Congratulations!
If you get a chance can you briefly define the different categories? I love to look at other people's birds at shows but don't show mine so am unclear on this.
While I am new to showing my chickens, I can give you the information with which I was working. As noted above, I was only showing three breeds of chickens: cream legbars, euaskal oiloas, and ameraucanas. Neither the cream legbars nor euskal oiloas (EOs) are recognized in this country by the American Poultry Association (APA). While there are three varieties of legbars which are all recognized in the UK, the cream legbar is the only variety that is crested and lays a blue/blue-green egg. With respect to the EOs, these chickens originated in the Basque region of Spain and are recognized in Spain. Historically there were five varieties but one is probably extinct. Of the remaining four varieties, three can now be found in the USA: marraduna basque, goreia, and punta pinta.
With respect to the ameraucanas, the APA recognizes eight varieties. The three varieties that I showed were the wheaten, the blue wheaten, and the black. Within each variety, each ameraucana cockerel, pullet, cock, and hen will be compared to other cockerels, pullets, cocks, and hens, respectively. The best of each will be ranked first, second, etc. Once this ranking is done, the determination for the best in the variety is then made. To determine this, for example, the best black ameraucana cockerel, pullet, cock, and hen are then compared and ranked. First place is given the title Best Variety and second place gets title of Reserve Variety.
Once again, for example the ameraucanas, when the Best Variety has been identified, then all of these Best in Varieties are then compared against each other to determine the Best in Breed (First Place) and Reserve in Breed (Second Place).
After the Best in Breed has been identified, these Bests are then compared to determine the best in Class. There are a number of classes of chickens, e.g. English, Mediterranean, Asia, etc. After the best in Class are identified, then these chickens are compared for one final determination. That is for the Best in Show and Reserve in Show.
Hope this helps!
