What is a Poultry Judge and who wants to be one? In the forty years I have been in the Fancy I have watched and judged with the great and the not so great. as I get older I take a great interest in the judging of our birds and hope that the following comments will be found interesting and informative.

At shows and inquests it would be fair to say the greatest topic of conversation and, I might add, controversy arises from the placing of the awards. Criticism of the judge has always been part of the Fancy. In past years this quite often became heated and even abusive, friendships became strained and this aspect of the Fancy inhibited many of our more respected breeders from judging. There is no doubt that a thick skin is a great help to a judge and nowhere is this required more than in the judging of Club Shows, when one is usually judging the birds of long-standing friends. Because of this they feel that they can express themselves more freely and we all have to learn to take this in our stride.

I asked at the beginning, 'What is a poultry judge and what is his job?'. Is it just to find the best bird, is it the ability to place the cards to the satisfaction of all, thereby convincing the exhibitor that you know what you are doing, or is it the ability to make as few mistakes as possible? In reality it is much more than all of these. You could say yes to all the questions I have raised but I would suggest caution. The 'best bird' can never be found and one seldom places the cards to please everyone. Time is the judge's greatest enemy, it is often the influence that the show manager can impose on a judge. We have all had the other white coat in the room sidle up and softly say, 'We are getting a bit behind, can you speed up', or 'Could I give your selling, juvenile, and AOV classes to Mr.X?'. If this happens to you often, you ought to ask yourself why, before the judging engagements dry up.

What are the qualities a judge requires? How about knowledge, honesty, integrity, ability, understanding and confidence? Knowledge the exhibitors expect, honesty/integrity ought to be the same but sometimes are not, ability is soon decided by one's peers and understanding applies to people as well as conditions and birds. Confidence is the most important asset - you may possess all the others but without this you should not go far. I might add a little humility to admit one's mistakes and soothe others' fevered brows. Humility prevents one from becoming pompous. A Panel A judge should possess all those qualities and I like to think that most do. Getting them all together on one day is something you should never have to think about.

'Judging is a thankless task'. This is a view I have often heard expressed but to me it is the most rewarding part of the Fancy. For me it fits the description of 'job satisfaction' perfectly. I have been grateful beyond measure to have had so much trust placed in my ability at hundreds of shows over the past years and I am sure every judge feels the same. While judging is a serious business, it is also great fun, and we should always be happy in our task.

Finally, the most important function of the judge is to see that the Standards are maintained,. The Breed Clubs draw them up, the Poultry Club administers them, and the judge enforces them. It is a responsibility we have to accept, we do, and have done for hundreds of years. The Fancy is in good heart due to the ability of its members to choose wisely and it reflects great credit on them.

Derek Alsop