The Judges: Robbie Keeber, Adrian Terheage, Jean Painter (Australia), Peter Hutchinson, Gerd Bleicher (Germany), George Booth, Trevor Terheage & John Alcock

A phenomenal success for the 17th Show of the Specialist & Rare Variety Open Show. What a comeback! Although there was no Convention to support the event, fanciers gave this show tremendous support. There was a terrific atmosphere with a real buzz to the weekend. The show received an increase in total entry to 1000, which was up by 51% from last year's entry (663) of which a total of 802 birds were benched from 82 exhibitors.

The atmosphere was vibrant on the Sunday, with everyone socialising as well as appreciating the quality of the exhibits staged at this national event. The sponsorship list as published in the catalogue read like who’s who! The Budgerigar Society donated £250 towards running the show and printed all the schedules as their gesture of good will following the cancellation of the Convention due to the fire at Stoke Rochford Hall. The show also received its usual sponsorship from Rosettes R Russ, for all the open rosettes for the show as well as from Les & Pat Martin who sponsored the cost of all the ceramic awards to the judges and Best of Colours, which are much appreciated and sought after by exhibitors.

This year both the B.S. President George Booth and Pat Norris donated quality birds for the most benched birds in the novice and beginner sections. It was Mick Anzara who benched the most with 28 birds and made the first selection followed by the beginner Paul Cheatley who benched 26 birds. Their donors presented both birds at the Trophy Presentation time on Sunday afternoon. Norman Cox sponsored the show with the cost of printing the coloured covers for the schedules and catalogues and Roy Aplin gave a pencil sketch of a budgerigar. The Fanciers Sales Stand donated a show cage for the raffle as well. Other sponsorship came from Mick Anzara and Ghalib & Janice Al-Nasser. The following fanciers were generous with their donation of birds for the raffle; Amos & Thumwood, S & R Clarke, L. Cutler, J. Donovan, Mrs. J. Hill, B & M Hough, M. Mitchinson, M. & H. Richard, C. Thorne and Wells & Chilvers.

Wonderful trophies to be won annually at the SRVOS

The Budgerigar Rare & Specialist Exhibitors of Australasia (BRASEA) gave tremendous support to the B.S. last year with so many rosettes and financial donations and they sponsored this show with rosettes for all the BOC, medals, ribbons but the most fabulous of all their awards was the wooden clock, hand painted with a crest which was awarded to Cliff & Darren Jones for winning Best Crest in Show. They also picked up the painting for Best Spangle in Show. Another BRASEA award went to Dave Guppy & Dave Barnes for winning Best Clearwing in Show. Jean Painter presented the BRASEA awards in her capacity as Vice President of B.S. of New South Wales.

Jean Painter presenting BRASEA and her own awards to Dave Guppy & Dave Barnes (Best Clearwing) and John Grubb (Best AOC) with George Booth (BS President) looking on.

The Show Committee extends its sincere gratitude and appreciation to all the above sponsors as well as the Budgerigar Society, the six specialist societies, the ten area societies and Budgerigar World who all gave splendid support in granting their highest patronage to the show. Gratitude is also extended to all the workers, exhibitors and donors for making this year’s show such a great success.

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 & Germany as well as visitors from France, Portugal and South Africa.

Sunday afternoon was the time for ceremonial chains of office, with our Guest of Honour George Booth wearing his Budgerigar Society Presidential Chain of Office, whom we were delighted to welcome to present trophies to the respective winners. The Mayor of Lillemer in Brittany, France Ms. Alex wearing his official regalia ably assisted George with the presentation. Another official present was Geoff Capes wearing the Presidential Chain of Office of his area society the Lincolnshire & East Anglia B&FBS.

As in previous years at this show, partnerships did well in gaining 12 of the 22 CCs on offer and 18 of the CCs were awarded to the champion section.

Next year's show will be staged on 1^st & 2^nd July (week 26).

Dave Critchlow

I Saunders

It was Gerd Bleicher from Berlin, Germany who judged the 140 lutinos and awarded the adult C.C., best Lutino and best Redeye in Show to an outstanding cock of quality with good colour, substance and size with a lovely face belonging to the intermediate Dave Critchlow. Another quality cock shown in good condition was in second place for Brian Wilson from the novice section, followed by Margaret & Peter Dark's stylish hen of good size which was also judged Best Redeye Opposite Sex in Show.

I. Saunders won the award for best Lutino young bird and best Redeye young bird in show with a well developed and mature cock of good colour. C. R. Walsh from the novice section was in second place with a smart cock of good colour and substance. Margaret & Peter Dark were third with a good coloured hen. Best junior lutino any age (best junior any age in show) and young bird (best junior young bird in show) was Andrew Randall.

Sam Wilde

J Mitchell

John Alcock judged the 52 albinos and the Best Albino in Show went to the beginner Sam Wildes’ adult cock of good colour, balance and top end. Roger Day was second with a good colour cock. Dave Critchlow was third with a stylish cock. Best opposite sex went to S. Hedges.

Sam Wildes

J. Mitchell won the young Albino award with a good buff cock of quality and with no colour suffusion. Sam Wildes stylish cock was placed second followed by the international partnership of Bill Searle (Wales) and Terry Knott (Eire) in third place with a smart cock. Best hen came from the beginner G. F. Doody.

Bill Gibson

Mick Anzara

Peter Hutchinson judged both the Yellow-wings and Whitewings and picked the top award from the Whitewings. There were 71 Yellow-wings and 52 Whitewings entered.

The adult yellow-wing award and best yellow-wing in show went to Bill Gibson’s dark green cock of good colour contrast, length and deep mask shown in excellent condition. It was a pleasant welcome to see Malcolm & Pam Freemantle showing again at this show and occupying second spot with a dark green stocky hen with a nice brow. Ben Dufosee was third with a light green cock shown in good condition.

Bill Gibson occupied the first two places in the young bird section with a big and bold light green hen of super quality, followed by a long dark green cock of deep face. Mick Anzara from the novice section was third with a nice quality light green hen.

Guppy & Barnes

Bill Gibson

Dave Guppy & Dave Barnes are regular winners at this show with their Clearwings and they won the best adult Whitewing C.C. and best Clearwing in Show with a powerful, big and bold Cobalt cock with good mask. Bill Gibson occupied second spot with a cobalt hen of nice cap and deep mask that pushed the winner all the way. D. Nicholson from the novice section benched a type blue cock in good condition in third place. Aimee Mahony was best junior any age in this colour.

Bill Gibson came to the fore for the third time winning the young bird C.C. with a cobalt hen staged in excellent condition with a nice brow and good depth of mask. Roger Day followed in second place with a typy skyblue cock. Ben Dufosse was third with a quality violet hen.

C & D Jones

F S & K Eatwell

George Booth, B.S. President, judged the 80 Crests (5^th highest entered variety) and awarded the adult C.C. and Best Crest in Show to Cliff & Darren Jones' well known circular grey green cock, making it a hat-trick for this popular father and son partnership. This is an excellent budgie as well as a crest that has matured quite a lot from last year when he won best crest in show as a baby. An excellent solid quality bird with good mask and spots as well as an excellent full circular crest and staged in top condition. Mark & Hazel Richard from Jersey occupied second spot with a quality circular opaline green cock with good mask, spots and crest but not of the size of the winner. A full circular light green hen from Mick Widdowson was third. The Jones partnership also won the best tuft any age award.

The family partnership of Fred, Sheila & Kevin Eatwell won the young bird section with a tufted spangle grey green cock; a well presented bird staged that stood well and was presented in good condition, sporting a strong tuft. Another partnership of C & S Meachin were second with a full circular opaline green cock of good type and staged in excellent condition. P. Cheatley from the beginner section was third with his full circular yellowface opaline blue hen of nice style and good crest but lacking the size of the winner.

C & D Jones

A & D Woan

The highest entered variety at the show was the Spangles with 164 entered for Robbie Keeber to judge and the Jones partnership scored their second win. The best any age and best Spangle in Show award went to Cliff & Darren Jones’ with their green cock of good marking and good face. Bill & Malcolm Hough were second with a solid grey cock of good shoulders. The third spot was occupied by another partnership in Gren & Pat Norris’s tremendous double factor white cock but showing too much body colour. Best hen, a green, was benched by the Eatwell family. It was nice to see the melenistic spangles benched by Jeff Attwood. Best junior spangle any age was Aimee Mahony.

Alec & Dave Woan won the young bird award with a beautiful full bodied blue hen of good width in the face, good mask and spangle spots. Jerry Donovan occupied the next two spots with a cinnamon green and cinnamon grey cocks. The second was a stylish cock with good head quality but slightly out of condition while the third placing was another stylish cock but again suffering from condition. Best young double factor and best double factor spangle in show was a white cock benched by Jerry Donovan.

A & D Woan

 
M & M Chapman

George Booth judged the 73 dominant pieds and awarded Alec & Dave Woan’s light green cock best dominant pied and best pied in show. An excellent bird, well marked with good width, mask and spots but suffering as slightly out of condition. D & E Randall from the intermediate section occupied second placing with a stylish cinnamon grey green cock that stood well. A yellowface grey cock from Sam Wildes was in third place possessing good quality face but short in the body. A dark green hen from the Eatwell stud was best hen in this section. Another new variety benched by Jeff Attwood was the Frosted (Dutch) Pied and his cobalt cock was the best Clearflight any age and best overall.

The mother & son partnership of M & M Chapman came to the fore to win the young bird award with a stylish light green cock shown in good condition. A solid cinnamon skyblue hen belonging to the Eatwell stud was in second place followed by Sam Wildes’ large and well spotted grey green cock in third place. Jeff Attwood won the clearflight young bird award with another Frosted (Dutch) Pied dark green cock.

M & M Chapman

Geoff Capes

 
N & K Johnson

Once again the Recessive Pied entry exceeded that of the Dominant Pied and there were 92 for Peter Hutchinson to judge. Geoff Capes headed this section with a dark green cock that also took the award for best recessive pied in show. A quality bird well staged. A super quality yellowface cobalt cock with slight flecking was second for the Eatwell family. D. J. Spruce from the novice section was third with a dark green cock of quality and feather. Best hen was a big bold cinnamon dark green with nice cap from Geoff Capes. Best dark-eyed clear any age and best overall, a yellow cock, belonged to Michael Mitchinson.

Neil & Keith Johnson won the young bird C.C. with a dark green cock of good size. M & M Chapman were second with a type skyblue cock followed by a yellowface white dark-eyed clear cock belonging to the Eatwell stud. A violet hen from Cliff & Darren Jones was best opposite sex in this section.

Neil & Keith Johnson

B & M Hough

 
G & P Norris

John Alcock judged the 54 yellowfaces and awarded the adult C.C. to Bill & Malcolm Hough’s skyblue cock of good size and well balanced. Sam Wildes was second with a grey cock which, apart from lacking in condition, was a quality bird. J. Mitchell’s good solid cobalt cock was third. Steve Amos & Ron Thumwood benched best hen, a goldenface blue. Best Rainbow any age and best Rainbow in show was a violet hen belonging to Grant Findlay & Nick Flavell.

Bill & Malcolm Hough

A cinnamon cobalt cock from Gren & Pat Norris took the young bird C.C. and Best Yellowface in Show. A super bird with good head quality and well balanced, a worthy winner. Sam Wildes was second with a skyblue cock of good colour. Geoff Capes benched a type grey hen in third place. Best Rainbow young bird was Mick Anzara’s cobalt hen.

Les Cutler

 
E & M Nee

John Alcock judged the 53 Rares and the best of the Rares was an adult clearbody grey green cock belonging to Les Cutler which was also last year’s winner as a young bird. A well spotted bird shown in good condition. Another clearbody, a good masked light green cock, owned by Mark & Hazel Richard was in second place. Deamonn Mullee, an intermediate, staged a grey green German fallow cock in third place. A slate hen of good size and colour was best opposite sex for Deamonn Mullee.

The beginner partnership of E & M Nee won their first C.C. ever with a young clearbody opaline grey green cock of good mask and spots. Another clearbody light green cock followed this from Sue & Rod Clarke. A slate hen from Mick Widdowson was third best.

Best English Fallow, R. J. Allen; best German Fallow, D. Mullee; best Slate, D. Mullee; Best Clearbody, L. J. Cutler; best Saddleback, G. & J. Al-Nasser.

John Grubb

 
A & D Woan

This large section with eight different varieties was no challenge for our overseas guest judge Jean Painter from Australia (originally from Aberdeen). She was very impressed with the quality of some of the 86 that she had to judge and extremely impressed with the staging and presentation of the show. She awarded the adult C.C. and best overall to a greywing grey green cock of John Grubb. This long bird showed itself well and was a good representative of its variety despite lacking a spot. R. Bray from the novice section was second with a suffused yellow cock staged in good condition but was small in spots. Cy Thorne benched a quality lacewing opaline yellow cock in third place staged in good condition. Mick Anzara benched the best hen in this section, a greywing opaline grey green, with good back line. Best junior any age in this section was Aimee Mahony with a yellow.

Alec & Dave Woan won the young bird C.C. with a suffused blue cock, a strong bold bird staged in good condition. Peter Holliday staged a lacewing opaline yellow hen in second place, a lovely stance bird with good head and spots but lacking on condition. Ghalib & Janice Al-Nasser were third with their violet cock, well presented and in good condition but lacking in head quality for a cock.

Best Olive, N. & J. East; best Mauve, M. Hann; Best Violet, G. & J. Al-Nasser; best Lacewing, C. Thorne; best Greywing, J. Grubb; best Yellow, R. Bray; best White, A. & D. Woan; best Opaline/Cinnamon Clearwing, R. Bray.