AKC Judging Conflict of Interest Policy

Mary · Post by **Mary** » Fri May 12, 2006 5:32 pm

Here is the new AKC Judging Conflict of Interest Policy.
Interesting policy
Mary

AKC Adopts Judging Conflict of Interest Policy
[Friday, May 12, 2006]
New York, NY – The American Kennel Club® Board of Directors has adopted a new Judging Conflict of Interest Policy, effective January 1, 2007. AKC® believes that it has the best judges in the world and expends millions of dollars a year to administer its judging approval system to ensure that quality remains high.

"AKC judging approval confers a certain status on an individual and with such status comes an enormous responsibility to both AKC and the Sport as governed by AKC," said President and CEO Dennis B. Sprung.

The policy states, with some notable exceptions, that AKC approved judges should be focused on judging and supporting AKC events. Approved judges should not have a significant interest in another registry that is in direct conflict with AKC or be judging for another event-giving organization to the possible detriment of events held by AKC member and licensed clubs.

The complete policy is as follows:

JUDGING CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY

No AKC judge may have a significant interest in a dog registry or dog event-giving organization deemed by the AKC Board to be in competition with the American Kennel Club. Significant interest would include, but not be limited to ownership of, employment by, a directorship in, and holding office in.

Any AKC-approved judge, who shall judge a purebred dog event in the U.S. not in accordance with the rules of AKC, which apply to such purebred dog events without the express permission of the AKC, may be disciplined even to the extent of having his or her AKC judging approval revoked.

An AKC-approved judge may judge breeds that are not AKC registrable and/or that they have not been approved for by AKC at non-AKC events. The AKC Board has also given permission for the judging of certain other events based upon the following criteria:

AKC has no comparable events in place.
While AKC has a program in place, AKC judges have officiated at events under the aegis of the other organization for years before the AKC program was initiated.
The type of event is not or would not be perceived as being contrary to the best interest of AKC and the sport of purebred dogs.
The event is a breed or type of breed-specific performance activity.
No AKC approval is needed to judge versatility or performance activities developed by AKC Parent Clubs and sponsored by such clubs.

Events held by the following organizations meet the above criteria, and AKC-approved judges may continue to judge them:

American Sighthound Field Association Coursing Events
American Working Terrier Association Earthdog Events
American Herding Breed Association Events
North American Versatility Dog Association Pointing Breed Hunting Tests
American Field Pointing Breed Field Trials
United Kennel Club Coonhound Events
Professional Kennel Club Coonhound Events
Any of the various organizations sponsoring Agility Trials
Other activities may be added to this list at the discretion of the AKC Board.

snips · Post by **snips** » Fri May 12, 2006 7:09 pm

Mary, what is this aimed at specifically? Do you know?

Mary · Post by **Mary** » Fri May 12, 2006 8:08 pm

Brenda
I do not know.
Maybe the retriever clubs that are non AKC can't remember their name. Also the Non AKC shows. There was a discussion mentioned in the Dec Board minutes about AKC judges officiating at non-AKC Conformation events
Mary

AHGSP · Post by **AHGSP** » Fri May 12, 2006 8:27 pm

At first glance, it would seem to be aimed at competitive Registries, but UKC and NAVHDA is permissable.....

Maverick · Post by **Maverick** » Fri May 12, 2006 9:03 pm

From what I have read about this so far it seems mainly targeted at the UKC retriever trials and all dog shows.
It would seem that the UKC retriever trials are flourishing and the AKC seems very worried about loosing their strangle hold.

Not sure that the AKC can really enforce what they are trying to but it will be interesting to see what happens as it goes forward.

Mav.....

Post by **Ayres** » Fri May 12, 2006 9:41 pm

Does this mean that a person that judges a NSTRA trial can't judge an AKC FT or Hunt Test?

If so, it looks like they're trying to selectively knock off the competition with these rules.

Post by **ezzy333** » Fri May 12, 2006 10:17 pm

Steve, no it doesn't. there are some retriever trials they are more concerned with such as the UKC trials. The regular groups promoting pointing dog trials are pretty much exempt I think. It is best to just wait a bit and I'm sure it will become plain who or what is affected.

Ezzy

Post by **Ayres** » Sat May 13, 2006 11:11 pm

Well, I saw NAVHDA and American Field included on the exempt list, but no NSTRA. That's why I was wondering about it.

AHGSP · Post by **AHGSP** » Sun May 14, 2006 7:05 am

Ayres wrote:Well, I saw NAVHDA and American Field included on the exempt list, but no NSTRA. That's why I was wondering about it.

Likewise Steve. I was wondering the same. Could NSTRA be too much competition for Walking FT's??

snips · Post by **snips** » Sun May 14, 2006 7:37 am

AKC probably does not know what NSTRA is.

AHGSP · Post by **AHGSP** » Sun May 14, 2006 8:14 am

I certainly hope that is not the case! I'd like to believe that, what I believe is the largest Registry in the US has its fingers on the pulse of the dog world and has half a clue of what is available out there to dog owners to participate in!