Panic attacks - just a blip?

Declan, who is 8 months, has decided that all judges in the show ring are scary monsters out to torture him. He is a little wary of adult strangers outside the ring until persuaded otherwise (takes about five minutes) but nothing like the full blown panic in the ring. He is fully confident with dogs and children.
I didn't get him until he was 6 months old and he went to training/ringcraft twice a week with his breeder, separately from his litter sister, they showed him at Windsor just before I got him, and all that time he was fine. He doesn't go to ringcraft here as the nearest one is an hour and a half away by car although I am now considering it, but he has been to a show every week and even when not entered has been walked around the show grounds (it's allowed here, generally) meeting people and we have had little practices and people have gone over him so it's not as though he has been shut away in this remote place all the time.
The only other place he panics is the vet's where he has been a few times recently but this behaviour started before he saw the vet.
His breeder thinks it might just be a silly phase, but I would welcome any comments from members who might be able to suggest what I might try to overcome this. Incidentally, he stands relaxed in the ring and moves calmly, leaps about and really enjoys himself ringside with other dogs about, just panics when the judge walks towards him and tries to whip round behind me with his tail between his legs. All the judges so far have been very gentle and not given him any reason to behave like this.

Gill

Can you set him up in a mock show situation? Get as close to the real thing as possible and get people to play judge? Have the 'judge' just walk towards him and drop a treat for him without touching or making eye contact. I would think that it comes down to getting him to overcome his nervousness of people walking up to him in what he recognizes as an out-of-the-ordinary situation.

Does he react in the same way to all judges: male & female, skirts, trousers, spectacles, hats, etc.?

If he really hates it then perhaps he is not cut out for the ring?