What is mentoring?
The definition of mentoring is when someone shares their knowledge, skills, and experience with another person to help them progress. So, if you’ve shared any knowledge, skills, or experience with another person or had another person share this with you, you’ve been involved in mentoring.
In the context of the Judges Education Programme, mentoring is a learning and development experience where a Mentee is assisted by a Breed Mentor in developing breed specific skills and knowledge.
Mentoring for all!
We fully support The Kennel Club’s view as part of their Judges Education Programme (JEP) that: ‘Mentoring forms an important part of a judge’s learning to be competent to judge a breed.’ However, as a breed we have extended this and are offering informal mentoring to exhibitors, breeders and, enthusiasts who may not be going down the judging route but who want to develop their own knowledge and understanding of our breed.
We know this is no new thing and that for many years informal teaching and learning has taken place ringside. We also recognise that not everyone knows someone they can go and speak to about the breed or indeed has the confidence in doing so therefore we wanted to help open doors and are fortunate to have many people willing to give their time and share their knowledge. Therefore, we are also happy to offer informal mentoring.
Mentoring for Judges
Breed mentoring is an integral part of a person’s journey to the end goal of becoming a Judge in that particular breed. We recognise that no two journeys are the same. The Kennel Club recommend a minimum of three mentoring sessions with a year between the first one and the third one. For the experienced all-rounder or hound judge this is ideal as they already have developed their skills across other breeds and bring with them a depth of knowledge and understanding.
For those starting their judging journey with Whippets as their first breed we encourage you to see three as the minimum and will support you in having the number of sessions you feel you need. Please do have a read of The Kennel Club’s Code Of Best Practice for Mentoring and the Mentoring Form.
When I sit down with a mentee I stress that we are only seeing a moment in time of that particular dog on that particular day. This can all change depending on the venue, the weather, how they are feeling – lots of different factors. You have to judge the dog on what you see on that day. It does not mean that in the future the dog could be doing what it is doing today! I also remind the mentee that we are seeing the dog from ringside, we don’t have the same view as the judge, we don’t have ‘hands on’ to feel conditioning and we don’t see in the mouth.
Whippets first came into my life over 25 years ago when we rescued a brindle dog from the Dogs Trust; he lived to a fabulous age and in that time whippets had well and truly captured my heart. I had a very fortunate introduction to the show world courtesy of our first show dog; Stormburst Sparkling Water at Citycroft 1CC,3RCC and his younger sister Ruby ; Stormburst Winter Sparkles for Citycroft JW ShCM. Ruby was an absolute dream of a foundation bitch and is behind many of the top winning whippets in the ring today; including all 6 of the UK champions bearing the Citycroft affix. The Citycroft kennel name is shared with my sister Jo Whitehead and we have owned and bred whippets of almost every colour. Probably best known is Gus, Ch Citycroft High Society JW; winner of 11 CC’s and 6 RCC’s.
I have awarded CC’s on 3 occasions and am keen to encourage more new judges to the breed and hope that sharing my knowledge gained from my own mentors and experience in the ring can help others gain the confidence to begin their judging journey.
Away from showing; I have a young family and the whippets are a very big part our lives; mainly as sofa snuggling buddies, walking companions and running partners.
I started showing dogs as a child, when I handled Basenjis amongst other breeds. I got my first pet whippet when I was about 6 years old and I’ve had them eversince.I began showing whippets when I was about 18 years old, soon making up our first Champion.
I started judging in 1992 and I just didn’t enjoy it at first. I felt at that point I wasn’t experienced enough to give judgement on other people’s dogs, so I decided to focus on my showing. As my husband Roger showed Gundogs, we continued to show WSS and Hungarian Vizsla’s. We then began showing Pointers, making up three generations of Show Champions.
However, my main focus has always been the Whippets. We have been successful in making up several Champions, either bred by ourselves or by other successful show kennels.In 2021, we had the joint top whippet male in the UK, whom we bred, and the
joint top whippet puppy, who later gained her title.I am very passionate about this breed. I believe as judges it is vital that we look to maintain breed type and as breed specialists this must be our priority because as judges, the breeds’ future is in our hands.
Furthermore, as breeders it is imperative that we not only breed what we consider to be correct, but we look to breed from healthy dogs with the best of temperaments. This way, the breed that is show cased in the ring is of the highest standard all round.
I am passed to award CC’s in Whippets, Dachshunds, Pointers and Welsh Springer Spaniel’s. I also recently successfully passed the Royal Kennel Club’s Eye For A Dog exam which requires a demonstration of your general knowledge of canine
conformation and movement at a level appropriate of a judge awarding CC’s.
I have been mentoring ringside and in groups for several years now, and I enjoy having the opportunity to share the knowledge that I have and hopefully encourage new judges to feel confident with their judging of the breed.I am also one of the Breed Speakers for Breed Appreciation Days.
I also believe in giving back to our hobby. I am the Secretary of SYWC as well as Secretary, Treasurer, and committee member on three other societies. Alongside this, I run my own business offering Canine Fertility and scanning services.
I have awarded CC’s on 3 occasions and am keen to encourage more new judges to the breed and hope that sharing my knowledge gained from my own mentors and experience in the ring can help others gain the confidence to begin their judging journey.
Away from showing; I have a young family and the whippets are a very big part our lives; mainly as sofa snuggling buddies, walking companions and running partners.
For 34yrs, I have been extremely passionate about our breed and dedicated to preserving our beautiful, functional, and unexaggerated Whippets for the future. I have completely immersed myself in every aspect of the show world; as an exhibitor, judge, Club Secretary, breeder, breed mentor & observer and breed speaker. I am fully committed to encouraging newcomers to the breed, supporting, mentoring, and leading by example. I believe in highlighting that shows should be fun for everyone, but especially for the dogs (and any wins are a bonus).
I aim to breed whippets with good genetic diversity, health testing and temperament My first Champion, Timeless Echo of Triken is behind 6 generations of Champions. We’re currently campaigning my 4th generation Champion – Ch Lolani Café Amore who is the first Show Champion to win Lure Coursing Stake. His father Ch Zoraden Gingerbread Latte JW produced many Champions, a coursing Champion and is behind the rest of our current show team. I’m very pleased to have Romaclove the Power of Love 2CCs being campaigned, a blue, of Zoraden breeding – there has yet to be a blue bitch Champion.
I am proud to have bred Whippets that lure course with enthusiasm and success and follow that sporting aspect with interest. I have also owned and bred three Champion Greyhounds.
I have been Secretary of East Anglian Whippet Club for 19yrs and recently elected Chairperson of the Breed Council.I think Breed Education is very important and would like to encourage anyone who would like to have formal or informal mentoring to get in touch (whether you wish to judge or not) and take advantage of the knowledge and experience our mentors have to offer.
I enjoy my day job as a supply teacher where I have to turn my hand to any subject at a moment’s notice, however, there is nothing I love more than sharing and discussing the knowledge of our wonderful breed.
My journey in whippets started in 2006 my Son wanted a pet and I needed a dog that was low maintenance and of good temperament as I worked and my parents would have to dog sit. The rest is history I was hooked. I can’t imagine not having a whippet in my life ever.
I live in the North East and a very active exhibitor travelling around the country showing my dogs.
I believe there’s no question and some point I’ve not asked about this beautiful breed whilst learning myself and I still continue to do so. I’m easy to talk to , welcoming and passionate. I could discuss whippets all day and keen to help with the fundamentals needed to understand the breed better and hopefully help you to fall in love with whippets and set you on the right path to your judging career.
I have owned & shown whippets since the late 70s, I own two kennel names Scarletfair & Fullerton. I have made up champions for others, but only won CCs & RCCs with my own dogs. I’m secretary of Three Counties Ch show and I love shoes !!
The Ardencote Kennel Name goes back to when I was in my teens and I bred a litter
of Labradors, a family pet and to do a bit of low key obedience. I then became
interested in Working Trials as well as more serious obedience and bought a GSD
from the Baileyhill kennel, we worked together up to a reasonable standard in both.
After a fall from a large horse that resulted in breaking my pelvis in three places I
decided to have a go at dog showing and bought my first ESS from the Hawkhill
kennel, I was fortunate to breed my first show champion from my first litter and went
on to breed four more before the Hounds took over at Ardencote. Greyhounds came
before the Whippets and Parson Russell Terriers joined from just prior to KC
recognition in 1990. Ive had/bred multiple champions in both breeds.
The Whippets joined us almost forty years ago and are the only breed that we keep
now, I have owned/bred four champions in this lovely breed and was privileged to
judge Whippet dogs at Crufts in 2023. That means that I have now judged all of my
four main breeds at Crufts and so have retired gracefully from judging to just enjoy
showing my dogs.
I bought my first show dog in the early 1970’s, Afghans were my first breed and this was followed by a Saluki and an Irish Wolfhound. It was not until 1990 that I became owned by Whippets and have bred and made up 5 Champions in the breed, the highlight being BOB at Crufts in 2007. I have also owned and made up a Champion Greyhound.
I award Challenge Certificates in Afghan Hounds, Basset Hounds, Beagles, all varieties of Dachshunds,Greyhounds, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Whippets, as well as 2 breeds in the Toy Group, Cavalier King Charles and Chinese Cresteds. I had the pleasure recently to judge my first Hound Group at the Hound Association of Scotland Championship Show.
I currently have questionnaires in for Basset Griffon Vendeen (Petits) Deerhounds and Salukis in the Hound Group and Pomeranians and Pugs in the Toy Group. As well as judging extensively in the UK I have had the pleasure of judging in Iceland, Latvia, and Russia.
I am a Kennel Club Accredited Trainer for ‘Hands On’ 50 Points of The Dogs, an Ambassador for the Kennel Club’s Charitable Trust, and am Chairman and Treasurer of Boston & District Canine Society.
I have had whippets for over 50 years, having bought my first with my pocket money as a 15-year-old.
Being a champ show judge since 1995 I really enjoy helping new judges navigate their way through the JEP as in my working life I was a training manager. This skill enables me to use my knowledge of our wonderful Breed and I hope to help candidates achieve their goals whether it be to judge or just increase their knowledge to assist in their own breeding programmes.
I have owned whippets since 1987 my first being a half sister to Nutshell of Nevedith, the current Breed Record Holder, although nowhere near as good for the showring! My first two whippets were only shown occasionally at local open shows due to equine & work commitments but I have been actively showing since 2004, judging since 2006 and gave my first set of tickets in 2017. I was the youngest member of a family bitten by the show bug and my fourth whippet was a pick of litter bitch (High Havoc at Hutaka, Keira) bred by my sister, Ann Beckett-Bradshaw. She did really well for me and I was hooked on dog showing too. Since then I have had the top CC winning bitch in 2013 – Collooney Ravishing Rita of Mulranny (Katie). Keira and Katie have both produced children that have gone on to do well in the showring too with numerous studbook numbers between them and a RBCC at Crufts. The Whippet show world is friendly and supportive, and we pretty much do our best to encourage new owners, show people and judges.
I have had whippets since 1973 and still have 2 (retired now) on my settee. I first gave CC’s in 1992 and have judged the breed in Australia and regularly throughout Europe, including Crufts, Skokloster and the International Whippet Congress, which was held in Italy. My presentation for the Congress is now in booklet form, or available online, via the Breed Council web site. I have served on breed club committee and as both Secretary and Chairman of the Whippet Breed Council and I am currently the Interim Vice Chair. I am a long time member of several breed clubs and lightly involved with judges selection for WOTY and, along with others, was instrumental in setting up whippet online education events. I have always wished to be ‘education proactive’ and look forward to helping anyone, formally or informally, who wants to further their knowledge of the whippet.
