Ameraucana Forum
The Official Ameraucana Forum => Exhibiting, Promoting & Club Notes => Topic started by: John W Blehm on September 06, 2016, 03:23:47 PM
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Back in the April issue of the Poultry Press, Paul Smith, of the ABC wrote about his conversion to calling lavender Ameraucanas self blue. I know that was upsetting to some, but after knowing him for many years I was not surprised and it really doesn't matter what he calls them.
In the second half of his article he talks about an unnamed "well known judge" that disqualified (DQ) a lavender Ameraucana and wrote "NSV-DQ" on the coop card. No mention is made of the exhibitor filing a complaint, as they should have, or show management correcting the judge with an agenda. This is upsetting, because some inexperienced readers may think the judge was right and had the authority to do what he did.
Please do not be intimidated by the article or the judge. I've known at least a couple times when a judge has taken junior exhibitors to the side and tried to chastise them for entering "lavender" Ameraucanas. They don't have the courage to try it with me, but I've heard what some have said behind my back yet they feel comfortable trying to intimidate junior exhibitors.
Education is key. APA Official Rules (http://amerpoultryassn.com/PDF%20Forms/Show%20Rules%205-28-15.pdf) govern shows that are APA sanctioned meets. Read the rules and I'm sure you'll agree the judge at the show, mentioned above, was way out of line. Whether you choose to call them lavender or self blue, enter them as such and don't let judges, show management or anyone else try to tell you that you can't.
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Yes, some judges have an agenda, and like to use their position to intimidate. Until the variety is officially recognized, we have every right to enter them under any name we choose.
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I for one have seen first hand judges chastise a youth. It happened to my son at our county fair about 4 years ago. It wasn't until after the fact I found out. Needless to say I had a few words with him afterwards and my Son never placed well after that. This is good information for anybody that shows and breeds Lavender Ameraucana.
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Thankfully we have not had this happen. If a judge wants to argue the point with me I'm happy to discuss it but going after a kid will not be tolerated, by me or by my local club. We had a youth judge a few years ago with a bad attitude and he has not returned.
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I only had one judge call me out on my self blue amaeraucanas one time. Sorry to say of all things it was during showmanship! Ohio state fair and I was rocking it until the judge interrupted me when I was ,telling him about my birds and he corrected me that it was self blue not lavender. I am pretty sure I froze up for a second, but I kept right on going through the process. What I will say though is after I composed myself and talked to my parents little 14 year old me went BACK to said judge and confronted him and asked him why he thought it should be called self blue. I got a long disertation about how certain "breeders" didn't know anything about Ameraucanas and other things that I can not remember. I just stayed quiet, smiled, let him say his piece and thanked him and walked away.... While I admit that was a bit of a scarring moment for me at the Ohio state fair and it hurts so much to hear this still goes on I am glad it happened. I could put on my big girl pants and deal with it. It was a taste of adult life as sucky as it was. I think we some of these things we need to quite beating the dead horse and move on. Who cares what the ABC says? It only matters what we do here and now.
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Thanks for sharing Jensen. And I'm quite sure that particular judge will never being judging an Ameraucana Alliance national meet. He is not one of the judges at Lebanon this year.