[Paul Rainbolt]

At any licensed or member field trial the Judges may make a “Judges’ Award of Merit’’ in any stake to any unplaced dog for particularly excellent work. The name and registration number of each dog to which such an award is made shall be noted on the back of the page in the Judges’ book for the stake in which the award was made.

Particularly excellent work IMO is finishing the trial clean or with 1 handle .

I have noticed there were several trials in my region were a number of dogs finished clean but only a few jams were awarded. One trial had over 18 dogs finish clean yet they only awarded 2 jams. I Just cant understand the reasoning for not awarding jams to the finishers. Im not looking to throw anybody under the bus as I have great respect and appreciation to those who give their time to judge. I would like to hear opinions and standards of other judges go by in the awarding of JAM ribbons. I have always given JAMS to all dogs that finish clean or with 1 handle in all age stake and the qualifying.

 

[mohaled]

Agree..maybe they don't have enough ribbons for 18.

 

[Brian Cockfield]

I'm with you Paul. The ribbons are cheap enough that if a dog finishes a trial, that handler should be awarded a ribbon IMO. This holds true for every stake but especially the minor stakes. I've had this happen to me several years ago and it was one of my first Derbies. I was disappointed to say the least. If I am judging a trial and your dog finishes, I assure you, you will receive a ribbon.

 

[SCOTT C.]

I mostly run hunt tests, but have run 2 Qualifyings and received Jams both times with a handle in the last series. I can tell you those green ribbons meant as much to me as another master pass. I think its important to give those greenies to the finishes, especially in the Derby/qual level. And I know our club orders enough green to give everyone one just in case.

 

[john fallon]

At any licensed or member field trial the Judges may make a “Judges’ Award of Merit’’ in any stake to any unplaced dog for particularly excellent work. The name and registration number of each dog to which such an award is made shall be noted on the back of the page in the Judges’ book for the stake in which the award was made.

Particularly excellent work IMO is finishing the trial clean or with 1 handle .

I have noticed there were several trials in my region were a number of dogs finished clean but only a few jams were awarded. One trial had over 18 dogs finish clean yet they only awarded 2 jams. I Just cant understand the reasoning for not awarding jams to the finishers. Im not looking to throw anybody under the bus as I have great respect and appreciation to those who give their time to judge. I would like to hear opinions and standards of other judges go by in the awarding of JAM ribbons. I have always given JAMS to all dogs that finish clean or with 1 handle in all age stake and the qualifying.

I agree... having been called back to the fourth series tells me that the dog is in a position to place in the trial. So with the exception of a dog that commits an eliminating fault in the fourth, the dogs that DO my last series will get a ribbon.....

john

 

[BonMallari]

Clint makes a real hard effort to JAM any dog that finishes a trial clean, in which he judges..
I think it stems from the fact that he had a young dog finish an Open at 26 months and didn't JAM....from a competitors standpoint ABIII has always told me that he makes it a point to acknowledge to the judges receiving a JAM,since they took the time to give the dog one ...

 

[Steve Amrein]

Last year I think we had given out JAM's in the teens for the open. The club did not have enough. If I recall a club board member was one of them and was more than happy to mail a few.

I also remember while giving out placements how happy the folks that did get a greenie were.

I also remember at one of the first trials I ever attended a self proclaimed FT big shot get mad a throw his green ribbon on the ground. What a allhose. Now I that I am not so green to the sport that I will make sure that if I saw that again I would file a unsportsmanlike like conduct complaint.

 

[rsfavor]

It is more than just a ribbon. An Open JAM qualifies a dog to enter a Limited stake.

 

[labsforme]

Judges. Thank you for those green ribbons that are earned.As one who has crossed over to the dark side from HT it means a lot when you can run with the big dogs and except for that last long retired would be a different color ( and will be some day ).Especially if you have a dog with a story behind it ( right Bon?).

Again, Thank you

Jeff Gruber

 

[Breck]

I'll never forget the first Open I finished as a new amateur handler in NJ and we didn't get a Jam. I expected a Jam since she had crushed everything except the last mark. Granted, the ultra stiff honkin' wind pushed all but one dog well off line on the key big island bird water mark in the 4th. My dog sorted it out with a classic wind save and came up with the bird without a handle. Oh well! At the end of an Open there are never very many people hanging around but I was still embarrassed standing there empty handed after the placements were given out.
Over time I actually came to dislike Greenies. My dog actually received more Open and Am Jams than any dog in the nation one year. Over her career I think she finished 45% of the trials she ran (which is really good) and of those received a Jam 30% of the time. That's about 40 freekin' Jams! Maybe one or two of those should have been a different color, No?

 

[Brandoned]

I also like to give Jams to dog's that finish any stake (other than derby of course) even with one handle! There have been 2 times that I can remember not doing that and it was simply because my co-judge didn't believe in giving them out with handles and I gave in just short of an argument! I am still one of the ones that will take any ribbon I can get!

However I think some judges are so ready to get out of there on Sunday afternoon they don't feel like taking the time to go through and sort out Jams.

Plus I have been on the other end finishing a trial and not getting anything, heck I was even 1 of 3 dogs to finish an AA stake a few years ago (one finished clean, me and the other guy handled on long retired) and they gave out TWO placements.... Guess I had the wrong passport to run that trial!

 

[EdA]

from Field Trial Rules and Standard Procedures for Retrievers page 35

43. The awarding of a Judges’ Award of Merit to dogs which have passed every required test in a stake and have shown themselves to be well trained and qualified retrievers, should be encouraged

 

[tshuntin]

Let me ask a question...

If you were the judge of an AA stake and after completing the last series and handing out placements, there were still 18 dogs standing that finished, what would you think/do?
-Give all 18 dogs a Jam?
-Think your test was way to easy and you as a judge should have made it more challenging?
-Think that this is an exceptional group of dogs/handlers?
-Run another series?

 

[Granddaddy]

I have read & understand the rules. I am usually very generous with JAMS for all stakes except the open (where a JAM provides a qualification of sorts as mentioned above). Usually my tests are difficult enough to get the separation required to distinguish meritorious, excellent work from less than acceptable work. A distinction that I have observed by some judges is that if several dogs finish without a handle yet don't place they will receive a JAM while handles don't - especially in an open/limited/restricted/special stake (even though some handles should be preferred over extended hunts). Another observation I have seen is that some judges place little or no attention to JAMS, giving everyone who finishes (using the word losely to include all dogs who picked up all the birds without regard to hunts or handles) regardless of the work. Point is, I think there are judges who err on both sides of the issue.

 

[helencalif]

Let me ask a question...If you were the judge of an AA stake and after completing the last series and handing out placements, there were still 18 dogs standing that finished, what would you think/do?
-Give all 18 dogs a Jam?
-Think your test was way to easy and you as a judge should have made it more challenging?
-Think that this is an exceptional group of dogs/handlers?
-Run another series?

I would think that the 4th series test was too easy. It's possible that most of your tests were too easy or you carried a lot of bleeders to the 4th.

I would not run another series because there are 18 dogs to run. Also, why make the club pay extra costs (assuming you would use live flyers) for your mistake in setting up an easy 4th series test?

The 18 JAM ribbons should be awarded. Hopefully the club had enough Open or Amateur JAM ribbons on hand.

Helen

 

[EdA]

Let me ask a question...

Run another series?

Probably the tests were too easy, regrettably due to entry size and time constraints another series is rarely an option. If you have a legitimate winner (doesn't have to be by a grand slam, sometimes a bunt single) your obligation is to the contestants and the trial giving club to place the remainder of dogs to the best of your ability and reward as many JAMs as is appropriate whether it be 2 or 20.

One of the finest gentlemen to have ever been involved in field trials, Jim Columbo, detested dropping dogs and it was common for him to award large numbers of JAMs when he judged.

 

[FOM]

It is more than just a ribbon. An Open JAM qualifies a dog to enter a Limited stake.

And so does getting a 1st or 2nd in the Qualifying. A dog that makes it to the 4th series of an AA stake and finishes it with acceptable work in my humble opinion has shown it should be designated as QAA.

Something we need to also consider, finishing an AA stake is tough enough, but if judges want to deny giving out JAMs to dogs who do the work they are also in the long run going to keep up and coming handlers from judging - let's face it apprenticing is not working all that well. Who wants to give up a weekend to apprentice when they can run their dog instead?

And just because a club is short on JAM ribbons is no excuse for not handing them out.

Also JAM ribbons in minor stakes should be given out as much as possible in my opinion. I've personally have finished a Derby and did not get a JAM - that's all he deserved anyway, it was a long 8 hours driving home and it left a very, very bitter feeling...so having experienced that, I am extremely generous with JAMs in minor stakes.

FOM

 

[bfarmer]

At any licensed or member field trial the Judges may make a “Judges’ Award of Merit’’ in any stake to any unplaced dog for particularly excellent work. The name and registration number of each dog to which such an award is made shall be noted on the back of the page in the Judges’ book for the stake in which the award was made.

Particularly excellent work IMO is finishing the trial clean or with 1 handle .

I have noticed there were several trials in my region were a number of dogs finished clean but only a few jams were awarded. One trial had over 18 dogs finish clean yet they only awarded 2 jams. I Just cant understand the reasoning for not awarding jams to the finishers. Im not looking to throw anybody under the bus as I have great respect and appreciation to those who give their time to judge. I would like to hear opinions and standards of other judges go by in the awarding of JAM ribbons. I have always given JAMS to all dogs that finish clean or with 1 handle in all age stake and the qualifying.

My opinion is if a dog does good enough work to get to the fourth series and finishes it clean or with one handle then it should receive a Jam ribbon. It is not easy finishing an All-Age stake and should be rewarded in my opinion.
Bobby

 

[MardiGras]

My Zia's last FT she ran (before being diagnosed with cancer) she finished both the Open and the Amateur (much to my delight). She did receive an Amateur JAM -- but, she did NOT get an Open JAM (she finished both sets of Open marks without a handle). :-x

Being a FT Secretary and Club Secretary -- I know that these clubs can buy green ribbons and the cost is not that much. I am very particular about every participant that earns a ribbon (no matter what color) will receive their ribbon. I have no problems with mailing ribbons and I do mail ribbons after every trial. So, not having enough greenies is a cop-out (IMHO).

I appreciate what judges do (I have done it myself) -- but, just remember those that come to the trials with one dog (especially those as amateurs in the Open) and finally get to the last series for the first time... a green ribbon means more than anything.

 

[captainjack]

I'm of the opinion that if you finish the trial (have no eliminating fault in the 4th), you should get a JAM. Especially in an Open where the JAM comes with QAA status. Compare the merits of a dog that finishes 2nd in a 14 dog O/H Qual, to a dog that is one of 20 dogs to finish an 80 dog open but does so with a clean handle in the 4th.

Maye the Open was not challengng enough, or maybe there were a lot of FC/AFC dogs in the field. Either way, I think that the Open dog with a handle has shown it is deserving of QAA status.