Our South Central District meet was a success which created history! We successfully completed the first pre-qualifying meet with a minimum of 4 cocks, 4 hens, 4 cockerels and 4 pullets for the self blue large fowl recognition process with the APA. Self blue is the correct and only name that both the APA and ABA are going to accept, as neither organization want some breed clubs incorrectly calling them lavender and some calling them self blue. There were 6 cocks, 6 hens, 5 cockerels, and 8 pullets for a total of 25 shown by four exhibitors in the self blue class. Judge Jim Sallee spoke favorably of the self blue producing encouragement of their recognition! Jim said some of the pullets and hens were very nice, the males like the other self blue breeds have issues. It was very encouraging to know that Ameraucanas weren’t all alone with male self blue issues! I soon can see a self blue hen or pullet on “Champion Row”! A great deal of encouragement came with the understanding that only 25 self blue are required at our two qualifying meets, rather than 50! Fifty are required for new breeds, and 25 are required for new varieties of existing breeds! A special thanks goes to Shannon Rowe, Howard Story, Paul & Angela Smith, and April Howington (in exhibitor list order) for making this pre-qualifying meet a success! Paul & Angela Smith had BV on a pullet and RV on a hen.
The blue class had 12 head shown by 5 exhibitors. Max Strawn had BV on a hen and RV on a pullet. There were 4 blue wheatens shown by 2 exhibitors. Paul & Angela Smith had BV on a cock and Max Strawn RV on a pullet. A pair of buff were shown by Paul & Angela Smith with their pullet BV and cockerel RV. Their buff came from Christine & Will Kitsch as day olds. Thanks for our restart of buffs. Two splash pullets were shown, with M & J Farm-Mike & Jan Geis winning BV and Paul & Angela RV. Two wheaten were shown, with Max Strawn winning BV with a cock and Paul & Angela RV with a cockerel. A pair of white were shown by Paul & Angela, with their cockerel BV and pullet RV. Six exhibitors showed 26 head of blacks, making them the largest class by beating the self blue by one. The BV, BB, Champion Ameraucana, Best AOSB, Champion Large Fowl and Res. of Show was a black cockerel shown by M & J Farm-Mike & Jan Geis. The RV, RB and Reserve AOSB was a black hen shown by Clifton Redden.
Max Strawn showed 11 head of bantams. We missed Peggy Taylor, Dorothy Haire, Mary Laska and Ernie Haire especially in the bantam classes. I see these classes growing in the near future, just as the large fowl classes have the past decade. Terry Britt judged the Ameraucana bantams. Max showed 2 blue pullets into BV and RV, two blue wheaten pullets into BV and RV, a pair of wheaten with his pullet BV and cockerel RV, and 5 black with his pullet winning BV, BB and his cockerel RV and RB. A special thanks to Max for showing his bantams.
No Junior bantams were shown, but this will change in the near future as several ABC members are now breeding bantams in the SC district. This should make them more available!
The Junior large fowl show has grown. We had 27 head shown by 12 juniors. There were two whites with Tala Joyner winning BV on a cock and Lauren Craine RV on a pullet. Seventeen blacks were shown by 10 exhibitors. The BV and RB was won by Kash Glass on a pullet. The RV was a cockerel shown by Dillon Brown. There were 6 blues shown by 3 exhibitors. Clarabelle Galbraith won BV, BB and Best AOSB with her cockerel and RV with her pullet. Two EELS were shown to push the total to 27 head and the grand total of 102 large fowl and 11 bantams. Jacob Bates judged the Junior large fowl show.
A business meeting was held. The decision was made to hold our next SC district meet at Fayetteville, Arkansas on November 4 & 5, 2017. Discussions were held about ABC meets and points. A special thanks to all who showed and made this a successful SC district meet.
