I took an exam to become a judge for USDAA (United States Dog Agility Association) back in 2013. In the short time I have been a certified USDAA judge, I have designed courses, traveled, and judge over 1,000 runs!
This past weekend I had the pleasure of judge for the Santa Barbara Flyers in a small town called Buellton, California.
A big part of being a judge is learning to navigate airlines and flights. I have become not only proficient in finding good rates for the clubs (as clubs reimburse judges for their travel expenses), but also at having entertainment on hand for any long airport waiting time or flights. A flight from Arizona to California is anything but long, but being from a desert, I loved flying over the water.
The trial site was wonderful, and since I’m from Arizona, I thoroughly enjoyed the cooler California weather. The club was incredibly friendly, had a lot of wonderful, hard-working volunteers, and a great fun-loving attitude!
The other judge and I had one night of dinner where we went out on our own (we attempted a nearby restaurant which was closed by the bomb squad due to a suspicious package), and one night the club took us out to a nearby Dutch themed town called Solvang. It was adorable! And the food at a local restaurant there, Chomp!, was incredible!
I would love to judge for the Santa Barbara Flyers again, and am thankful that I was recommended to them. As always, I am looking forward to many more assignments as an USDAA judge!
Are you interested in becoming a judge? Or are you an agility club looking for a judge for an upcoming USDAA trial? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Leave a Reply