The local show season begins this month with the Snohomish club’s show in Lake Stevens, Washington on October 7-8 and carries on through December, the high point being our club’s hosting of the CPFA Classic and Western National on November 17-19. Shows mean different things to fanciers. For some of the more competitive among us it’s the culmination of the year, for others it’s a chance to sell or acquire birds and for still others it’s a social occasion. All will agree however, that shows are the glue which keeps the fancy together.

With this in mind I thought we could look at some of the different aspects of what makes a show a success:

The show hall

We’ve all been to shows in old, poorly lit buildings where cages are double tiered, aisles are narrow, judging stations are cramped and facilities are non- existent. The birds are not seen at their best and the whole experience is less than ideal. The problem of course is money. Suitable exhibition halls do not come cheap and sometimes compromises have to be made. Our club is fortunate in having reasonably priced access to the Ag-Rec Building on the Abbotsford Fairgrounds for our shows.

The judge

Good, experienced judges are important to a show in that they help draw exhibitors. Judging is a difficult, arduous task performed for minimal compensation and only someone who really supports the fancy would travel to a show to spend their day standing on a concrete floor, making decision after decision under constant scrutiny. Therefore most judges who have been around for awhile are well respected and their presence adds to the success of a show. Judging, just by its nature, can be contentious. However a judge who has a good understanding of the standards, makes a diligent examination of the birds and provides an honest, unbiased opinion, deserves our respect. An individual exhibitor’s agreement with the decision of a judge who has performed in this manner, is irrelevant.

The host club

Every club has a core group of directors and active members without which nothing would get done. While the efforts of this core group are most apparent at show time, in fact they work all year at organizing and fund raising. Our club’s core group puts on the lawn show in June, the Abbotsford AgriFair pigeon and poultry show in August and the PNE pigeon display in September. Putting on a show also means that you act as a host. Each year I try to take in the pigeon shows at Lake Stevens and Puyallup. At both shows the host clubs make you feel welcome and like any good guest I try to reciprocate by participating in their fundraisers and when possible, help with the set up or take down. This is not anything special, just a good host/guest relationship, but it goes a long way to making a show a success.

The exhibitor

The success of a show is usually measured by the number of exhibitors and their entries. But because a show is both a competition and a social occasion, exhibitor behaviour is also important. We’ve all heard stories about judge interference and bird theft which are obviously unacceptable but other exhibitor behaviour such as late registration, last minute substitutions, and poorly conditioned or sick birds all detract from a well run show. An exhibitor’s conduct is governed by the show regulations, exceptions such as early coop out requests, should be approved in advance by the show committee. Good exhibitors enhance everyones’ enjoyment of a show. Hope to see you at the next one !