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Yes, it can be quite difficult...There has been a lot of debate in the agility magazines recently about the suitability of courses for a particular type of class. Some competitors are quick to criticise when things are not right for them, but very rarely give praise when things go well. Judges too, can misunderstand what their objective should be when designing a course. Barrie Harvey, Chairman of The Agility Club, puts forward his point of view and says go with the flow. I am sure some of you will disagree with what I have to say, but then that is what makes us all different. I believe that there are a few rules to observe when designing a course, some of which I list below.
Type of class I believe that ALL courses should flow. By flow I mean that the sequence of obstacles should be fairly logical. With each different class there should be at least one part of the course that requires handling carefully, and also at least one change of side. All that the judge needs to do is to increase the amount of handling and change of sides, as the class categories increase. To illustrate - on an Elementary course, the jumps should be approached straight on in a logical sequence, whilst on a Senior course by changing the angle of the jump you can increase the level of difficulty. Now before you all start shouting at me - I am not for one minute suggesting that a Senior course will be the same sequence as a Starter course, it obviously will not, but we really do not have to make courses so difficult that they are almost impossible to negotiate.
How
can you tell if a course is good or bad? As a judge, it really beats me how anybody can get any satisfaction from eliminating large numbers of handlers. You expect some to be eliminated, but if more than 50% of the runners get eliminated, I would suggest that the course is wrong. The other consideration when designing your course is - how are you going to judge it? By this I mean, where does the judge need to be to judge the obstacle. I once saw somebody judge the weaving poles from the other side of the ring, with the handler between them and the dog.
Number
of entries and time pressures As a general rule of thumb with Novice or higher classes - and if you take no tea breaks during the class - you can judge 60 dogs per hour for Jumping and 50 per hour for Agility on an 18 obstacle course. For Starter or lower classes, you should work on 50 per hour for Jumping and 40 per hour for Agility. This is no reflection on Starters etc. It is simply a fact that Starter handlers and dogs are less experienced, and it takes longer for them to get ready and to negotiate the course. So using these figures 300 Novice jumping dogs will take five hours to judge, and 300 Novice agility dogs will take six hours. One other fact to remember in a class of 300 running, about 10% will not run.
So
how do I design courses? Each course should have a 'handling' section. The way I work is to have this section towards the middle in a Novice class and at the beginning and end of an Intermediate/Senior class. For Starters I DO NOT put it at the beginning of a class, the reason being that you can demoralise them even before they start. By having it later in the course, if they make a mistake, at least they feel the got most of the way round the course before the encountering a problem. Don't let anybody kid you that course design is easy. It is difficult, and nobody gets it right 100% of the time. Your course very rarely comes out the same in the ring as it did on paper, so be prepared to be flexible. Please bear in mind that the course you put up should be enjoyable to work, watch and judge. My favourite class to judge is Seniors. If you design the right course it is very exciting to judge and to watch. You must build in some good handling parts. In my experience, if you give them a course they can really have a go at, it makes a very exciting competition for everybody, including you.
Your
responsibility
Judging and course design is a serious business. Accept your responsibility, and do the very best you can. Design a course that is fair and will test the ability of the dog and handler. You will never get it right 100% of the time, and you will never please everybody who is entered in your class, but make sure that the majority have a good chance. Good luck with your judging and if you want individual advice or help, just contact me at shows.
About
the author He is chairman of the British Agility Club and has been involved with the club for 15 years. He is a founder member of both Mid Downs and Crayford agility clubs and can be found almost every weekend at a show somewhere in the UK. Credit: Clip art thanks to Danny Clarke
Clean
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