First of all I would like to thank all the responsible people who made my father and me feel so very welcome.

We spent ten wonderful days in California and I have to send my greetings as well from my father. He is still dreaming about all those new impressions we collected from LA, Universal Studios and Sea World. Albert Demers was the best guide you can imagine and his pictures are now the pride of our photo albums. My dad is showing the pictures to everybody.

I will recommend this show to all my judging friends here in Europe. For me it was a wonderful experience to see a completely different judging system.

Here in Europe we only have the four best birds in each category "Best Young", "Best Young Opposite Sex", "Best Adult" and "Best Adult Opposite Sex". I personally prefer the American way of judging by comparing at the end from the ten best birds from each section/group (Best Champion, Best Novice, Best Intermediate, Best Junior). Beginners, for example, know better how good his birds really are by having the best in their section compared at the end with the very best.

John De Haro asks a few questions after judging has finished.

Stuart Sacks did a great job and was a big help for me in judging under your system. He never tried to influence me in anyway, but answered my questions in a very competent manner. It's a pity he isn't a judge himself because I am 100 percent sure, he would be a good addition to the hobby. With such an excellent eye as his and so much knowledge about budgies he has all the skills to become an excellent judge. I really enjoyed the talk with him after the show.

"I am just now realizing and remembering that Stuart also showed some excellent birds in the show. When judging them, I absolutely did not realize that they could be his own birds and that is the way it should be.

More than four months have passed since the show so, I can only recall the birds on the show bench that I still keep in mind. I mention them here shortly: I want to start in quality order. The bird I liked most was an adult Grey Green hen from the Whitham/DiBernardo partnership, but because of feather problems and not being 100 percent in condition, she couldn't win on that day. But this hen has all the important feature of a modern show budgie: big size, big spots, blow, directional feathering, position of the eye away from the peak, tremendous shoulder, perfect upright position, good back skull. She would be good enough to win any show anywhere in the world when in top condition. I placed her sixth best in show.

Another bird I like very much was from the same partnership (DiBernardo/Whitham). It was a 2010 rung Grey cock with wonderful spots, but also not totally in show condition, as his head feathers were still moulting. He also wasn't a real "showman" and you had to look twice to see, what a superb cock he really is. He placed fourth Best In Show.

My third choice and Best In Show was a Dark Green hen also from the Whitham/DiBernardo stud. She wasn't as big as the two birds mentioned before, but she presented herself 100 percent in condition on that day. She seemed to be amused by the show nand liked the whole procedure as she was sitting relaxed and singing the whole day on the perch in front of the cage. Everything was completely balanced about her and she was such a beauty; a judge had no other choice than giving her top ratings. She was looking at me as if she were telling
me: "I am the one and only, go for me". She is better than the two hens that won the Doncaster show in October 2011, in my opinion. The Grey Green cock from Larry Moore that placed second was also a top class bird, but a little bit "old fashion" in style. But he is for sure good enough to bring progress in anyone's stud.

Another real show bird was a yellow face grey pied bred by Julie Willis. He wasn't a massive bird, but full of elegance and style and he was also presenting himself very well. Julie Willis also showed a good quality opaline dark green cock. It placed seventh Best In Show. I think it's great, if a female breeder, in what is in most of Europe a "man's hobby", is doing obviously such a good job. Go on, Julie! Of course there were also some other female breeders. In general the hobby seems to attract them more in the US than it does in Europe. That's excellent progress.

The young grey hen from the Whitham/DiBernardo partnership that was Best Young Opposite Sex In Show also will become a top class bird. She also would have been a bird I would like to try breeding myself with great pleasure. And that's the highest compliment I can give. She also appeared not yet fully grown with lots of potential still inside of her. Try her next year, and maybe she is a winner. But, generally hens of this quality are always difficult to breed.

Then there was a wonderful Cinnamon Grey hen from Stuart Sacks that won fifth best in show. I was told afterwards that she had won more than one show before, which didn't surprise me at all. But, I guess for her it was a disadvantage to travel that far before going to the show bench. Birds always loose substance and quality by traveling many hours. From the same breeder was a very nicely balanced light green cock (tenth best in show), a bird full of harmony. Unfortunately, he wasn't as powerful as the winning birds on that day, but all the important features were there.

Other birds I kept in my mind were the sky blues in the intermediate section, very nice birds bred by John DeHaro and Debbie Lynch.

Michael Blair showed two quality birds as well: A double factor spangle with funny colour and a Texas clearbody cock. Both birds could do much better on the show when being in better condition.

The two albinos and lutinos from Lou Smaldino and Ruth K. Williams were both top in colour, but need more size and more feather length.

It was also interesting to see so many crested birds in a show. But like everywhere, the quality of this exotic variety is far behind the "Normals".

I was surprised and impressed with the quality of the birds from the young breeder Jaszmine Gallardo. Very will done for a novice breeder. Some of her birds were better than the ones from the higher divisions. Let's hope, she will get the support she needs to go on. We need young people in the hobby. They are our future.

Finally, I want to express how much I enjoy the home evening banquet. Great idea, great people and great food. Following this event I was able to attend a high school football game, just across the street with Bob Wilson and my father.

That is about all I can remember now. I hope this show report will give testimony of what a nice quality event it was and how much I enjoyed judging the Budgerigar Association of California exhibition. Generally, I would say that the best birds in this show have international standard and can easily compete anywhere in the world. But the quality after the 2nd or 3rd best birds in colour goes down quicker than in European shows.

Daniel Lütolf, Würenlos (Switzerland), March 2012

Fred Di Bernardo walks Daniel through the BAA judging process.		Bob Whitham and Fred Di Bernardo setting out the trophies to be won.

Aussies set to make an impact on the hobby..LOL James Owens meets up with Bob Wilson who flew in from Kansas City.		Daniel Lutolf offers a few tips to the Trainee Judge.

	Best Endangered - Yellowface Grey Clearflight - Julie Willis

	Best In Show - Best Champion. Normal Dark Green Hen - Whitham & Di Bernardo

Best In Show - Whitham & Di Bernardo.		Second Best In Show - Normal GreyGreen Cock - Larry Moore