Stewards of children
from bystander to upstander
training guide for judges
By now you should have received an email from the AKC regarding an important continuing education course on preventing child abuse, Stewards of Children. This training is required to judge any AKC event. The September 30, 2025 deadline for all Judges to complete this training has come and gone. Now, any event application will be put in a pending status until all Judges have taken the course or been replaced. If you wish to verify a specific Judge’s status regarding the completion of this training, please contact either Connie Thomas at 919-816-3907 or Christy Slikas at 919-816-3308 in Performance Events and they will be happy to assist you.
However, we are happy to report that there is a shorter version of this training available which is less than an hour to complete. “From Bystander to Upstander” is the course name and can be accessed by contacting Chelsea Horton at 919-816-3457 or [email protected] for an access code. Any judge who has not completed the course by December 30, 2025 will be placed on the inactive list. This is a mandatory requirement to Judge.
I am saddened by the numbers presented to us from the AKC. As of October 1, 2025 only 38% of Field Trial judges and 32% of eligible Hunt Test Judges have completed the training. With the shortage of qualified judges we currently face, we simply cannot afford to lose any of you - Please Don’t Delay! It’s easy to ignore and say I’m not taking the course, but please have enough respect for this game we love to bite the bullet and complete the training. Our game needs your support, and it needs it now!
If this training prevents just one incident of abuse, the invested time will have saved an innocent minor of a lifelong horror of hell. Think about that and say you’re too busy or just won’t make the effort. We are all better than that. Be part of the solution, get your training done!
Sincerely,
Jim Rickoff, President – Retriever News
However, we are happy to report that there is a shorter version of this training available which is less than an hour to complete. “From Bystander to Upstander” is the course name and can be accessed by contacting Chelsea Horton at 919-816-3457 or [email protected] for an access code. Any judge who has not completed the course by December 30, 2025 will be placed on the inactive list. This is a mandatory requirement to Judge.
I am saddened by the numbers presented to us from the AKC. As of October 1, 2025 only 38% of Field Trial judges and 32% of eligible Hunt Test Judges have completed the training. With the shortage of qualified judges we currently face, we simply cannot afford to lose any of you - Please Don’t Delay! It’s easy to ignore and say I’m not taking the course, but please have enough respect for this game we love to bite the bullet and complete the training. Our game needs your support, and it needs it now!
If this training prevents just one incident of abuse, the invested time will have saved an innocent minor of a lifelong horror of hell. Think about that and say you’re too busy or just won’t make the effort. We are all better than that. Be part of the solution, get your training done!
Sincerely,
Jim Rickoff, President – Retriever News
From the AKC:
Dear Field Trial/Hunt Test Judges,
In April 2024, the AKC Board of Directors adopted the AKC Educational Requirements Policy and Recommendations as an additional step in creating a safe and respectful sports environment for all. This policy requires all AKC-approved judges to successfully complete the From Bystander to Upstander training from the non-profit organization, Darkness to Light. Recently, the AKC Board of Directors voted to remove the requirement for judges to complete this training every three years. This means, judges will only be required to complete this training one time.
The purpose of the From Bystander to Upstander training program is to raise awareness about child abuse prevention. Within our canine-oriented community, it is intended to empower our judges to recognize signs of abuse while also promoting a protective atmosphere for children and families involved in dog-related events.
To access this training, please start here. The user guide provides helpful tech suggestions and will walk you through the steps of creating your account, launching the program and accessing your certificate. It is not necessary to finish the training in one sitting. For convenience, this training can be completed at your own pace where you can start and stop as needed until you finish.
If you have questions, concerns or comments, please contact [email protected]
Dear Field Trial/Hunt Test Judges,
In April 2024, the AKC Board of Directors adopted the AKC Educational Requirements Policy and Recommendations as an additional step in creating a safe and respectful sports environment for all. This policy requires all AKC-approved judges to successfully complete the From Bystander to Upstander training from the non-profit organization, Darkness to Light. Recently, the AKC Board of Directors voted to remove the requirement for judges to complete this training every three years. This means, judges will only be required to complete this training one time.
The purpose of the From Bystander to Upstander training program is to raise awareness about child abuse prevention. Within our canine-oriented community, it is intended to empower our judges to recognize signs of abuse while also promoting a protective atmosphere for children and families involved in dog-related events.
To access this training, please start here. The user guide provides helpful tech suggestions and will walk you through the steps of creating your account, launching the program and accessing your certificate. It is not necessary to finish the training in one sitting. For convenience, this training can be completed at your own pace where you can start and stop as needed until you finish.
If you have questions, concerns or comments, please contact [email protected]
