SPECIALIST & RARE VARIETY OPEN SHOW - 2001
report by Ghalib Al-Nasser, Show Organiser
photos by Terry A Tuxford

THE 14th Show of the Specialist & Rare Variety Open Show received a total entry of 982 which was down by 61 from last year's entry from 83 exhibitors. Despite opening on the Saturday evening the show did not encourage more exhibitors. However, the atmosphere was, once again, proved to be of total enjoyment, socialisation and relaxation for this national event, which is so much missed from the hardship of staging a one-day show. The show received a great boost with the £200 sponsorship from Les & Pat Martin, part of which was used to provide ceramic beakers to all the BOC winners and judges. Another great sponsorship was received from Rosettes R uss who sponsored the rosettes for the show. Other sponsorship was also received from Ghalib & Janice Al-Nasser, Geoff Capes, Jerry Donovan, Jan Hill and Frank Silva.

 The Budgerigar Society continued their support to the Specialist Societies by granting a special patronage with grade A challenge certificates in both the adult and young bird sections. The six specialist societies, the ten area societies and Budgerigar World gave special support, for which the committee extends their gratitude.

Apart from our regular fanciers from Scotland, Wales and Jersey, who travelled long distances to be with us, we also had the pleasure of our regular overseas visitors from Holland.

This year's show was for the partnerships as 16 out of the 22 BOC awards were won by partnerships, demonstrating the importance of partnerships in the fancy.

Our Guest of Honour was Ghalib Al-Nasser, President of the Budgerigar Society and the Rare Variety & Colour BS, whom we were delighted to welcome to present trophies to the respective winners.

Next year's show will be staged on 29th & 30th June (week 26).

REDEYES

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W S & L Bancroft

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A & D Woan

Jerry Donovan judged the 125 lutinos and awarded the adult C.C. and best Lutino and best Redeye in Show to a powerful and quality bird of good colour and size belong to W. & L. Bancroft.  A stylish hen with lovely face and colour from I. Fordham stud was second followed by T. Sadler's stylish and well-coloured cock of good size.

For the second year running the A. & D. Woan's partnership won the award for best Lutino young bird and best Redeye young bird in show with a stylish and good size hen. The new partnership of Powell & Scott made their mark by winning a second place with a deep coloured cock. The fourth partnership in this section were D. & C. Angus-Smith who occupied third spot with a typier hen. Best Junior lutino any age (best junior any age in show) and young bird was Sam Wildes.

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H W & M Hough

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Amos & Thumwood

Geoff Capes judged the 56 albinos and the Best Albino in Show went to H.W. & M. Hough's adult cock of good head quality and colour. The D. & B. Bunyan partnership were second with a stylish hen of good colour. C. R. Marsh had another stylish hen in third place.

Amos & Thumwood won the first of their four BOC awards with their albino young cock of good size but slightly out of condition. Two stylish hens followed in second & third place for R. Day and C. Thorne. Best Junior albino any age and young bird (best junior young bird in show) was Sam Wildes.

CLEARWINGS

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R Day

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D Guppy & D Barnes

Alan Marshall judged both the Yellow-wings and Whitewings and picked the top award from the Whitewings. There were 48 Yellow-wings and 47 Whitewings entered.

The best Yellow-wing was an adult Yellow-wing dark green cock of Roger Day of good colour contrast and good face and depth of mask, stood well while judging. R. Day also occupied second spot with a stylish olive hen of good deportment. This was followed by A. Minchin's large olive hen.

D. Guppy showing in partnership with D. Barnes won the first of his three BOC awards and best Clearwing young bird in show with a light green cock of good size and width. R. Day was second with a dark green hen followed by J. & M. Howes' light green cock in third place.

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D Guppy & D Barnes

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D Guppy & D Barnes

Best adult Whitewing C.C. winner and best Clearwing in Show was a skyblue cock of Guppy & Barnes, an excellent bird of good size and width with deep mask and of good light wing markings. D. & C. Angus-Smith occupied second spot with a skyblue cock while R. Day's skyblue hen was in third place.

Guppy & Barnes were the winners again of the young bird C.C. with a skyblue cock of good substance and a brother to the adult winner. R. Day occupied second place with a skyblue hen of good contrast. A skyblue cock from A. Minchin was in third place.

CRESTS

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G & J Al-Nasser

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S N Sewell

Ron Pearce judged the 89 Crests (an increase of 24) and awarded the adult C.C. and Best Crest in Show to Ghalib & Janice Al-Nasser's circular opaline skyblue cock, which was an excellent example of the variety and staged in top condition with a very wide crest. C. Meachin was second with a tufted opaline grey hen of good size and tuft followed by A. Miller's circular lutino cock of good crest.

Steve Sewell from the beginner section was on top in the young bird section with a half circular light green cock of good size staged in good condition. F., S. & K. Eatwell had a tufted cinnamon skyblue cock in second place. The new partnership of S. & R. Clarke & D. Gillman were third with a circular opaline cinnamon light green hen. E. J. Hooper won best junior any age award.

SPANGLES

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S D Gilson

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A J Minchin

George Booth judged the 134 spangles and awarded the best any age and best Spangle in Show to S. D. Gilson' light green cock. This was a good solid well-marked spangle that stood well throughout. Guppy & Barnes were second with a super double factor yellow cock but was let down by its condition. This bird was also best double factor spangle in show. A double factor white hen of good style and colour was third for L & D Stanley.

A. J. Minchin from the novice section headed the young bird line up with a lovely grey green hen that excelled in head quality and shown in superb condition. The show organisers Ghalib & Janice Al-Nasser were second with their grey cock of good width of face and deep mask but not as well marked as the winner. Clarke & Gillman occupied third place with a quality opaline cinnamon grey green hen of good size. Best young double factor spangle was a yellow cock from the Al-Nasser's stud. Master E. J. Hooper won both junior spangle any age and young bird awards.

DOMINANT PIEDS

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G & P Norris

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G & P Norris

Ron Pearce judged the 60 dominant pieds and awarded Gren & Pat Norris' cinnamon violet cock best dominant pied and best pied in show. This was last year's winner with a good width of face and balance of great quality but a little soft on the day. M. D. Wall, from the novice section, was second with a long and well presented light green cock followed by the grey green cock of A.V.J. Hayes in third place. Amos & Thumwood light green cock won best clearflight any age.

The Norris's partnership have done so well with dominant pieds, over many years and especially at this show, won the young bird C.C. with an opaline light green hen of good quality and condition. A. Minchin occupied second place with a yellowface grey cock while R. McCabe's yellowface skyblue cock was third.

RECESSIVE PIEDS

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K Bennett

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F S & K Eatwell

Once again the entry in this variety exceeded that of the dominant pied as in previous years with 75 for Geoff Capes to judge. The adult C.C. and best recessive pied in show went to Keith Bennett Grey Green cock of good size and overall quality but slightly heavily marked. Bill & Lynn Bancroft were second with a good-sized grey green cock. The Eatwell partnership was third with a yellowface violet cock but slightly over weight and marked. Best dark-eyed clear in Show, a white cock, was belong to the Eatwell family.

F, S & K Eatwell won the young bird C.C. with a yellowface cobalt cock of good size but slightly heavy on the wings. Dave Cottrell occupied both second and third spots with a dark green hen of good substance and a grey green cock of good size. A yellow hen was best young dark-eyed clear for Findlay & Flavell.

YELLOW FACES

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G & J Al-Nasser

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D Sadler

John Punchard judged the increased in entry of 53 in this section and awarded the adult C.C. and best yellowface in show to the Al-Nasser's stylish grey cock, last year winner, of good size, width and colour. Les & Pat Martin were second with a grey hen of good size but slightly ticked over the eyes. This was followed by Cy Thorne's grey hen of quality but lacking in condition. Best rainbow any age and best rainbow in show was that well known mauve cock from David & Christine Angus-Smith.

It was pleasing to see goldenfaces occupying the first two places in the young bird C.C. line up for Doug Sadler. His winner was a skyblue cock of good length that stood well and presented in very good condition while a large bodied grey hen was second best. Mark & Hazel Richard, the Jersey partnership, were third with a skyblue cock. The Angus-Smith partnership won best rainbow young bird with a skyblue hen. Master Edward Hooper won both junior awards in this section.

RARES

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Amos & Thumwood

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F S & K Eatwell

John Punchard judged the 57 Rares and the best of the Rares was an adult clearbody opaline grey cock belong to Amos & Thumwood. This long well spotted bird had a well-defined variety content which made it stand well. Another clearbody, a good length opaline skyblue cock, belong to P. & M. Allsop was in second place. Mike Holland's typy slate hen was third best.

The Eatwell family won their second BOC award with a young slate hen of good size. This was followed by a clearbody grey green cock of M. Holland. A clearbody opaline grey cock from Mr. & Mrs. D. Bunyan was third best

Best English Fallow, Findlay & Flavell; best German Fallow, J. & M. Howes; best Slate, M. Holland; Best Clearbody, Amos & Thumwood; best Saddleback, Mrs. S. Cook.

A.O.C.

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Amos & Thumwood

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Amos & Thumwood

This large section with eight different varieties was quite a challenge for Mick Mapston to judge and he was impressed with the quality of some of the 119 that he had to judge. He awarded the adult C.C. and best overall to a blue white cock of Steve Amos & Ron Thumwood, which excelled in boldness, style, frontal rise and depth of mask. Alec & Dave Woan's grey yellow cock was second which was a short and stocky of good width of head and shoulder. A quality, smart and fit, lacewing yellow cock of Terry Sadler was third best.

Amos & Thumwood won the young bird C.C. and their fourth with a suffused yellow cock of good width and depth of mask. Their stylish violet cock was second best of good substance. Terry Sadler occupied third spot with a stylish lacewing yellow cock.

Best Olive, M. Andrews; best Mauve, J. Farnham; Best Violet, Amos & Thumwood; best Lacewing, T. Sadler; best Greywing, G. & J. Al-Nasser; best Yellow, A. & D. Woan; best White, Amos & Thumwood; best Opaline/Cinnamon Clearwing, D. & C. Angus-Smith.

TEAMS
Only two teams were benched and the best was a team of lutinos from N. & B. Whitlock followed by D. & L. Rafis' team of baby clearbodys.