SPECIALIST & The 24th Specialist & Rare Variety Open Show once again was a successful show with total entry of 650 of which 452 birds were benched in the competitive classes from 52 exhibitors. As always the show committee extends their sincere thanks and gratitude to the following sponsors; Brown & Hutt (50% cost of all the open rosettes for the show); to Geoff Capes (cost of all the ceramic awards to the judges and Best of Colours), Les Martin, Jan Hill, Grant Findlay & Nick Flavell, Mick Anzara and Dave & Linda Rafis for their financial sponsorship. Warren Wilson & BRASEA donated major rosettes for all the BOC winners and other coloured awards. The show also received sponsorship in the form of products from The Birdcare Company, Johnson & Jeff Ltd, Johnson’s Veterinary Products Ltd and Murphy & Son Ltd. Donated birds for the raffle came from Bob Allan, Ghalib & Janice Al-Nasser, Dave Guppy & Dave Barnes, Dave Moss, Terry Sadler, Cy Thorne and Nicola & Brian Whitlock. All members of the show committee also sponsored the show with raffle prices.
Our Guest of Honour this year to present the 45 trophies was Maurice
Roberts, the Budgerigar Society President. Next year's show is a special one as it is the
25th Jubilee Show and will be staged on 29th & LUTINOS TOP REDEYES AGAIN
There was a considerable drop in entry in the Lutinos to 45 for Geoff Bowley to judge but there was only one outstanding bird in that section; the Lutino cock from Gren & Pat Norris which won all the major specials in the Redeye section including Best Lutino and Best Redeye in Show. Rick Watts was second in the any age section with a hen which although nice but was not rich in colour. Andy Benton benched a nice cock in third place. Jerry Donovan won the young bird award with a very good cock followed by quality hen from the Dave Guppy & Dave Barnes stud but lacked in colour. Nicola & Brian Whitlock were third with a smart hen. Colin Lamb judged the 22 Albinos and gave the Best Albino in Show to Gren & Pat Norris’ cock of substance and width. Rick Watts was second with a hen followed by another hen from Nicola & Brian Whitlock in third place. The young bird section was poorly supported and the winner was a cock with some blue suffusion from the new partnership of Cy Thorne & Belinda Finlayson under the stud registered name of Cyberstud. This was followed by a hen benched by Andy Benton. WHITEWING TOPPS CLEARWING AWARD
John Lees judged both varieties which showed an increase from last year with 32 Yellow-wings and 33 Whitewings and the Guppy & Barnes partnership dominated the scene. They won Best Yellow-wing in Show with a Light Green cock of good size which was followed by Malcolm & Pam Freemantle’s Olive Green hen of good size. Mick Anzara was third with a Light Green cock of good wing marking. The partnership won the young bird certificate with a good Dark Green cock staged in good condition followed by the Freemantle’s Dark Green hen in second place. Colin Brickell was third with a Dark Green cock of good contrast. The Best Clearwing in Show came from the Whitewing section when the Guppy & Barnes staged a Skyblue cock of good head quality and wing clarity to win the top award. Colin Brickell had a Cobalt cock and Cobalt hen to fill the remaining two spots in the adult section. The Guppy & Barnes partnership won their 4th challenge certificate with a young Skyblue cock of good wing marking followed by their Skyblue hen which although bigger than the winner but condition and darker wing marking let her down. Mick Anzara was third with a Cobalt cock of good contrast. Solomon Harman-Naylor won the junior section with a Whitewing cock.
CRESTS OF QUALITY There was an increase in the crested entry from 37 to 60 in our Golden Jubilee year for Colin lamb to judge. The champion circular crest any age cock class was the biggest class in the show with an entry of 18 crests some of which entered by Mick Widdowson and Dave Moss were the best ever to be seen and it is a credit to Mick & Dave for taking the variety forward over the past few years. The adult C.C. and eventually the Best Crest in Show went to Mick Widdowson’s Circular Opaline Light Green cock of good size with plenty of shoulder and a powerful bird. Mick also occupied second place with his well known last year’s any age winner the Tufted Light Green cock of good size and shape and staged in good condition. Mick Anzara was third with a Circular Opaline Grey cock of good size. Dave Moss’ neat Tufted hen was best any age opposite sex. Dave Moss won the young bird section with a large powerful and well spotted Circular Opaline Skyblue cock staged in good condition and stood well. Ghalib & Janice Al-Nasser were second with a typy Circular Double Factor Spangle Yellow hen of good shape and shoulder but slightly out of condition. The Eatwell family of Fred, Sheila & Kevin staged a well presented Tufted Grey Green cock in third place.
QUALITY SPANGLES The 70 Spangle Greens were judged by Geoff Bowley and he awarded the adult CC and Best Spangle Overall in Show to the quality Double Factor Spangle Yellow cock of Rick Watts. Jerry Donovan was second with a Light Green cock winning the largest spangle class in the show. This class also saw for the first time a “miniature” Spangle Opaline Light Green cock benched by Ghalib Al-Nasser which created some comments!!! Another Double Factor Spangle Yellow cock benched by Stuart & Tina Lansdowne was placed third in the run down. Arnold Stevens benched a Grey Green hen to win the opposite sex award. Jerry Donovan staged a good Green hen to win the young bird award and Best Spangle Young Bird in Show overall. This was followed by Colin Potter’s Double Factor Yellow hen in second place. Jerry Donovan was third with a stylish Green cock winning the opposite sex award. Bill Hough judged the 44 Spangle Blues and awarded the Best Spangle Blue and adult CC to Rick Watts’ Spangle Dominant Pied Cobalt cock of quality. A Double Factor White cock belongs to Jerry Donovan was placed second in the line up. This was followed by Craig & Sandra Tipton’s Skyblue cock in third place which by far was the best bird in the line up but the flecking and condition put him down. Findlay & Flavell benched a Skyblue hen in good condition to win the Best Any Age Opposite award. Jerry came to the fore to win his second young bird CC with a Double Factor White cock of good quality. A Skyblue cock belongs to Fred, Kevin & Sheila Eatwell was second. Arnold Stevens benched a Double Factor White hen of good size in third place. Sadly there were no junior entries in the spangle classes.
QUALITY IN DOMINANT PIEDS John Lees judged the 55 Dominant Pieds and awarded the Best Dominant Pied and Best Pied in Show to Rick Watts’ outstanding Skyblue cock of good head quality. Adrian & Trevor Terheege were second with a Yellowface Cobalt hen of good head but dark in the wing marking. A large Light Green cock benched by Chris Hawkins was third. Ian & Pat Fielding benched an Opaline Dark Green cock to win the Clearflight Any Age award. HAT TRICK FOR NORRIS’ RECESSIVE PIED Colin Lamb judged the 68 Recessive Pieds and the award for Best Recessive Pied in Show went for the third consecutive year to Gren & Pat Norris’ well known Dark Green cock of great substance of good head quality and marking. Michael & Margaret Chapman were second with a Yellowface Cobalt cock of good quality. Craig & Sandra Tipton were third with a Grey Green cock of quality. Best Dark Eyed Clear Any Age went to Ian & Pat Fielding with a White cock. The Chapman’s partnership won the young bird certificate with a Light Green cock and were third with a heavy winged Cobalt hen. The Tipton partnership were second with a well marked Grey Green hen. Best Dark Eyed Clear Young Bird was won by the Fielding partnership with a White cock. YELLOWFACES Malcolm Hough judged the 31 Yellowfaces and awarded the Best Yellowface in Show to Gren & Pat Norris’ Skyblue cock of good size and colour. Stuart & Tina Lansdowne were second with a good Grey cock which was followed by Frank Barnes’ Grey cock in third place. The Norris partnership won their 5th challenge certificate with a solid quality Grey hen. Frank Barnes was second with a Skyblue cock followed a typy Grey cock from Adrian & Trevor Terheege in third place. LESS RARES
There were much less Rares this year for Malcolm Hough to judge as the entry dropped from 72 to 32 and this was to be expected when the Clearbody variety was removed from this section to the A.O.C. section. It was the Slates that took the double in this variety and the Best Rare Any Age and Best Rare went to Mick Widdowson’s Slate Yellowface hen of good quality. Gren & Pat Norris were second with their Anthracite cock of good length. Another quality Slate hen from John & Jamie Naylor’s stud was third. John & Jamie Naylor headed the young bird section with another quality Slate hen despite the missing spot. Dave & Linda Rafis were second with an Anthracite cock with Mick Anzara’s English Fallow Opaline hen of good variety content was third best. Best Anthracite, G & P Norris; Best English Fallow, M. Anzara; Best German Fallow, M. Anzara; Best Rainbow, M. Anzara; Best Slate, M. Widdowson; Best Saddleback, G & J Al-Nasser. INCREASE IN A.O.C.
As expected this section had an increase in entry from 83 to 108 due
to the additional classes of the Bob McCabe headed the young bird section with a quality Grey Yellow hen of good width. Terry Sadler was second with a Lacewing White cock which lacked condition. This was followed by Bob Allen’s Lacewing Yellow hen of good quality. Best Olive, J. Farnham; Best Mauve, J. Farnham; Best Violet, M & M Chapman; Best Texas Clearbody, M & M Chapman; Best Easley Clearbody, C. Hawkins; Best Lacewing, J. Mitchell; Best Greywing, T. Sadler; Best Yellow, R. McCabe; Best White, M & P Freemantle; Best AOV Clearwing etc, J. Cosby. TEAMS There were 3 teams benched and Nicola & Brian Whitlock won with a team of 6 Lutino cocks. |
