Whenever I attend a Show the first section I look out for is the Blues Section. And once I come up to it I know very well what I am looking for: I am looking for Violets.
Unfortunately, I seldom find a Violet exhibited, and when I do see one it is rarely a good one. You do get exceptions, of course, but they are very few and far between.
At one time you could be certain of seeing a strong class of Violets in most major shows, but over the years they have gradually faded out of fashion. I really cannot explain the true reason for this, but I believe the fact that they are not all that easy to breed is a major factor. The number of Violets one gets from even a pair selected to produce Violets is so small that today’s breeders might think the effort is not worth its while. That is a pity because it could cause the demise of this beautiful variety.
The exhibition Violet has always been a challenge. For size it could never compete with the modern bird such as a Light Green. Overall it has been smaller and the Violet breeder has always been faced with the problem of colour. I would go as far as to state that with a Violet breeder, colour always came first because any irregular shadeing was unacceptable. We were always after a dense violet shade and this I found was easier to get from the smaller type of bird.
And of course there was the other bonus - the Parma Violet. When I wrote about this a few years ago I was challenged by one of the top winners on the U.K. show scene of that year and he scoffed at the very idea that there was such a thing as a Parma Violet. We were part of a fairly large group at the time and he felt so important having just won the Best Breeder at the B.S. Show that weekend. "I have never seen one and I have breeding birds for over twenty years. They are just part of your imagination", he claimed. Fair enough. He was entitled to his opinion, but unfortunately he had not been in the hobby long enough to remember this truly magnificent bird and he had not read the books available which referred to it. End of story.
I have not bred a Parma Violet for years. In fact, breeding beautiful coloured Violets these days is a challenge let alone a Parma one. Those seemed to come unexpectedly and I often wondered whether they were in fact double factored violets (some people claim that is not possible). I can remember them as being of a deeper violet - similar to the colour of the African Violet flower. What a pity we did not have an easy access to colour photography at the time.
The fact that breeders are getting problems in even breeding the normal varieties these days does not encourage them to try their hands at breeding violets. Everything seems to be one complex problem.
I can also well remember when I was showing Violets that once the Show Schedule arrived I used to look straight away who was judging the Violet section. I wanted my birds judged by someone who knew all about the variety. Any Tom, Dick or Harry would not meet the grade, which brings me really to what I wish to discuss in my column this month.
During the past twenty-five years breeders have been showing far more interest in the Rares and Specialised varieties. We have people who specialise in those birds and they have their own shows. They know the problems inside out. They know how to breed their specialised varieties and what exhibition standards, which have to be attained. Yet people who do not share their specialised knowledge could judge their birds.
I know that judges today have to pass tests but I wonder time and time again whether all the 200 plus judges on the B.S. list are as knowledgeable as the ones who staged the birds they are judging. I think you have to breed the varieties to know what you are talking (or judging) about.
There is also the possibility that show entries have been affected when specialised breeders have not entered their birds because they felt their birds would be judged by a person who had just a mere knowledge of the variety. Novice breeders especially could feel that they learn nothing from entering birds in a show where the judge had never even bred a bird like theirs.
Maybe the time has come when judges should list alongside their names on the B.S. Register the variety of birds they specialise in. This could be looked upon as a step in the right direction and exhibitors would know that their birds would be judged fairly. I think it is unreasonable to expect all judges to be experts on all varieties. They should be asked to judge those sections where their expertise cannot be in doubt. Through their placings of the birds exhibitors can learn of the failings in their stock and attempt to rectify the problem, but this cannot be done if the exhibitor knows more about the variety than the judge.
One of the most popular specialist varieties is the Lutino. How many on the judges list have even bred one let alone specialised in raising the exhibition type. Yet at most shows judges are selected to judge them along with all the other categories. I think this is unfair both to the judge and likewise the exhibitor.
The argument is bound to be put forward that appointing judges for the specialist varieties would entail engaging extra judges at extra cost. This is true to a point. But is it not true that at the moment we have far too many shows. They are in many cases small and overlap areas or clash with dates. It would be better if we had fewer, but bigger shows and no two shows should be held on the same day within a given area. Then you would have scope to engage judges who could give an exhibitor the analysis of his birds he could respect.
The fact has to be faced that our shows are loosing out on exhibitors. The numbers are dropping year after year. The easy answer to this is that membership is in decline. You can compare this with the position in our Chapels and Churches. Fewer people attend the Services and membership has declined. As a result the Churches are closing down. Yet the question can be asked whether the congregation were offered a change in the order of service and what effort was made to get new members.
The situation in the Church is so similar to that now being experienced in the budgerigar fancy you can ask yourself, other than complaining about the drop in membership and fewer entries at shows very little other than talk and talk and talk has taken place to arrest the position.
© Gwyn Evans 2000
Use Back Button On Your Browser To Return To Article List