we had only two Lab clubs that put on one annual show. One in Northern California and one in Southern California. I remember the entries to the Northern Cal show would come to 600 entries at times! There was even a point where they divided all classes by black and AOACs. But my friends were right, the more clubs that started to hold shows, the lower the entries became. This is good in a way as our point schedules have come down tremendously from what it used to take for a 5 point major in bitches (124 at one point, now more like 85).

I've made it my goal this year to attend EVERY California specialty. 6 down, 6 more to go! LOL Heck I may even make it to the Nationals this year too.

Dianne