Q. What is the job of the steward at a dog show?
A. A capable steward is a dog show judge’s best friend. Stewards keep the judge’s ring running smoothly by gathering classes of dogs outside the ring, distributing armbands, informing the judge of absentees, and having class and Winners’ ribbons pulled and ready for the judge to hand out.
At many shows, two stewards are assigned per ring: a table steward to have ribbons ready and a second steward to collect the upcoming classes of dogs and keep those dogs eligible for Winners and Reserve competition standing by.
If you are an experienced exhibitor and have aspirations to judge some day, stewarding gives you an excellent opportunity to observe judging from inside the ring and fine-tune your knowledge of AKC conformation protocol.
Many kennel clubs offer instruction in stewarding so let local clubs know of your interest. Good stewards are always in high demand.