RULES AND ELIGIBILITY

PURPOSE
To encourage the showing of Bouvier des Flandres in conformation classes, the ABdFC has set up the Top 20 Conformation event. This event is a part of the ABdFC National Convention and serves many purposes in educating judges, exhibitors, breeders and fanciers. The event offers all who attend or see the film a chance to view the "Cream of the Crop". Using the scale of points, each dog is evaluated according to how closely it conforms to the Breed Standard. This procedure is not available at any point show and allows the spectator an opportunity to evaluate the dogs, scoring them at the same time they are being judged. The dogs are observed from a positive approach - they are NOT fault-judged. The event is educational, promoting discussion of the standard . . . which encourages the exchange of ideas.

STATISTICS AND ELIGIBILITY
The Top 20 Bouviers in conformation for any given year are based on the following: statistics are compiled from show results published in the AKC GAZETTE starting with the July issue of one year through the June issue of the following year. Points awarded are equal to the number of dogs defeated (including Best of Breed winner) by winning Best of Breed at an All-Breed or Specialty show.

Excluded from competition are any previous winners of the Conformation event. They may attend for Exhibition Only.

If the final Top 20 standings include a previous winner or winners, the 20 Bouviers with the highest point total that have NOT won any previous Top 20 event are invited to participate. Previous winners are noted in the standings.

For purposes of competition, a deceased finalist will only be considered a competitor one time following their demise. Thereafter, they will be treated in the same manner as a previous winner.

A finalist will only be allowed to compete if the owner or agent attends the briefing held at least one half hour prior to the event for the purpose of assigning arm band number.

JUDGES
The Top 20 Committee will make selection of judges. Excluded from judging the event will be any person actively serving on the Top 20 Committee and any person actively serving as an Officer or Board Member of the ABdFC. In the event the Top 20 Chairman finds it necessary to have two persons from the same household serving on the Committee at the same time, their vote will count as only one in the selection of judges. Excluded from the process of selecting the judges will be any Committee member who has any interest whatsoever in any dog eligible to compete. Committee members will disqualify themselves if the circumstance exists or may be disqualified by the Chairman. The Committee will select an individual from each of the following categories:

HANDLER (past or present) - a professional handler, meeting the requirements for membership in a Professional Handler's organization (though not necessarily a member). Must have at least five- (5) year's experience.

BREEDER or APPROVED AKC JUDGE - an established Bouvier breeder who has been breeding for at least five (5) years, having produced at least five (5) Champions of Record as published in the AKC GAZETTE OR and AKC judge approved to judge Bouviers.

MULTI-BREED AKC APPROVED JUDGE - approved to judge Bouviers and at least four (4) other breeds (in any Group).

Each participating Committee member may nominate up to five (5) judges in each category and forward the names, upon call, to the Committee Chairman. The Committee Chairman, after reviewing the nominated judges for eligibility, will prepare and mail the ballot to the participating Committee members. The participating Committee members will return the ballot to the Committee Chairman, who will tally the ballots. The Committee Chairman will secure the acceptance of the winning nominees, based on availability. The name of the winners in each category will be revealed only to those Committee members who must know (e.g. Catalog Chairman). The name of those selected to judge shall be kept CONFIDENTIAL until the day of the event. The Committee Chairman will select a Steward for each of the judges.

SCORING
Each participating Bouvier is individually evaluated by each judge using the scale of points (see score sheet).

Immediately following the completion of judging, the judges' score sheets will be tabulated by the Committee and held until the evening of the Awards Banquet.

The scores for each dog, from each of the three judges, are tabulated, added together, then divided by three (3) to determine the dog's average score.

In the event of a tie, the winner is determined by consulting the "Average Placement" total. The dog with the highest "Average Placement" total is declared the winner. This figure (Average Placement) is used ONLY to break a tie, and is not included in tabulating the AVERAGE score.

In the event the "Average Placement" scores result in an additional tie, there will be two (2) winners.

The finalist with the highest score is the winner.

The Committee Chairman or designated Committee Member announces the winner at the annual Awards Banquet.

The Committee Chairman or designated Committee Member will present the winner with a Winner's Ribbon at the annual Awards Banquet.

JUDGING PROCEDURE
Each judge will score each dog individually, using the Scale of Points provided

The winner will be determined on the basis of the total score of each dog.

In the event of a tie, it shall be broken by using the "Average Placement" score, (a scale of 1-10) marked by each judge prior to the marking of the score sheet, as the determining factor.

The above of simple ground rules that will be followed in the judging of this event. The rationale for this system is as follows.

Whenever a judge examines an individual dog and compares it, mentally, to the judge's picture of the ideal, the judge is going through the work of judging by scoring. The scoring system adds the assigning of numerical values to the main factors of judging and it demands the judge indicate wherein he penalizes for less than ideal characteristics. The judge's scores, part by part, are recorded. The judge will be indicating the degree of deviation in each part from the ideal. He must also score each dog before he actually judges it, by using the Average Place Scale of 1 through 10. In other words, he must look at the dog as a whole and place the dog on his scale, with a score of 10 meaning that the dog is in perfect harmony with the judge's picture of the ideal Bouvier.

Scoring is much more time consuming than the comparison judging we are accustomed to in the show ring. When scoring dogs, a judge can do no more than about 6-10 dogs an hour. But, when scoring is complete, it provides a written critique of the dog as seen by the judge. The total score gives some sense of the "approximation of perfection" of the individual dog. Thus, tradition has it that the great dogs of the breed . . . the landmark animals . . . would have scored between 93 and 94 points. In theory, if we had numerical scores of the great Bouviers of years gone by, we could compare the scores of our present greats to them. So, in setting up the judging for the Top Twenty, we have set up a system that could provide numerical norms for future comparisons.

Scoring has another virtue. It is a strong discipline for the judge. A fault can seem to stand out to a judge. He can become sensitized to one difficulty or even to one virtue. And, he can over-fault or over-emphasize the virtue. Scoring checks this to a marked degree. It reduces the idiosyncrasies of individual judges.

Entering the ring one at a time, the first group of three dogs will be scored first for Average Placement and then moved individually, with the judges then scoring the dog on movement. At this point, judges and dogs will move to their respective stations for individual examination and to complete the scoring. The dogs are rotated until each of the three judges has scored each of the three dogs. This process will be repeated, with three dogs in the ring at a time, until all the dogs have been scored.

The scores will be tabulated and the resulting winner will be announced at the annual Awards Banquet or after the conclusion of Best of Breed judging. Individual scores and rankings remain confidential. Only the winner is announced.

While in the ring, judge's conversation with their stewards must be confined to questions of procedure.

This is the judging system for the confirmation event. It will be hard for the judges. It will record the judge's scores of the whole dog and each part of the dog. It could offer a numerical standard by which comparison may be made. It will reduce somewhat individual prejudices about faults and virtues. Most of all, it seems to be a system that fits the event . . . the  exhibition-competition among the Top Twenty of our breed.