Judges are an integral part of the sport of Canine Hoopers. They help to shape and develop the sport in its competitive capacity, to encourage our future stars and they get to have fun whilst doing it! Judging is very rewarding, but it isn’t without its responsibilities.
You don’t have to be an instructor to become a judge, in fact you don’t even need to compete yourself. You do however need a very special set of skills such as 

• • A learned knowledge of the UK Hoopers Handbook
  • An understanding of the sport of Canine Hoopers
  • The passion and desire to help advance the sport
  • The ability to plan interesting and compliant courses to test specific skills
  • A pleasant and encouraging demeanour
  • The capability to judge for several hours at a time
  • The confidence to quickly make lasting decisions within set guidelines
  • Have an inherent integrity and total consistency
  • A “can do” and adaptive attitude
  • Have a genuine enjoyment of seeing others succeed
  • The desire to grow as a judge and course designer

Judges work hard and are very well respected, they can enjoy perks such as complimentary entries, free camping, food, drinks, judges gifts and more but mostly judges judge because they love creating success and achievement for partnerships tackling their courses, they enjoy designing courses and testing skills and are always developing their own skills as a judge.

Getting started with the UK Hoopers National Judging Programme is easy, in fact you’re already half way to getting going! The entire programme is broken down into stages, Part 1 is our online Q&A. You should familiarise yourself with competition rules before you start. Judges need to have a good working knowledge of the rules but you are always able to double check the rule book if you need to.
Once you have completed Part 1 successfully we will invite you to submit some course designs and we will work together through Part 2. 
You are welcome to take Part 1 at any time, our online academy allows you to come back to it later if you need to and you can see your progress throughout. Part 3 is where the great fun starts, all UK Hoopers judges are mentored, this is a fantastic way to step foot into a ring as a judge for the first time without any of the pressure! You will work with a friendly and knowledgeable experienced judge so that when you take the reins for yourself you are cool and confident and can enjoy every moment. 

If you have any questions about judging or becoming a judge, please get in touch via email at info@ukhoopers.com or by direct message to our Facebook Page