A WEEKEND IN DENMARK
Early in December I had the pleasure of judging the Nordic Border and Fife club show in Denmark. This was my second attempt at judging the show having been thwarted the year before because of heavy snow
It turned out to be one of my most pleasurable experiences firstly because of the hospitality of Henrik Holm the club secretary and his family but also because of the method of judging employed by this very forward looking club.
Henrik had previously agreed with me the method of judging they wanted me to adopt which was similar in style to the one I had used in America. This method totally involves the exhibitors who sit in rows behind the judge to watch all the proceedings. Being used to public speaking I looked forward to this challenge so I asked for a flip chart and pens so that I could clarify certain points particularly if many of the exhibitors had a limited grasp of English. One of the club members however stood at the front with me and translated as I went along. The audience was made up of mainly Danish people but one partnership from Germany had spent six hours driving to the show. A delightful Danish gentleman on the front row was 91 years old.
We arrived at the school at 8 a.m. where we all had a full breakfast (I declined the beer!) and started the judging at 9 a.m. as agreed. The club Chairman called to order and people took their seats when I was asked to spend a few minutes introducing myself. I took that opportunity to show on the flipchart my method of judging and what I would be looking for and why.
Once judging commenced I noticed one novel idea was to bring a dozen or so birds at a time on a trolley to be judged thus saving valuable stewards’ time. The wooden staging was very well made and easy to work on. Although the cages were identical to the Border and Fife cages used in the UK they were heavier due to the sand on the cage floor but this also offered them more stability.
Any similarity to our shows held in the UK ended at that point because when I decided to send any birds back to the staging I had to give my reasons through the interpreter for that decision.. Occasionally I would forget this new process and place a bird back on the trolley only for the audience to remind me of my omission! The cage labels also had large numbering so it was clearly visible to the audience which bird was being scrutinised.
Once we were down to the individual class winners and looking for show specials it became even more important to explain my decisions. They were very appreciative particularly the fanciers relatively new to Borders and Fifes. As well as seeing their birds judged they were given a one day seminar! They see judging as an opportunity for a good learning experience for fanciers.
Once judging had finished at 3 p.m. (when I did accept a large beer!) everyone relaxed and chatted as there was no need for a mad scramble to view the birds as we sometimes see in this country. The audience had been involved throughout. This is totally the opposite to what happens in the UK with the usual orders at around nine o’clock “everybody out apart from the judges and stewards”
One of my favourite specialist Fife shows several weeks earlier had logistical problems. Lifting of the birds was scheduled for 3.30 pm but all the fanciers were still stood outside at 2.30 pm. and had spent most of that day trying to find something to do! Once inside it was virtually a case of lifting the birds and heading back home. There was no opportunity to understand why particular birds had done well or done badly and what process the judges had used.
I think we can learn a few things from this forward thinking club although this system may lend itself to a smaller show requiring only one judge. Having said that however the last time I judged in America there were three different canary judges with separate audiences, but this clearly requires an appropriate space.
I wish the Nordic Border and Fife club a great future – they are currently trying to persuade Border and Fife fanciers in the east of England to attend their annual show held the first weekend in December and are also trying to cast their net even further a field in Germany
They have asked me to judge their show again in 2012 and I am very much looking forward to meeting new friends again and a very enjoyable judging experience.
Terry Kelly
12th December 2011 Dansk oversættelse KLIK HER