2008 World Club Show...

Steve remembers playing in the dirt of his father’s aviary as a young boy.  Today he is in a partnership with his father and brother called "The Holland Stud".  They are all judges and Champion exhibitors.  The MBS is grateful for Steve's contribution to our Articles list.

For as many years as I can remember a weekend in early November has been etched in the calendars of every budgerigar breeder in the UK. A few years ago following requests from breeders and a slow fall in birds exhibited the show committee agreed to change the show date to the last weekend in September. So as has become my tradition on the morning of 27^th September I made the 100 mile trip from home to Doncaster to first stewards during the judging and then see all of the birds at this year Budgerigar Society world club show.

For those who do not know how shows are run in the UK, I should first explain the procedure. All birds have to be entered into the show at least a week prior to the show date. In the case of the BS club show it's two weeks prior to the show date. This allows all of the paper work, catalogues etc. to be printed, (remember this show in the past has attracted 5000 benched birds and a normal championship show attract 1000 + birds so checking in on the day of the show is not possible)

Next you should know that, the birds are judged by colour group, each of the 15 judges will normally get two colours to judge from junior through beginner, novice, intermediate and champion section. If we follow, lets say, lutino’s. The judge this year for the colour (or as we know it Challenge Certificate) was Bev Hutt. She would judge first every adult class of lutino’s  (cock and hens) in total 10 classed and retain the winner of each class. These class winners would then be judged against one another. The best any age challenge certificate winner would have a “Red” spot placed on the cage and the highest positioned opposite sex lutino would have a “Yellow” spot placed on the cage. All these class winners are retained in a holding pen for late award judging.

The process is again repeated for the 10 young bird classes, but this time the best young bird has a ”Blue” spot and the opposite sex a “Green” spot.

Once all of the colours have been judged then all of the “RED spot birds are judged by seven of the 15 judges, A bird has to have a majority of the votes from the judges, but once it has this bird is awarded “Best any age in show”.

The process is repeated for each of the spot winner to give Best young bird in show, Best opposite sex any age and best opposite sex young bird. Finally the Best any age and best young birds in show are judged by all 15 Judges to give Best in Show.

The last act is for all of the judges to judge the section specials from all of the class winners. I hope you followed that………….. It makes perfect sense when it happens.

One of the privileges of being a steward at the show is that you are allowed in the show hall before judging. Judging does not take place in front of an audience as it does in other countries, and as has become tradition at the show the stewards hold a sweep stake to name the owner of the best in show winner. I have to say my record is not the best at this game as I never seem to have time to look at all of the birds, well that’s my excuse.

This year as with most shows in the UK the number of birds entered at the show was slightly down at 2338, the break down of each section being as follow

Champion                     903

Intermediates                414

Novices                        303

Beginners                     319

Juniors                          122

Teams                          6

Sales birds                     265

Inevitably the fact that we have to enter our birds in advance of the show, lead to bird being absent from the show so this was not the number of birds benched.

The best supported colour was the spangle with 114 spangle greens and 122 spangle blue with the sky blues attracting an entry of 151, light greens 149, grey greens 148 and greys 141.

So your question should now be “what won the major awards”

Best in show and best any age in show went to the partnership of Freakley and Ainley taking the awards with a grey green pied. This is the second year running that this partnership has taken the major awards at the show.

Best Young bird in show went to Brian Sweeting with his young Grey green cock

Best opposite sex young bird in show went to the partnership of R & M Miller with their Dark green hen

Best opposite sex any age in show went to Ian Fordham with his Lutino hen.

Other challenge certificate winner (best of colour) where as follow:-

Best of colour AA                Colour                                     Best of colour YB

B. Sweeting                           Light green                              C & M Snell

J.H.Woods                             Dark or Olive Green                   Norwood Stud

R & M Miller                            Cobalt, Mauve or Violet              R & M Miller

Devey and Wright                   Grey Green                              B. Sweeting

K.Fagan                                 Grey                                       J. Copeland

Guppy & Barnes                      Opaline Green                          C. Bowman

T.Baker                                 Opaline Grey Green                   G. Jenkins

Thorpe & Stanley                   Opaline Blue                             L & P Martin

M & S Banks                          Opaline Grey                            Newton & Shepherdon

B. Sweeting                          Cinnamon Green                       A & D Woan

A & D Woan                          Cinnamon Blue                         A. Easdon

B. Sweeting                          Opaline Cin Green                     R & M Miller

T & A Luke                           Opaline Cin Blue                        C & M Snell

I. Fordham                            Lutino                                     I. Fordham

G. Cameron                           Albino                                     M & M Chapman

R. Bray                                 Yellow wing                             R. Day

R. Day                                  White wing                             R. Bray

Cheatley & Alcorn                  Crest or Tuft                           D. Moss

B. Wilson                              Spangle Green                         J. Donovan

J. Donavan                           Spangle Blue                            Freakley & Ainley

Freakley & Ainley                   Dominant Pied                          B. Cattell

R. Brown                             Recessive Pied                          C & D Jones

K. Humphries                       Yellow Face                              Norwood Stud

T. Graham                           Rare                                        G & J Al-Nasser

Thorpe & Stanley                 Any Other Colour                      A & G Adams