Judging

Judging NMC shows in the UK

An individual must be an NMC member for three years or more before they can be nominated

Members are voted in as a judge by the entire NMC membership during the annual elections

Judges have generally won multiple awards i.e. best in section, BOA and BIS (this proves that they are able to tell a good quality mouse from a poor mouse)

Those wishing to become judges will have stewarded multiple times (a steward is basically a judge’s assistant who brings all the maxeys to the table, removes the bedding, takes the judging slips to the Show Secretary etc.)

Each show usually has two judges, although bigger shows may have three and/or a separate BIS judge
When you are judging you cannot also show mice
White coats (similar to those worn by lab technicians) are worn during judging

At a typical show, a judge will judge either two or three sections (from self, marked, tan, satin and AOV). Each section consists of around a dozen classes (depending on the size of the show) including adults and u/8 (under eight weeks). For example, a self section might contain an adult and u/8 class for each of the following varieties: PEW, BE cream, black, champagne/silver, red/fawn and AOV self. Any self varieties not named in their own class (e.g. blue, chocolate, lilac) are shown in the AOV self class.

Show Secretaries provide a judging book for each judge, which has separate pages for each class showing the pen numbers of the exhibits in that class. Judges use this book to record their comments about each mouse and the places they were awarded if any (i.e. first, second, third). There is a duplicate tear-off strip at the right hand side of each page where results are copied, torn off and given to the Show Secretary so that they can write prize cards and fill in the show paperwork (this is later given to the Cup Secretary). The judge keeps the main part of the book with the comments in so that they can fill in a show report to be published in the NMC News

Only the top three mice in a class are placed. Many decades ago when there were bigger classes at shows, more places were awarded (I think these were first, second, third, fourth, highly commended and commended or similar)

Judges often keep a large soft brush (like a blusher make up brush or shaving brush) or a small silk cloth on the table in case they need to brush dust off the mouse’s coat or check to see if a mark is dirt/debris or a flaw etc.

Many judges also keep hand sanitizer and tissues/wet wipes on their table to clean their hands in between mice

A judge does not have to place a mouse even if it would potentially receive a placing by default e.g. second place because there were only two mice in the class. If they deem that mouse not good enough to qualify for an award they can mark it n/a (on the maxey label and show report)

If a judge disqualifies a mouse it is usually marked on the maxey with “disq.” and often the reason e.g. mites. If the reason it has been disqualified has the potential to adversely affect other mice, such as a communicable illness, then the steward will ascertain the owner of the mouse by looking at the label underneath the maxey or asking the Show Secretary. They will then return the mouse to its owner and ask that it be removed from the entry tables/venue