Monday, May 29, 2006
I Passed!
When I went to the Judges Academy a little over a week ago, I asked participants to sign my petition to apply for my registrar's license. Partly, I did it that way because I hadn't gotten around to doing it before. Partly, I did it that way so that none of my friends would know that I had done it. You see, I took my test that Sunday. And if I had failed, I didn't want to have to tell everyone!
While I was there, I made arrangements with Bill Gendren to work with him at the Shelby show. I thought it would probably have to be for education rather than credit since, at that time, I didn't know whether I would pass or fail the exam.
Luckily, my packet arrived on Friday. It was a thick envelope, so I was pretty sure I passed. It doesn't take that much to say you failed! Sure enough, my sealed envelopes to give to three judges and one registrar were in there along with my score report. I actually passed with room to spare.
Let me back up a bit and talk about the testing just a bit. Tex Thomas was just examining judge. He did the oral portion of the test. I was extremely nervous - I just wasn't sure I was ready. But he really made me feel comfortable and made it as non-threatening as possible.
When I got to the written portion, I really wasn't sure whether I had studied enough or was "getting it." I had no idea what the answers were to the first two questions which made me absolutely sure that I had made a terrible mistake taking it so soon (Glen said he didn't recall ever getting an application one day and have the applicant test the very next!) But then I hit my stride. When I finished, I counted 40 questions that I knew I had gotten right, about 30 that I was pretty sure about. There were something in the neighborhood of 20 that I had narrowed down to two options. And there were ten that I had absolutely no idea about! It was just luck that two of them were the first two questions of my test.
Now back to that packet. I must work with three judges and pass under two of them. I work the entire show, whether the show lasts all day (as it did on Saturday) or whether it lasts a part of the day. I may continue to work the rest of the day, however, to increase the exposure to different breeds.
The show I worked with Bill on was a youth show. Some of the breeds and classes has very few animals in them. It was probably a good way to start so that I wasn't overwhelmed with huge numbers. And I was exposed to more breeds that way. It was fortunate for the exhibitors, but unfortunate for me that there were few DQs that day.
Bill was great at getting me involved. He made up his mind about his winner and then asked what I thought. Usually I had narrowed it down to the same animals, perhaps swapping the BOB and BOS. Sometimes he had picked my third choice. But at least I never picked something he placed at the bottom of the class. Even with the Best In Show, I had narrowed it down to three animals - and his BIS and BRIS were in there.
My biggest failure was trying to flip over that darn English lop. I never got it over in one smooth movement. My biggest success was getting the Flemish Giant over with ease. It boosted my confidence. Strangely enough, I had a devil of a time with those Netherlands. There's not enough ear to hold on to like I do with my Hollands! They kept slipping out!
I was appalled at some of the comments I heard coming over the table from the exhibitor side. I have not made up my mind about becoming a judge one day. There's not sense in giving it much thought right now because I would have to be a registrar for two years first anyway. But if I were to, I know I'd have to grow a much thicker skin. Of course, it was from the parents and not the youth.
My eyes are really open now to the role that the writer plays in a show. At the Judges Academy, they talked about the show rule in Section 41 about the show management providing suitable equipment and capable secretaries. This would be table secretaries, also called scribes or writers, as I understand it. The judges were in agreement that sponsoring clubs often expect them to train the writers, which is not their job.
I would definitely like to see the clubs I belong to offer training to writers. Writing as we do it here in the south should not be a passive job, just recording what you hear. Since we don't have separate ramrods, the writer should do both jobs, keeping the judge informed of the numbers in each class, letting exhibitors know where to put their rabbits so that the judge knows where the senior bucks are and where the junior bucks are. Sure, no one is going to mistake a four year old Holland for a junior, but you can certain mistake a young senior for a junior.
Anticipating classes so that they are queued up and ready to go is another huge issue that should be resolved. One judge mentioned that shows often waste ten minutes between breeds. If a judge evaluates six breeds in a day, they've lost an hour just waiting around for rabbits to come to the table - and then they call the judge slow!
It is really an eye opener to see a show from two feet behind the table as opposed to two feet in front of it.
Of course, I still have a lot to learn. I still have two more judges to work with. I hope to work with a judge in open with some larger classes so that I have more opportunity to see some scope and comparison. And I am seeking opportunities to learn about breeds from some of the more successful and experienced breeders. Never fear, I plan to learn about Netherland Dwarfs at the upcoming ND event at Gary & Susan Smith's home.
And if, over the next two year, I feel that I have the ability to evaluate other breeds and want to give up showing as much as I have, you just might find me taking a different sort of test - and starting the process all over again!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 8:53 AM
While I was there, I made arrangements with Bill Gendren to work with him at the Shelby show. I thought it would probably have to be for education rather than credit since, at that time, I didn't know whether I would pass or fail the exam.
Luckily, my packet arrived on Friday. It was a thick envelope, so I was pretty sure I passed. It doesn't take that much to say you failed! Sure enough, my sealed envelopes to give to three judges and one registrar were in there along with my score report. I actually passed with room to spare.
Let me back up a bit and talk about the testing just a bit. Tex Thomas was just examining judge. He did the oral portion of the test. I was extremely nervous - I just wasn't sure I was ready. But he really made me feel comfortable and made it as non-threatening as possible.
When I got to the written portion, I really wasn't sure whether I had studied enough or was "getting it." I had no idea what the answers were to the first two questions which made me absolutely sure that I had made a terrible mistake taking it so soon (Glen said he didn't recall ever getting an application one day and have the applicant test the very next!) But then I hit my stride. When I finished, I counted 40 questions that I knew I had gotten right, about 30 that I was pretty sure about. There were something in the neighborhood of 20 that I had narrowed down to two options. And there were ten that I had absolutely no idea about! It was just luck that two of them were the first two questions of my test.
Now back to that packet. I must work with three judges and pass under two of them. I work the entire show, whether the show lasts all day (as it did on Saturday) or whether it lasts a part of the day. I may continue to work the rest of the day, however, to increase the exposure to different breeds.
The show I worked with Bill on was a youth show. Some of the breeds and classes has very few animals in them. It was probably a good way to start so that I wasn't overwhelmed with huge numbers. And I was exposed to more breeds that way. It was fortunate for the exhibitors, but unfortunate for me that there were few DQs that day.
Bill was great at getting me involved. He made up his mind about his winner and then asked what I thought. Usually I had narrowed it down to the same animals, perhaps swapping the BOB and BOS. Sometimes he had picked my third choice. But at least I never picked something he placed at the bottom of the class. Even with the Best In Show, I had narrowed it down to three animals - and his BIS and BRIS were in there.
My biggest failure was trying to flip over that darn English lop. I never got it over in one smooth movement. My biggest success was getting the Flemish Giant over with ease. It boosted my confidence. Strangely enough, I had a devil of a time with those Netherlands. There's not enough ear to hold on to like I do with my Hollands! They kept slipping out!
I was appalled at some of the comments I heard coming over the table from the exhibitor side. I have not made up my mind about becoming a judge one day. There's not sense in giving it much thought right now because I would have to be a registrar for two years first anyway. But if I were to, I know I'd have to grow a much thicker skin. Of course, it was from the parents and not the youth.
My eyes are really open now to the role that the writer plays in a show. At the Judges Academy, they talked about the show rule in Section 41 about the show management providing suitable equipment and capable secretaries. This would be table secretaries, also called scribes or writers, as I understand it. The judges were in agreement that sponsoring clubs often expect them to train the writers, which is not their job.
I would definitely like to see the clubs I belong to offer training to writers. Writing as we do it here in the south should not be a passive job, just recording what you hear. Since we don't have separate ramrods, the writer should do both jobs, keeping the judge informed of the numbers in each class, letting exhibitors know where to put their rabbits so that the judge knows where the senior bucks are and where the junior bucks are. Sure, no one is going to mistake a four year old Holland for a junior, but you can certain mistake a young senior for a junior.
Anticipating classes so that they are queued up and ready to go is another huge issue that should be resolved. One judge mentioned that shows often waste ten minutes between breeds. If a judge evaluates six breeds in a day, they've lost an hour just waiting around for rabbits to come to the table - and then they call the judge slow!
It is really an eye opener to see a show from two feet behind the table as opposed to two feet in front of it.
Of course, I still have a lot to learn. I still have two more judges to work with. I hope to work with a judge in open with some larger classes so that I have more opportunity to see some scope and comparison. And I am seeking opportunities to learn about breeds from some of the more successful and experienced breeders. Never fear, I plan to learn about Netherland Dwarfs at the upcoming ND event at Gary & Susan Smith's home.
And if, over the next two year, I feel that I have the ability to evaluate other breeds and want to give up showing as much as I have, you just might find me taking a different sort of test - and starting the process all over again!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 8:53 AM
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Congratulations Laurie on passing your test! I look forward to you judging a show in our neck of the woods soon!
Laura
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Laura
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