Stewarding - A Beginner's Guide
I was recently asked to speak about Stewarding at a Seminar organised
by a gundog breed club and thought that the subject might
be of wider interest.
I began Stewarding when, at one of the Richmond Championship
Shows, the Judge returned from lunch minus the Steward and with no
sign of his return. As nobody else seemed inclined to offer constructive
advice, I offered my services to the Judge and we pressed on! The rest,
as they say is history.
I find Stewarding to be a very interesting experience and would
recommend it to anyone who is seriously interested in showing. It is an
opportunity to learn as well as putting something back into the show
scene.
So what do you need to do?
Firstly, you need to be organised (or at least appear to be) and you
should pray for a dry and wind-free day. Arrive at least half an hour
before judging begins, introduce yourself to the Show Manager and get
hold of all your paperwork. This will give you plenty of time to think about
how to manage things in the Ring. Some Shows are more organised
than others, but you should expect the following:
Prize Cards & Rosettes, a Catalogue (or two - one for you and one to
mark-up for the Judge), a Steward's Award Card (to mark up all the Class
results and then return to the Secretary). You should also have a copy of
the Kennel Club Notice To Stewards (F Regs, Annex C); note these have
been updated in 1997, so check you are aware of the latest version.
You may also have Ring Numbers, if these are to be given out in the
Ring, The Judge's envelope (with Judging Book, Rosette and envelopes
to send critiques to Dog World & Our Dogs) and details of Specials to be
awarded (this can be a real pain!). A Schedule may also be issued,
which will allow you to sort out Class definitions and eligibility if there are
any queries.
I like to get to the Ring before the Judge so that I can lay out all the
materials and feel that I have the table under control. It also gives you a
chance to re-arrange the furniture if necessary, for example to ensure
that exhibitors sat at the ring-side can get a clear view of dogs in the
Ring.
The main thing to remember is that the Judge is in charge, so agree how
he/she would like the exhibitors to be positioned (e.g. some want the
dogs in numerical order) and whether there are any other tasks the Judge
wants you to perform, such as writing up the Secretary's and Ring Award
Board slips in the Judging Book.
It is important that the Judge signs all the results in their Judging Book;
many choose to do this before they begin judging, but strictly speaking
they should only do it after awarding the results in each Class.
Whatever, it is up to you to ensure that at the end of judging, all slips
have been signed and put on the Award Board or returned to the
Secretary.
Getting Started
Once the Judge is ready to begin, the procedure for each Class is much
the same. Call the Class name and number to the ring-side and check off
each exhibitor as they enter the Ring. Give out the Ring Numbers if
necessary. It is the exhibitor's responsibility to ensure they are wearing
their correct Ring Number, but you to need to double-check that people
with multiple dogs wear the right number in each Class. Tell the
exhibitors where to go (!); i.e. where the Judge wants them lined up
initially. In classes where Miniatures have to be weighed, this has to be
done in the presence of the Judge and it is not your job to tell people to
withdraw if their dog is over-weight. The exhibitor should make that
decision and the Judge will take that factor into account if the dog is
shown.
Tell the Judge how many dogs are present, how many are absent and,
when appropriate, which dogs have been seen in an earlier Class. Seen
dogs should be positioned at the end of the line of new dogs, in the order
in which they were placed in earlier Classes.
Mark your Catalogue, the Judge's and the Award Card with the Ring
Numbers of any absentees, and you may also need to do this in the
Judging Book, if requested.
Now, keep out of the way. Let the Judge go over the dogs as the Class
gets underway and use the time to get all your paperwork up-to-date.
You should also be lining up the Prize Cards and Rosettes (and any
Specials), ready to hand out when the Judge places the dogs.
When the Judge is ready to place the dogs, and pulls them out, they
should be lined up with the First Prize winner at the left and the lowest
prize winner at the right. This is the time when a badly organised
Steward will allow exhibitors to mill around aimlessly looking for
somewhere to stand. It is also an opportunity for the occasional
less-sporting exhibitor to "move up a place" in the confusion, particularly
if the Judge is one who "waves vaguely" at their chosen dogs. Be ready
to hand the Judge their Judging Book if it has not already been picked
up. Try to position the line so that ring-side exhibitors get a good view
and where the Judge can see the dogs clearly to do their write-up (and
for some, to make those really irritating last-minute changes). Write the
numbers of the winners on your Award Card before handing out the Prize
Cards, otherwise those at the end (Reserve & VHC) will probably have
walked off (in disgust?) before you have written their numbers down.
As you hand out the cards, announce the prize and the Ring Number;
"Results of Class 45, Junior Dog, First number 126, Second number
135...etc." There is only one winner, so don't annoy exhibitors by saying
"Winners of Class 45...".
Ensure the relevant dogs stay for the Judge to write his/her critique (why
do some Judges still do this when you know they will never send
anything to the Dog papers?).
While the Judge is doing the write-up, call the next Class and get the
new dogs into the Ring; and off you go again.
As you go through each of the classes, you will need to keep track of
who is eligible to challenge for either the Challenge Certificates, or for
Best of Breed (depending on the type of Show). You should also look
out for people who have entered puppies in classes other than Minor
Puppy or Puppy. They will be eligible to challenge for Best Puppy. The
only safe way to do this is to scan the Catalogue for dates of birth as you
get each Class in the Ring and make a note in your Catalogue or on the
Award Card to remind yourself. In mixed Dog and Bitch Classes, I also
mark the sex of each placed dog on the Award Card to help when
deciding who can challenge for any Best of Sex awards.
Dealing With Problems
There is always one, isn't there? Typically, somebody will miss their Class
or have entered the wrong dog in the wrong Class. Don't forget, this will
always be your fault!!!
The basic points to remember are:
Only the General Committee of the Kennel Club can disqualify a dog.
Dogs incorrectly entered in a given age Class, can transfer to the correct
Class (e.g. a Junior entered in Puppy can transfer to Junior).
Dogs incorrectly entered in other Classes can only transfer to the Open
Class.
If someone misses their Class, they may not transfer to another Class. If
they are entered in a subsequent Class, they can enter that, but the
matter must be reported to the Show Manager (and Kennel Club).
The only authority to transfer a dog is the Show Manager.
Any "incident" should be reported to the Show Manager. As a Steward,
do not get involved in resolving disputes. Explain the rules as laid down
by the Kennel Club, but refer anything else to the Show Manager (who
will love you for this, but it is their responsibility).
Finally
Have fun. Stewarding can, and should, be enjoyable. You have the
opportunity to see the Judge going over dogs at close hand and very
often the Judge will be happy to discuss with you their views on what
they found (after they have finished judging, of course).
I really ought to end on a cautionary note and highlight some examples of
bad practice that I have seen. Fortunately, they are rare occurrences,
but they do nothing for the reputation of either the Judge or the
Steward...
Beware the Judge who asks your opinion of the dogs ("what should I do
here?"). The Judge must decide, but there have been examples of
Stewards guiding the Judge. At one Show the Steward was heard to say
"that one's a XXXX", where XXXX was a well-known Kennel. At
another, the Judge was overheard asking for all the Champions to be
pointed out by the Steward. And, at one Show, the Steward and Judge
could be seen looking at the Catalogue together, before the Judge
placed the dogs.
Integrity and courtesy are key attributes of an effective Steward,
combined with a working knowledge of the Rules and Regulations.
Finally, Finally...
Many Show Societies are only too keen to have people volunteer to
Steward and will usually welcome any offer. Ask the Secretary if you are
interested. You will probably be invited to help out with an experienced
Steward to start with. Don't see it as an insult or suggestion that you
aren't trusted, use it as an opportunity to learn and to demonstrate your
interest and potential.
You may even get a good lunch. Remember, there is no such thing as a
"free lunch"; you really will earn it if you are doing your job properly as a
Steward. Have fun.
IAN SEATH
January 1998