Judge Training & Licensing

AGC Field Trials are run under British Field Trial Regulations. The regulations are downloadable below. Candidates to judge will take a simple written test to ascertain a working knowledge of the rules.

There is an "apprentice period" of 3 field trials when a new judge must judge with a licensed judge. Then the apprentice judge will become licensed. The AGC will issue the license.

Periodic judging seminars will be offered. A seminar will substitute for one field trial worth of experience for an apprentice judge.

The basic judging criteria are:

Credit Points
Natural gamefinding ability	Control
Drive and Style	Quiet Handling
Good retrieving and delivery	Nose
Quickness in gathering game	Marking ability
Eliminating Faults
Hard mouth	Whining or barking
Running in	Out of Control
Failing to enter water	Refusal to retrieve
Changing game whilst retrieving	Chasing
Without merit
Major Faults
Unsteadiness at heel	Being eye wiped
Disturbing ground	Poor control
Slack and un-businesslike work	Failing to find dead or wounded game
Noisy or inappropriate handling	Sloppy retrieving and delivery

The complete Field Trial Regulations are available in PDF format for download here. You will need a copy of Acrobat Reader to view these files. If you do not have a copy of Acrobat Reader, you can download one for free from Adobe.com.