Judges
The goal of the WAO organizing committee has been to select judges that reflect the different styles of agility courses currently seen on the international scene.
Bob Griffin, Head Judge
Bob Griffin made his entrance into the canine world in 1968, going on to become a Qualified Obedience Trainer and Obedience and Working Trials competitor for many years. Along with his wife, Cyd, he was also successful in breed showing and breeding “Heikym” German Shepherds, although they now breed Kromfohrlanders and Border Collies. For the past 20 years they have run their own Heikym Agility Training Club as well as holding training days for other clubs.
In 1983 Bob started in agility with a GSD and soon became a Trainer at a local club. Bob’s agility judging career started in 1985, judging at club matches and rallies and in 1989, having passed The Agility Club Judges Exam, began judging at Open KC agility shows. He was included on the original KC Overseas Judging list and then the list of Championship Show Judges.
TOP LEVEL AND INTERNATIONAL JUDGING APPOINTMENTS
Bob’s judging appointments are too numerous to mention, but here are some of the highlights.
- 1999 - Senior and Advanced classes at the Variety Club of Great Britain KC show
- 2001 - One of the first Championship classes for Large dogs at Chippenham
- 2002 – 3-day Finnish Open Championships
- 2002 - Portuguese Kennel Club’s 2-day show in Lisbon
- 2002 and 2003 - Finland, judging for 3 different clubs and holding training sessions
- 2004 - Co-judge at Crufts for the Pairs, Knockout Agility, and Flyball
- 2004 - Round 2 of the UKA Nationals
- 2005 - KC International Agility Festival
- 2006 - Small, Medium, and Large dog Championship classes at Rugby show
- 2008 - Final Round of the UCECA Individual & Team Cups in Spain
- 2009 - President’s Cup jumping, Individual breed agility class, Open classes, and the Nation’s Cup Final at the International All Breeds Cup Show in Poland
- 2009 - Finnish Open Agility Championships
- 2009 - Gamblers classes and Round 2 of the UKA Nationals Finals
- 2010 - IFCS World Agility Championships
- 2010 - UKA National Final judge
- 2011 - World Agility Open (head judge), Japan Open Agility Championships, and USDAA Mid-Atlantic Agility Showcase (USA)
Since 1989, as well as judging abroad, Bob has judged throughout Great Britain at every level and all types of competitions including National, Olympia and Crufts qualifiers.
Bob presided over the 2011 World Agility Open as the head judge.
COMPETITIVE AGILITY EXPERIENCE
Bob competes at UKA Champion level with two Kromfohrlanders imported from Finland, which were the first of their breed in the UK, and a Border Collie. He has also competed to Senior level with a GSD, Border Collie, and a Mini Schnauzer, and to Advanced with a WSD reaching several national finals.
An official KC Judges’ Trainer and a Championship Judge Assessor, Bob has been a travelling Supporter of the UKA Team at the IFCS World Championships as well as supporting Team GB at the FCI World Championships.
Scott Chamberlain, Judge (United STates)
I have been training and showing in agility in the USA for 19 years and have judged over250 agility trials in 17 years of judging. I currently judge agility for USDAA, AKC, andFCI, and flyball for NAFA.
My first agility dog was a black tri-colored Australian Shepherd named Focus. I lost her in October 2002 to cancer. She ended her career with 71 titles in agility, flyball andobedience (including 6 agility Championships). I currently have a 12-year-old retired Border Collie, Maverick.
I have been a USDAA judge for 17 years. I am a Masters level Supervising Judge, a Certified Measuring Judge, and a Course Reviewer. I have had the privilege of judging the USDAA World Championship finals 3 times (2001, 2007, and 2009).
I have been judging AKC agility for 14 years and had the privilege of judging the finals at the 1999 and 2003 AKC National Agility Championships. I have judged the World Team tryouts (selection trial for FCI World Championships) 4 times, I am a Volunteer Measuring Official for permanent height cards, and served on the 2001 and 2005 AKC Agility Advisory committee that recommends rule changes.
I have judged several FCI agility trials for the Mexican Kennel Club.
This past year I judged the finals for the NAFA (North American Flyball Association) CanAm Championships. I will also be judging the finals this coming year.
I enjoy judging because it gives me the opportunity to see a lot of dogs from all over the world on how they are training and progressing and to stay involved in the sport.
When I am not doing agility, I manage the computer network for my company.
Click here to see samples of my courses.
Lee Gibson, Judge (Great Britain)
Lee is an extremely successful international agility competitor with many accomplishments. Most recently he and his Border Collie, Taddymoor Scott, ran in individual and team at the 2011 FCI World Agility Championships in France. Scott
placed 7th in the Team Jumping round. Lee has taken five dogs to the Championship level in the U.K. and has competed numerous times at Olympia and Crufts. Lee and
Taddymoor Jack were part of the bronze medal winning Great Britain team at the 2008 European Open and also part of the 2011 team that went to Bad Hall, Austria.
Lee has been an agility judge for over 10 years with assignments both in the U.K.
(including Crufts qualifiers) and abroad (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Czech Republic, Republic of Ireland, South Africa, and Japan [2012]).
- Championship KC/FCI/UKA Judge
- Finals Judge at Dogs-In-Need, 2007
- YKC Agility Judge Crufts, 2008
- Finals Judge at Supadogs, 2008
Click here to see samples of his courses.
Thomas AmmitzbØll, Judge (Denmark)
My name is Thomas Ammitzbøll and I have been competing in agility since 2001 with my Cocker Spaniels. I started judging in 2003. I judge about 20 competitions a year. In 2011 I have judged at the Danish championship for both DcH and The Danish Kennel Club. I have qualified for the Danish Championship many times. At the moment I compete with a Golden Retriever and a Border Collie/Gordon Setter mix. My main interest in agility is judging. I like designing courses with a lot different solutions and obstacles discriminations. You can take a look at some of my courses here: http://spilop.wordpress.com/thomas-baner/
