The Consortium’s aim is to produce consolidated A1, A2 and A3 lists of judges that the ESS Breed Club/Societies collectively support to judge ESS at CC level.

The ESS Breed Clubs/Societies in the JESS JC will continue to have individual B and where appropriate C lists as before. The JESS JC is not responsible for the individual Clubs/Societies’ B & C lists.

In setting up the Policy/Procedures and Criteria for the Consortium’s list, it also gave the Breed Clubs/Societies a chance to re-examine their overall judging list procedures. The aim being to ensure that the procedures comply with the Kennel Club’s wish that they are "transparent" i.e. so that persons wishing to apply for inclusion on a list know exactly how to do so and also how they will be assessed.

The Kennel Club has advised that consolidated A1, A2 and A3 lists will be considered by them in preference to any other lists issued by an individual Breed Club/Society. The first JESS JC consolidated Judging Lists became effective on 1st January 2000.

It might be helpful if you understand how the JESS JC operates and the following paragraph will hopefully explain the procedures to you.

The Consortium meets at least once per year and each of the Clubs/Societies taking part sends two of their Officials and/or Committee Members to act as representatives in any discussion process. Representatives may remain the same or may change for each meeting depending on the view of the particular Club/Society. Each ESS Breed Club/Society taking part, has one vote at a JESS JC meeting and the person that undertakes voting for the Club/Society must be someone who awards CCs in English Springers. Voting is undertaken on matters that have already been identified to the JESS JC Clubs/Societies and covers issues that have previously been discussed with their own Committees.

In the process of setting up the consolidated A1, A2 and A3 lists, the members of JESS JC have agreed to use the same Judging List Criteria and Policy/Procedure for those lists. It has also been agreed that each ESS Breed Club/Society will use the same Judging Questionnaire for all Judging List applications i.e. A, B and C. All of these documents became effective on 1st August 1999.

Therefore, from that date, people wishing to make an application to be included in any of the annual A3, B and C Judging Lists will be expected to complete a Judging Questionnaire by 30th June each year.

People who have already been approved to award CCs will not normally be expected to complete a Judging Questionnaire.

Once a person is included in an A3, B or C list, it is the responsibility of that person to update their information to the Breed Clubs/Societies by the 30th June each year. This should ensure that, where appropriate, the individual Breed Clubs/Societies have any additional information to make an informed decision about the following years Judging Lists.

Where the ESS Breed Club/Society supports an application for the A3 list, they will automatically submit the application to the Consortium in time for the Annual Meeting held in November/December each year.

Judging List Applications that are successful will be included on the lists for issue 1st January the following year. The lists are not indefinite and are valid for one year only, expiring on the 31st December each year.

If you are already on an individual Breed Club/Society B or C Judging List, then you may wish to consider updating your information and/or submitting your application to other ESS Breed Club/Societies. If you are not on any ESS Judging Lists and feel that you meet a list’s criteria and would like to be considered for inclusion, then you should also complete a Judging Questionnaire.

Applications for inclusion to B & C lists can be made to as many ESS Breed Clubs/Societies that a person wants to, as an ESS Breed Club/Society owns their particular B and C list. However, where an application to the Consortium’s A3 list is supported, the receiving Club/Society will automatically forward that application to the Judging Consortium for consideration at the JESS JC Annual Meeting held in November/December each year. As mentioned earlier Judging lists become effective on the 1st January each year.