AT the Singleton Poultry Club’s annual show on Saturday a very busy but smiling secretary, Carolyn Barker confirmed there were 344 entries into this year’s competition.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
There were only a few spare pens with an impressive array of both soft and hard feather fowl on display.
Primped and preened to perfection both judges admitted it was not easy picking the winners.
The winners list featured was a mix of the enthusiastic junior competitors and experienced campaigners.
With Martin Creek youngsters, Brendan and Jackson Lambert taking home a number of gongs.
And despite being unwell on the day, local legend Fred Brown took home the highest accolade on offer – Champion Bird of the Show.
Judge, Peter Gooch says Fred is the one of the best, if not the best breeder of Australorps in the country.
“He has consistently won in every state and at all the big ones like the Sydney Royal and Melbourne.”
Local junior, Riley McClung, who is the youngest member of the club, also continued on his winning ways.
The 11-year-old from Branxton took out the Champion Junior Hardfeather category.
He has only been showing birds for a year-and-a-half but just like anything he turns his hands to Riley is doing well.
His proud mum, Tina, telling The Argus he is also a national barefoot waterskiing champion and an up-and-coming golfer.
“His chickens are more like family pets,” she says.
“They wonder up the road to greet Riley when he gets off the school bus and he often cuddles up with one when he is watching television.”
One even attacked his father trying to protect Riley when they were mucking around in the yard one day, she laughs.
The major winners were:
•Reserve champion softfeather large- Michael Nelson:
•Champion softfeather large – Hudson & Brown (Fred Brown);
•Reserve champion hardfeather large – Alan Bailey;
•Champion hardfeather large – Norman Ironside
•Reserve champion softfeather bantam – Brendan & Jackson Lambert;
•Reserve champion hard feather bantam – Stephen Bailey;
•Champion hardfeather bantam – Norman Ironside;
•Rare poultry breeders’association perpetual shield for champion rare breed in Show – R & L Bendeich.
Reserve champion bird of show:
Norman Ironside
Champion bird of show:
Hudson & Brown
