Club meet requests?

[Russ Blair]

Yes how was Lucasville? I planned on attending it but had to try and get concrete in my new barn. Since the next two weekends are booked for fowl fest and Nationals.

[John W Blehm]

It was rainy driving down on Friday.  The highlight on the drive was filling up at a Marathon station, in Ohio, for $1.88/gallon. 
Bill Wulff told me there were 1,291 total entries.  Jensen Pierson, Kraig Shafer, I and a nonmember exhibited 23 LF Ameraucanas.  The biggest class was black with 12 entered by 3 exhibitors, judged by Paul Gilroy.  Kraig had BV, BB & Reserve AOSB on a white cock and Jensen had BV & RB on a black pullet.  I had the only 5 bantams with a lavender pullet winning BB!  I know that isn't supposed to happen, but it has happened a few times before that I know of.  This time though even after talking to the judge, Lou Cunningham, it didn't get changed.  He claimed it was the best out of the 5 and he was right.  Saturday was a beautiful day with sunshine and a high in the low 70s.  Three nonmembers exhibited in junior competition with 5 LF and 4 bantams entered.   

[Mike Gilbert]

Thanks for the report John.   Looks like some nice birds won.   Did you find any prospects for new members?

[John W Blehm]

Thanks for the report John.   Looks like some nice birds won.   Did you find any prospects for new members?

No, but I didn't look very hard.  Jensen and I had a nice little conversation with a couple junior ABC members and I purposely avoided club affiliation.

FYI...here is my BB bantam lavender pullet.

[Rebecca G Howie]

   pretty, pretty

Congratulations!

Thanks for the report John.   Looks like some nice birds won.   Did you find any prospects for new members?

No, but I didn't look very hard.  Jensen and I had a nice little conversation with a couple junior ABC members and I purposely avoided club affiliation.

FYI...here is my BB bantam lavender pullet.

[Beth Curran]

Very nice birds! Sounds like a great show - hope I can make it up there some time.

[Jensen Pierson]

The lavender pullet winning best ameraucana bantam makes me giggle. Just goes to show you never know what judges are going to do. I can't wait to see everyone at Indiana.

[John W Blehm]

Fowl Fest, in Birch Run, Michigan will wrap up in the morning.  There were 807 birds entered in the show with another 351 in a junior show, for a 1,157 bird total by 129 exhibitors.
Usually we'll have 4 or more Ameraucana exhibitors, but this year it was just Russ and I.  We had 9 bantams between us and Russ won BB on a wheaten pullet and RB on a wheaten cockerel.  We had 16 large fowl between us and I had BB/Champion AOSB with a black cockerel (that, David Erickson, our newest member bought) and RB/Reserve Champion AOSB with a silver pullet.  There were only 25 birds in the AOSB class.  Phil Bartz judged both classes.

There were no large fowl shown in the junior show, but in bantams 4 wheatens and one lavender were entered.  The wheatens were all "OUT", so the lavender cock, shown by a non-member, didn't have any competition from other Ameraucanas...but there were 33 birds in that junior AOCCL class.  Wait for it.  I think Butch Gunderson was judging.  Now, keep in mind that junior shows are not APA/ABA sanctioned meets (just one reason I think they shouldn't take place)...only the so-called "open" show is the real sanctioned meet/show.  After some consulting and discussion the lavender cock won BV, BB and Reserve Champion AOCCL of the junior show!  Of course in a real poultry show governed by APA/ABA rules the best bird of a breed isn't always allowed to win Best of Breed let alone Champion or even Reserve Champion of it's class.     

[Mike Gilbert]

I guess Butch must have liked that bantam.   He is a former vice president of the American Poultry Association.   But this is another reason I don't put too much stock in exhibitor points, because of the inconsistency in judging.   Another is that well-off people with nothing better to do might go to a different show almost every week during parts of the year.   I never went after a judging license knowing it would be a huge temptation to keep me away from my church family way too much.