English Springer Spaniel Club

The Joint ESS Judging Consortium (JESS JC) will produce consolidated A1, A2 & A3 lists of judges that it supports to judge English Springer Spaniels. The consolidated lists will be submitted to the Kennel Club as part of each ESS Club/Society Annual Returns. The consolidated lists will be those considered by the Kennel Club in preference to any other lists issued by an individual Breed Club/Society. The first consolidated lists were issued on 1st January 2000

The purpose of the Judges Lists is to indicate to interested parties those persons the JESS JC would support at Championship Show Level.

The Joint ESS Judging Consortium judging lists will compile three parts.

List A1 For persons who have previously been approved by the Kennel Club to award Challenge Certificates in the breed and have completed their first appointment. The JESS JC A1 List indicates persons who have the support of the Joint English Springer Spaniel Judging Consortium.

List A2 For persons who fulfil all the requirements of the A3 list and who have been assessed in accordance with Kennel Club requirements and accepted by the Kennel Club for inclusion on the A2 list. The JESS JC A2 List indicates persons who have the support of the Joint English Springer Spaniel Judging Consortium.

List A3 indicates persons who the JESS JC would recommend as being suitable to award Challenge Certificates in the breed but not yet approved by the Kennel Club for inclusion on the A2 list.

The lists are not indefinite. They are valid for one year only and will expire on the 31st December each year. New and updated applications to the judging lists will be considered by the relevant Breed Club's/Societies and supported applications will be submitted to the JESS JC for their Annual Meeting in November/December each year. At the Annual Meeting, new judging lists will be compiled for commencement on the 1st January the following year.
The A1 list will be compiled using information provided by the Kennel Club with regard to those persons who have been passed to award Challenge Certificates and have awarded Challenge Certificates at the time of the compilation.
New applicants wishing to be considered for inclusion in the judging lists must, in the first instance, complete a JESS JC judging questionnaire. Any person can apply for inclusion on the lists. To do this they should complete a judging questionnaire and return to any Breed Club/Society Secretary by 30th June each year. Membership of a Breed Club/Society is not a pre-requisite for inclusion on the lists.
A person may request a JESS JC judging questionnaire at any time to update their information.
The suitability of applicants for inclusion in the Breed's A1, A2 and A3 lists of judges will be considered by the JESS JC at its discretion, using the criteria detailed overleaf as a guide. The decision of the JESS JC is final and no reason for non-inclusion will be given. This does not preclude a re-submission of an application in any subsequent year.
Judges who are to be included for the first time on judging lists will be informed of the JESS JC decision in writing. A copy of the judging lists will be made available on request. Copies of the lists are also sent to the Kennel Club and to Dog Show Secretaries to help promote a fair distribution of judges at shows.
In accordance with the KC recommendation, voting of a person for inclusion on judging lists will be by secret ballot. Voting will take place at the JESS JC annual meeting. The Breed Clubs/Societies, which comprise the JESS JC, will each have one vote. Proxy votes are not allowed. Each Club/Society participating in the JESS JC will ensure that two of their own Committee Members attend the JESS JC meeting as their representatives to aid discussion. Each Club/Society will ensure that at least one of their representatives awards CCs in the breed and this person will cast the vote on behalf of their Club/Society.

Please Note:
The Policy & Procedure for compiling any ‘B' or ‘C' lists will be determined on an individual basis by each of the ESS Clubs/Societies and will be listed separately to this document.

For details of each Breed Club/Society 'B' & 'C' List criteria, the reader should contact the relevant ESS Club/Society Secretary. English Springer Spaniel Club 'B' and 'C' List criteria can be found here

A3 Criteria For Breed Specialists

Persons included on this list are required to have met all of the following criteria:

To have had a minimum of 8 years judging experience in the breed, with appointments spread over a reasonable geographical area and have the support of the JESS JC;
To have owned and exhibited English Springer Spaniels for a minimum of 10 years;
To have exhibited dogs and bitches;
To have judged at least 60 classes in the breed at Open Show level and to have judged a minimum of 180 dogs. This must include an English Springer Spaniel Breed Club/Society Open Show having a minimum of 40 dogs present and judged;
(Please Note: To reach this minimum of 40 dogs present and judged, a person can, if applicable, combine the total of dogs present at two breed club/society shows)
To have attended a seminar given by a Kennel Club Accredited Trainer and passed the relevant examination on Kennel Club Regulations and Judging Procedures (**this is not required if the applicant already awards Challenge Certificates in another breed);
To have attended a seminar given by a Kennel Club Accredited Trainer on "Conformation and Movement".(** this is not required if the applicant already awards Challenge Certificates in another breed);
To have attended and passed a Hands-On Assessment delivered by a Kennel Club Accredited Trainer (C&M);
To have attended at least one breed specific seminar run in accordance with the Kennel Club Code of Best Practice and passed an examination and assessemnt where applicable (i.e. JESS JC Competence Day Assessment);

To have bred and/or owned a minimum of 3 or more dogs when they obtained their first entry in the KC Stud Book (Save in exceptional circumstances);

To have stewarded for 12 shows;

To agree to produce a written critique for the first two placings in each class at Championship Shows and Breed Club Open Shows, and also agree to dispatch the critique to at least one of the weekly UK canine journals - all as required by the KC;

To have submitted the application on the JESS JC questionnaire; and

Also see Notes 1 & 2 below

A3 Criteria For Non-Specialists

Persons included on this list are required to have met all of the following criteria:

To have a minimum of 20 years experience exhibiting and breeding dogs;
To have a minimum of 7 years judging experience in any one breed (to include 5 years in this breed) and have the support of the JESS JC;
To award CCs in at least one other breed
To have judged a minimum of 80 classes in the breed at Open Show level, and to have judged a minimum of 240 dogs. Appointments to have been spread over a reasonable geographical area. Judging at an English Springer Spaniel Breed Club/Society Open Show is desirable;
To have attended at least one breed specific seminar run in accordance with the relevant Kennel Club Code of Best Practice and passed an examination and assessment where applicable. (i.e. JESS JC Competence Day Assessment)
To agree to produce a written show critique for the first two placings in each class at Championship Shows and Breed Club Open Shows, and also agree to dispatch the critique to at least one of the weekly UK canine journals - all as required by the KC;
To have submitted the application on the JESS JC questionnaire; and
Also see Note 2 below

Criteria for Overseas Judges

Applications will be considered on their individual merit and in accordance with Kennel Club guidance.

Notes:
1.    The JESS JC considers that an ESS judging appointment at a Championship Show without CCs does not equate to a judging appointment at an ESS Breed Club/Society Open Show.

2.    The suitability of applicants for inclusion in the Breed's A1, A2 and A3 lists of judges will be considered by the JESS JC at its discretion, using the criteria detailed above as a guide. The suitability of applicants for inclusion on a list may also be considered on their merit. The decision of the JESS JC is final and no reason for non-inclusion will be given. This does not preclude a re-submission of an application in any subsequent year.

JESS JC/P,P&C/Agreed Dec 2005