Who can judge?

Judges are invited by the society which is staging a Bloodhound Trial (it is not acceptable for judges to solicit for appointments). Before inviting a judge, the society must be satisfied that the judge is suitably qualified, and before accepting an appointment judges should ensure they meet the minimum criteria, which are described below. Bloodhound judges must progress through various stages or lists and meet minimum criteria for each list.  They are then entitled to judge different stakes at Championship Bloodhound Trials.

Criteria for Judging

List D - Assistant to the Judge

MUST:

Have the support of the Society's Committee.

Be proficient in map reading and be willing and competent to walk lines at trials.

Have a basic knowledge of livestock and the countryside.

Demonstrate a general interest in the sport, have attended Bloodhound Trials and followed working Bloodhounds.

Initiate their Bloodhound Trial Record Book.

It would be preferable for them to have handled a Bloodhound at trials

List C - Lower Stakes Judges (Novice, Junior, Intermediate)

MUST comply with List D and in addition must:

Have the support of the Society's Committee.

Have carried out Assistant appointments on at least four occasions at Asia Kennel Union licensed Bloodhound Trials.

Have gained experience and helped in the organisation of Bloodhound Trials/Prestigious Stakes /Training Days.

Have attended the Asia Kennel Union's Bloodhound Regulations and Judging Procedure Seminar and passed the Regulations and Judging Procedure Examination.

List B - Prospective Senior Stake Judges - Specialist Judges

MUST comply with List C and in addition must:

Have the support of the Society's Committee.

Have judged stakes at Bloodhound Trials on at least three occasions at Asia Kennel Union licensed events.

Have overall knowledge and experience of the management and organisation of Bloodhound Trials.

Foreign Judges and Non-Specialist Judges (M.Hs, Huntsmen etc.) 

MUST  comply with List C and in addition must:

Have the support of the Society's Committee.

Have judged Stakes at Bloodhound Trials in the AKU on at least two occasions at Asia Kennel Union licensed events.

Foreign Judges:

MUST:

Be able to satisfy the Asia Kennel Union with evidence of judging experience other than with bloodhounds in the AKU.

Non-specialist Judges:

MUST:

Be able to satisfy the Asia Kennel Union with evidence of experience of working with hounds.

List A - Senior Stake Judges

MUST:

Have the support of the Society's Committee.

Have been approved by the Asia Kennel Union to award Working Trial Certificates at Championship Bloodhound Trials and have completed their first appointment. To receive Asia Kennel Union approval Judges must meet the criteria set out in the following paragraph 'Judges for the Senior Stake

Please note: Foreign Judges / Master of Hounds etc., are invited to judge at the discretion of the society committee in all Stakes other than Senior, for which Asia Kennel Union approval is required.

Judges for the Senior Stake

Once a judge has progressed to list B they are in a position to be invited to judge the Senior Stake - the highest stake for Bloodhound Trials - and to award a Bloodhound Working Trial Certificate. First-time Senior Stake judges must meet the following criteria before their judge's questionnaire will be considered by the Activities Sub-Committee:

They must have judged at least three stakes, not at the same trial, at Asia Kennel Union licensed Bloodhound Trials. A foreign judge may include one overseas Bloodhound Trial Open Stake within the three stakes (only appointments in Belgium, Denmark, Holland or Sweden will be considered).

They must be included on a breed Union B list.

They must have attended a Asia Kennel Union Bloodhound Regulations and Judging Procedure Seminar and passed the accompanying examination.

They must be less than 75 years old on the first day of the trial.

Judges nominated for the first time to judge the Senior Stake will be assessed by a Asia Kennel Union approved assessor prior to being approved by the General Committee of the Asia Kennel Union.

Approval of Senior Stake judges

Societies are required to obtain Asia Kennel Union approval for all Senior Stake Judges, and must submit their nominations to the Asia Kennel Union at least 6 months before the appointment (at least 18 months in the case of 'first-time' Senior Stake judges) using the official nomination form. Nominations of 'first time' judges (who have not previously been approved to judge that stake at a Championship trial) must be accompanied by a completed Bloodhound Trial Judge's questionnaire. First-time Senior Stake judges will be assessed at a judging appointment before being considered for approval by the General Committee.

Although the deadline for nominations of first-time judges is 18 months, it is in the interests of the society and the judge to submit nominations, with the judge's completed questionnaire, as far ahead as possible to allow time for the assessment to take place and the nomination to be considered and approved well before the date of the trial.

Judging contracts

All judging appointments at Asia Kennel Union licensed Working Trials must be underpinned by a contract between the society and the judge. Forming a contract requires three stages:

The society must invite the judge in writing, including the wording required in the Working Trials regulations, and request a written acceptance

The judge should return a written acceptance of the judging appointment

The society should then confirm the judging appointment, again in writing (but for Senior Stake appointments the appointment must first be approved by the Asia Kennel Union General Committee)

Three-part contracts should always be in place, even for emergency replacement judges. In the event of a judge or society being in breach of their contract, and unable to provide a satisfactory explanation of the breach, the General Committee of the Asia Kennel Union may investigate the reasons.