8.4.1      Terminology

8.4.1.1 Agility – Includes Agility and Jumping classes as described in the ANKC Rules unless specified otherwise.

8.4.1.2 Aspiring Novice/Open Agility Judge - A member who has been accepted as an aspiring Novice/Open Agility Judge.

8.4.1.3 Novice/Open Agility Judge – An Agility Judge licenced to judge Novice and Open Agility Classes and Novice and Open Jumping Classes.

8.4.1.4 Master Agility Judge – An Agility Judge licenced to judge all classes of Agility and Jumping.

8.5.1       In the application to join the training scheme applicants must certify that they are capable of judging in accordance with the Rules and in the normally accepted manner. Thereafter the certification becomes part of the annual renewal application for Judging Licences.

8.6.1.1 Studying the ANKC Agility Rules

8.6.1.2 Studying the ANKC Agility Judges Guidelines

8.6.1.3 Attending appropriate Lectures and or studying available course material

8.6.1.4 Attending any required practical training session(s)

8.6.1.5 Completing course design exercises or other exercises as arranged by the Agility Committee

8.6.1.6 Acquiring ring experience

8.6.1.7 Studying available books and videos on course design and agility judging

8.7.1       The applicant must be at least 18 years of age.

8.7.2       The applicant must have trained and trialed a dog to AD title and one pass towards an ADX title.

8.7.3       The applicant must have been a member of the member body for a minimum period of 3 years.

8.7.4       The ANKC Member Body may consider an application from a person transferring from another State or Territory of Australia or overseas, who can provide evidence that their experience of Agility extends over a minimum period of 3 years and has trained and trialled a dog to the equivalent of AD title and one pass to ADX as a member of the canine member body in the State, Territory or Country of prior residence.

8.7.5       The ANKC Member Body may consider for approval an application from an applicant over the age of eighteen (I8) years, who otherwise would not qualify under these Regulations.  Such applicant must demonstrate active and relevant involvement in Agility for a minimum period of 3 years.

8.7.6       Application to join the Novice/Open Agility Judges training scheme may be made at any time and must be made on the proper form available from VCA office.

8.8.1         Applications must be made on the official form available from the VCA office.

8.8.2       The applicant must be an aspiring Novice/Open Agility Judge.

8.8.3       The applicant must have trained and trialed a dog to an AD title and one pass towards an ADX title.

8.8.4       The Agility Committee must certify that the applicant has:

8.8.4.1 Completed the relevant course design exercises, and any other specified works in the 18 month period prior to their licence application.

8.8.4.2 Undertaken the specified practical training in a 12 month period prior to their licence application.

8.8.4.3 Passed their practical examination in the 3 months preceding their licence application.

8.8.4.4 Passed the written examination on the ANKC Rules, Agility Judges Guidelines, and VCA Regulations current at the time of their practical examination in a 2 year period preceding that practical examination.

8.8.4.5 Or, due to prior relevant experience, received exemptions for any of the above.

8.8.5       On being granted a licence as a Novice/Open Agility Judges the judge is required to submit all courses to the agility subcommittee 4 weeks prior to all judging appointments for comment and amendment until notified otherwise.

8.9.1       Applications must be made in writing to the Agility Committee.

8.9.2       The applicant must have judged a minimum of 5 classes at Agility Trials which must include a minimum of 3 Open Agility Classes.  The course plans of the above 5 classes must have been submitted to the Agility Committee 4 weeks prior to the judging appointments and must have complied with:

8.9.2.1 ANKC Rules for the conduct of Agility Trials

8.9.2.2 ANKC Judges guidelines

8.9.2.3 VCA Safety prescriptions

8.9.2.4 Judgability

8.9.2.5 Course Flow.

8.9.3       The applicant must have submitted 3 Master Agility courses to the Agility Committee which complied with:

8.9.3.1 ANKC Rules for the conduct of Agility Trials

8.9.3.2 ANKC Judges guidelines.

8.9.3.3 VCA Safety prescriptions

8.9.3.4 Judgability

8.9.3.5 Course Flow

8.9.4       Novice/Agility Judges who wish to apply for a Master Agility licence, and who have held a Novice/Open licence for a period of two years but not judged the prescribed 5 classes in the 2 years prior to application, must repeat the Novice/Open Judges training course.  In this case any practical exercises including the practical examination, ring experience, and course design exercises, must be at Master Agility level.

8.9.5       On being granted a licence as a Master Agility Judges the judge is required to submit all Master courses to the Agility Committee 4 weeks prior to all judging appointments for comment and amendment until notified otherwise.

8.10.1     An Aspirant who fails a practical examination may be re examined after a lapse of at least three months.

8.10.2     Practical examinations shall mirror the judging of an agility class at the designated level, at a normal agility trial.

8.10.3     The aspirant will judge a minimum of 10 rounds using dogs of at least two different heights.

8.10.4     The course used will be designed by the aspirant and will form part of the assessment.

8.10.5     An Assessment Panel comprising three (3) Judges approved by the ANKC Member Body shall be appointed by the Agility Committee as an Examination Panel for any Practical Examination.

8.10.6     Only Assessors as qualified under these Regulations shall be eligible to be so appointed.

8.10.7     The Chairperson of the Agility Committee shall normally be the chairperson of the assessment panel, in his/her absence the chairperson of the assessment panel will be nominated by the Agility Committee.

8.10.8     The majority decision of the assessment panel will prevail.

8.10.9     The results of the practical examination shall be communicated to the Aspirant, and the Aspirants performance in the examination reviewed by the assessors with the Aspirant, on completion of the practical examination.

8.10.10    Appeals against the results of Practical Examinations shall not be allowed unless it is alleged that the ANKC Member Body did not conduct the Practical Examination in accordance with the Rules and Regulations.

8.10.11    Appeals shall be conducted according to the VCA appeals procedure.

8.10.12    If it is found that a Member Body has conducted a Judges Examination contrary to ANKC Regulations and/or policy and a candidate has appealed against a result of the examination, the examination is to be null and void. A new examination is to be scheduled as soon as practicable without the candidates being required to gain further qualifications.

8.11.1      All written examination papers shall consist of' “short answer questions” and/or “multi-choice” questions" only.  There shall be at least two (2) persons appointed to separately mark the papers, without conferring.  In the case of a split decision (equal pass and fail) an additional person shall mark the papers and that mark shall decide the result.  All written examinations shall require an 80% pass mark.

8.11.2     The only basis for written examinations shall be:

8.11.2.1         The ANKC Rules for the conduct of Agility Trials

8.11.2.2         The ANKC Guidelines for (Agility) Judges

8.11.2.3         The VCA Regulations pertaining to Agility