| FROM ONE JUDGES PERSPECTIVE
BY RALPH SHERIFF, Jr.
FROM THE ABA YEARBOOK 2001
After having judged hundreds of shows I would like to share some of my experience, hopefully to help new exhibitors and maybe some of my fellow judges.
As with all similar officiating responsibilities that involve judgment and decision making in determining the outcome of a competition, the Poultry Judge is subject to extreme scrutiny by the participants and the casual observer alike.
Personally I don't have a problem with this as long as respect and dignity is maintained (sometimes they aren't). I use this feedback to make my own evaluation of my performance as a judge. However, I take in to consideration the source for the feedback and the presentation method of the feedback.
It is easy to spot the sore loser and the individual that doesn't know what he is talking about. I discount the value of the feedback in these cases. I welcome feedback from experienced and knowledgeable exhibitors and that of the newcomer. I especially like the situation where the exhibitor asks me why I did what I did before he or she forms an opinion on how well I performed. I may see something, good or bad, that is not evident from the outside of the cage. On the flip side, I may have missed something in my handling of the birds. Judges, being of the human species, do occasionally make mistakes. those getting the higher ratings should be those that make mistakes less frequently.
Most judges I know do not make money judging poultry shows. In my case I often lose money in these situations. So why do we do it? It is a labor of love. WE are in this purebred poultry game as a hobby. It is a distraction from the hectic day to day pace with the high stress levels of career, financial responsibility, family, school, politics and community affairs.
We are also in the judging role out of a sense of the need to contribute an essential service to the preservation and expansion of this wonderful world hobby. We can't have shows without judges. WE have no way to compete or to measure our breeding results without the shows. Someone has to officiate and the candidate for this role has to be willing to accept the feedback relative to performance. However, those offering the feedback have a responsibility as well.
Constructive criticism based on detailed knowledge and fact, presented in a respectful manner, can be helpful. Questions asked and opportunities given to the judge to explain his decision and then discussing any differences of opinion are appreciated by most experienced judges. New and inexperienced judges may be uncomfortable even with this approach, however, my recommendation is to ask, then discuss. Both will walk away from the conversation benefitting from it.
Are all the judges HONEST? I think that almost all judges are. Are all judges competent? No, some need much more experience before they are, and some never will be. Why do we allow incompetent judges to retain their license? The apprenticeship and testing programs are designed to train and then screen out those that are below a certain level of knowledge relative to the Standard and its application in the showroom. Once someone qualifies through this process, there is no system or requirement for re-certification to retain a license. However, there is an informal system that I often encourage exhibitors to use.
If you think the judge is dishonest or imcompetent, don't exihibit birds under him or her and inform show management why you are not entering the competition. I see this as an very effective system for the controlling and insuring that honest and competent judges are at the shows. Management would be well advised to evaluate the source and substance of the information in making their decisions. My advice to any of my fellow judges that can't tolerate the criticism, is to consider my perspective that it is a positive thing and it serves as a measure of performance. Without a measure of performance, no improvement can be made. We all need to strive for continuous improvement in our judging performance and in all our poultry endeavors.
My advice for new exhibitors is to respectfully inquire into judges' decisions and discuss interpretation and application of the Standard. You may not learn a lot about breeding and raising birds from a judge, but you could learn something about showing and winning. |
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