The week-end of 22/23 November 1980 saw my Budgerigar loyalties tested to the full, I was secretary at Deeside Cage Bird Society in North Wales and they were to stage their Annual Open Show on the same day as the Budgerigar Society World Show. A total entry of some 1200 birds at Deeside, my home club and a new venue at Leeds for the Budgerigar Society with an entry of over 4000 Budgerigars for the B.S. Club Show. I decided that my best young birds and a couple of my already successful any age birds would be entered for Leeds, with the remainder, including several colours where I had more that one quality youngster would be sent to Deeside.

  Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 November will remain a highlight of my Budgerigar career whatever happens from now on.  I was stewarding at Leeds, for the variegated section and we were finished early so I went off to the Novice section staging to see how my birds had faired. All had been judged with assorted success except the Any Other Colour section. I took a short walk to the relevant judging station to see how my Yellow-face hen had done. The talk around the Any Other Colour section was of the great Harry Bryan. His Cinnamon Yellowface Grey Cock, already a Best Breeder (Best Young Bird) in Show winner had been tipped to push for Best Breeder at the show, but chief steward Billy Bancroft was discussing a useful hen from the Novice section with his stewards whilst judge Paul Trigg was away from the judging station. I looked for the cage number and sure enough it was my young hen. Paul returned to place the Any Other Colour certificate line-up and left my hen on the bottom row whilst he positioned the first row of half a dozen birds. I was just about to turn and leave when he put my hen straight to the front of the line-up and immediately wrote B.O.C. (Best of Colour) on the label. My first ever red dot and Budgerigar Society Challenge Certificate, and at the Worlds Greatest Budgerigar Show.

  A lot of luck is needed with Budgerigars, and mine all seemed to come at the same time. The Novice Young Bird section judge was to be decided by a sealed ballot of all of the judges at the show. My luck held out as Paul Trigg had picked out the Novice Young Bird section. He did not hesitate with the section line-up, putting my hen straight to the front of the section, and even pushed her through against the Novice Any Age winner with a little help from fellow judge Tom Ormerod. So she eventually took the best Novice Breeder and Best Novice in show specials.

  The great Harry Bryan took the trouble to seek me out later in the day, whilst congratulating me on my success he enquired if I would be prepared to let him have my hen. A very good financial offer was made and amounted to the equivalent of several weeks wages. In hind sight perhaps I should have struck a deal with the great man, but I said NO.

  She continued on the show bench and remained successful until her death at 4 years of age. She picked up both Novice Adult specials and the following year Intermediate Any Age section specials at LC&NWBS Area Show, as well as specials and or Certificates at seven different Championship shows.

  My wonderful week-end was not over on Saturday as I had to travel back to North Wales for the Deeside C.B.S. Show on Sunday. I had asked a friend to fetch my birds back from Leeds, but my mentor, advisor, long time friend and later partner Eric Peake convinced me that I should return to Leeds in time to receive all of my trophies from Budgerigar Society President Arthur Dexter. The pride I felt as I went on stage in front of a very large audience is a feeling that I can remember to this day.

  Although my better birds were at Leeds, I still had several useful youngsters at Deeside, and this was confirmed when my number two young Grey Cock was selected as Best Novice Breeder and Best Breeder in Show. To top off a wonderful week-end, the younger sister, an Opaline Grey just out of her nest feather moult was selected as Best Opposite Sex in Show.

  This was probably the only time that I have benched birds at 2 events on the same day. Whilst I know some of the “Professional” breeders regularly exhibit at two shows on the same day, even 3 or 4 in a week-end, I do not feel that I personally could justify doing the same again.

  Over the last 20 years the specialist budgerigar societies have blossomed, and this means that the shows of my local cage bird society are less likely to clash with other events worthy of my support and not clashing with one of my many judging engagements.

1980 Budgerigar Society Club Show Challenge Certificate