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The rest of these quotes all make points that I whole-heartedly agree with!
The first time I showed my Javas the judge carefully checked the Standard before judging the breed. I was thrilled they were willing to check and not rely on faulty memory. Some of the people in our poultry club were critical of the judging that day, because the judge had pulled out the Standard for more than one breed. They were arguing that it meant the judge was incompetent. Sigh. I pointed out it meant the judge was conscientious and the judge should be commended. Not sure if it sunk in.
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You had a good judge. There are no judges I know of now that knows the whole Standard. There is the implied pressure on judges to not refer to the APA Standard, but the Standard says that a judge needs to have the latest version with them while judging. I would respect a judge who referred to the Standard. The alternative is that the judge guesses. .Which one do they prefer?
Walt
I don't show but I would prefer a judge that knows and judges to the standard. Without that, most breeds would become homogenous and shaped the same.
I would not expect a judge to know every detail on every breed. That is unrealistic. I expect that many judges generally knows each class, and is most familiar with what they see the most of. Also what they have the most interest in. I would see it complimentary if I saw a judge work through the birds with the Standard accessible. There is a lot of details to have memorized. A lot of important details. I am sure some are impressive with what they have memorized, but there is a lot.
It is good to hear an honest and cordial discussion after the judging. I think these conversations are informative.
I love my rare birds. I have them, at least in part, because they are rare. I understand that when I chose them I was accepting the problems that come with choosing a rare breed. I tried to be interested in other breeds (I still look at others as possible second breeds to add) but none
ever add up to my interest in the Campines. That lets me know I have the right breed for me, even though others often suggest I would "do better" with an easier breed.
One of the first problems I encountered is that not only are experienced Campinists hard to find, if there are any still living, they are nowhere near the deep south(east,) I know that if they even exist, they are likely old and cannot be found online. Therefore, I haul birds to get some guidance and feedback from those with more knowledge and experience than I have. The trick is figuring out whose advice to listen to! My strategy is to ask for opinions, thoughts, suggestion from anyone I meet that seems experienced and respected. I listen and ask questions, I take notes, and consider each detail I am given, then I award more weight to what information is given repeatedly, seems logical, and is not too far off in either direction. Bob Blosl reminded others often to "keep kicking the can down the middle of the road." My interpretation of that is that I should be patient, don't try to make quick, drastic changes in my line, and don't get too far off chasing one quality.
Another problem that is constant is that, because they are so rare in the shows, I have run across no one.... breeders, judges, hobbyists, etc. ... that knows the standard on these birds better than I do. I have to bite my cheek when they tell me that I need to work toward this or that, when I know it is not what the standard calls for. I will not contradict or argue a point with someone who has agreed to my request for a critique. I try to look at what they tell me from the point of view that they are giving me general breeding tips, rather than specific advice on my birds.
At the last large show I entered, I took a hen that was only 3/4 Campine. She had some (type) qualities that were in line with what I needed, but her markings, while generally appropriate, were obviously off. One of her main strengths was that she was significantly larger than all the other hens, although still slightly below what the standard calls for. I needed that size! My goal in bringing her at all was to show her to some experienced breeders and seek their opinions (pro and con) on using her.
She was given best of breed.
I knew the only reason she got that was because she was the biggest, and her type was pleasing because it was balanced and solid. I didn't mind, actually, I was amused. I did feel bad and a bit embarrassed, because the other exhibitors (both friends) had Campines which were much closer to standard. The judge, I assume, evaluated them quickly and moved on. He did not refer to the standard. They were no competition for the other breeds in the class. They were not going to go any higher than best of breed, and everyone, especially I, knew it.
A funny aside to that story is that there was a man that perused the Campines and the cage cards and pitched a fit. He was very angry that she was given BB and said that the owners paid good money to have them judged and should demand a refund. He caused a small scene. I was more perplexed by his actions than the judges.
Walt, I have often considered making some flyers that outlines the history, and some main points from the standard, for the Campines. My thought was that I would attach it to the cages where the Campines were as a way to garner interest in the breed, educate the laymen on how they are judged, and to give the judge a quick reference (if they wanted it.) I have not done this because I was afraid I would offend the judge, or that doing so would be against the APA copyright rules. In your comments above, you suggested showing the judge the SOP. I would be afraid that would be disrespectful, but maybe my idea would accomplish the same thing. Thoughts?
