Dear friends of the Jacobin fancy,
Besides enjoying a few
wonderful days in
The white classes (40), especially the white old cock class was really tough. Especially the decision between the class winner and the second placed old white cock was not easy, but ended with my decision for the modern type of show Jacobin which has shown all features based on the current breeding-state of the breed and my decision could also be stated by comparison with the standard. The class winner scored with his station, his body size and his hood and top setting. His proportions were a bit better than the proportions of the second placed white old cock. His station in the show pen was very confident that he looked like he was carved in stone.
The yellow class (27) was also gifted with quality birds. Especially the young bird classes with an outstanding young yellow hen and an outstanding young yellow cock.
The young yellow hen had an enormous eye-line, perfect chain and hood/top setting, station, neck length and refined body. The young cock had a very full feathered feather formation with enormous outline and proportions as a young cock. He was always showy and besides these features he had a wonderful deep yellow colour with perfect markings. As a show is a beauty contest in the show pen and not a stock bird contest I decided to pick out this yellow cock as class winner, closely followed by the young yellow hen. The value of this young yellow hen as stock bird is nearly invaluable. By the way, with the right mate this hen could be a groundbreaking stock bird to throw offspring onto the next level.
Best red out of 41 was a red old cock with wonderful station, feather formation and behaviour in the show pen. The red old hen – picked out in the finals as Best opposite sex – is a real credit to the breeder. Enormous outline, smooth feather formation, very good leg setting and station as markings and deep rich red colour is not really usual in red hens.
Between the splashes (38) was a yearling red splash cock which showed a nearly perfect side profile as proportions between outline and body size (slim wing shields and refined back) and station. Only his hood could be a bit wider and his feather was a bit too soft at the second view. I selected this bird as Best splash and this bird was also one of the groundbreaking birds of these days.
Andalusians / Indigo (18) were full of nice coloured andalusians, some of them in outstanding quality as Jacobins. Best andalusian / indigo was an indigo old cock which was also placed further up in the finals. A Jacobin with very good station, neck length and feather formation as a very good show condition. Only wish one could have was that he could be a bit more refined in the body and could be a bit more showy in the show pen, regarding the closure of his feather formation. There was an old andalusian hen which was very well balanced but not spectacular enough to win or get placed in the andalusian / indigo class.
The black classes (40), especially the young cocks were not easy to place. Best black was a young black cock which was outstanding in a few details. Station, neck length, body refinement, leg setting, eye-line and hood and top setting. Every bird could be better and so could this bird have a smoother feather formation but his general impression as a modern show Jacobin was a bit better than the impression of all the other black competitors in that class. Groundbreaking as the yearling splash cock!
Best kite / dun (28) was an old kite hen. Very refined and smooth with enormous hood and top as station and slenderness.
Almonds (24) with breaks and without breaks – but all in good shape and quality. Best almond was an old cock with a good feather formation as station and good almond colour with enough breaks. Remember a young almond cock, a very nice Jacobin but with no breaks at all.
Creams (18), silvers (7) and mealies (17) in good quality but not really outstanding. The only bird I have in my mind was the old silver hen. Enormous outline and a very smooth feather formation. Her station and leg setting could be better but was good enough to win the silver class!
Best brown (20) was a young brown cock. A nearly perfect show Jacobin with a wonderful deep brown colour, competitive with Jacobin in every colour class. Only his mane whip in could be better – he had less feathers there so that there is a small break in the mane when he showed all what he had. His behaviour in the show pen was outstanding and it was fun to handle this bird. Always showy with an always closed feather formation as hood/top setting and mane, but with a perfect visual field! He was always on his legs which “locked” in the show pen. You didn`t have to touch him, he was always showing what he had and that’s a lot. Groundbreaking as a modern show Jacobin!
Only 8 birds in A.O.C (8) with a red check cock as class winner. This bird could be a bit more refined but has shown a nice, full feathered feather formation.
Blues (17) with a few very nice specimens. The class winner, a young cock became crazy in the finals – the only intention he had was to commit nuisance and to show his power as young cock. Not morally reprehensible but quite uncalled-for in the finals. He was a blue barred Jacobin with a lot of potential!
Three opals in the rare colour class (3) with nice colour and markings but the body care of these birds was horrendous. It costs a lot of self conquest to handle these birds. The breeder should take better care to these colour jewels!
When the best of each colour were
brought up for the finals at Saturday
Decided to select the white old cock as champion as his feather formation was in a perfect shape, he had all qualities a modern show Jacobin should have, showed station and behaviour as carved in stone and looked like a groundbreaking Jacobin of this century. He was the best balanced Jacobin at that show. Selected the young yellow cock as reserve champion and best young bird. He was very impressive but didn’t have the same smart look as the old cock and as a young cock he should normally look smarter than an old cock. His feather formation was outstanding but could be a bit better closed. If this young yellow would have had the behaviour and qualities regarding leg setting, station, body and fit of feather and tight body feathering of the young brown cock we would have been a bird with a real “WOW” factor which could have beaten the old white cock with his overall impression. Picked out the red old hen as Best opposite sex. Described her advantages above. She scored during the finals with the best overall impression as a show bird and the best proportions and outline of her feather formation for a hen as a show Jacobin.
As mentioned it was fun and an honour to judge all these Jacobins and I hope to have done justice to the birds, to the North American standard and to our beloved breed.
Congratulations to the organizers of that show, to the exhibitors and the breeders of the winning Jacobins. It was a tough competition with outstanding Jacobins and some of them have the potential to push our Jacobins to the next level.
Bernd Wanke,