Judging Jacobins

by Clint Robertson

              One of the most  critical aspects of our fancy is the role judges play in evaluating
our birds. A judge serves as a teacher and in being asked to judge is being placed in a position
of respect and therefore we assume this person has earned this honour.

                The judge must be a student of the Jacobin understanding each and every characteristic of the bird and how it should appear and exhibit itself from every angle according to the standard. The judge must recognize all of the strengths and weaknesses of the Jacobin and evaluate what he sees by weighing the pros and cons of each individual bird against one another. At the same time the judge must be a teacher by relaying the information he has absorbed and transferring it into words to the exhibitors and onlookers so they can in turn learn and understand why and how he/she is placing the birds. The judge must be able to speak his thoughts otherwise the judging procedure is pointless.

                Now we must consider what qualifications a person should have to be a judge. A judge must know the Jacobin and the Jacobin standard completely, right down to the finest detail. In my opinion only a breeder can know and understand this, and only very successful breeders should be considered as judges for higher profile shows.

                At times it becomes difficult to find qualified and experienced judges to handle our shows and we should think about what we must do to train potential judges.

                In the early years of the Central Canadian Jacobin Club we couldn’t afford to bring in highly qualified judges for our shows. We decided to have our exhibitors judge. An exhibitor would judge a colour class in which that person had no entries. After judging of each colour class was complete an open discussion was held in which all of those in attendance could look at the top placing birds and discuss the judging decision. The judges decision was final however these discussions were a tremendous learning experience. Newer exhibitors were allowed to team up to help each other along. Judging for Grand Champion and the other top awards was done by secret ballot on which each exhibitor placed his/her top three choices in order. This entire process worked well to train new judges and to educate our breeders. The whole affair was very informal and only worked because everyone was cooperative. This system works well for a small show such as a lawn show or less prestigious event however is not suitable for more important shows.

                Aside from the actual evaluation of the birds, the judge should be able to handle himself in a relaxed professional fashion, and the birds in a calm gentle manner. Once the Jacobins are set down for each class the judge should take a step back and let them get accustomed to the judging area for a few moments. He can then begin to handle the birds with slow, calm, deliberate movements which will allow the birds to show to their best potential. Each Jacobin must be held and examined to inspect flights, hood setting, body condition, etc..When judging it is important not to handle the Jacobin any more than you absolutely have to. After you have handled a bird once leave it alone or it may become excited and will not show. I have seen this happen many times. Again DO NOT BE ROUGH. Simply touch the bird on the tail or back in a gentle manner to get them to turn or show for you. Do not pull the chain feathers away from the face of the Jacobin any more than is absolutely necessary.

 You may want to check for feathers in the eyes of birds that will not stand up and show or appear uncomfortable.

                Birds that want to fight must be seperated in the judging area. Birds that want to climb the wire should be gently picked off the side of the cage, have their flights straightened out, and quietly be replaced in the pen and left alone to calm down. If the bird continues to climb the wire try placing him in a different pen.

                Gently holding a nervous Jacobin in your hand and stroking your hand down it’s body over the end of it’s tail a couple of times and replacing it in the pen and leaving it alone often helps to pacify them. Never and I mean NEVER GRAB A JACOBIN BY IT’S WINGS or bang on the wire. You may want to tap on the floor of the judging pen with your fingers a couple of times to get a bird to perk up but not so much as to excite him.

                In larger classes remove birds which are obviously inferior or in poor condition as soon as possible to give the others more room to show. Place potentially good birds and birds which you feel deserve a second look to one side where you can come back to them. Place obviously good birds to the other side where you can use them to gauge the others against. It is a good idea to stand back and view the birds from a short distance once in a while to get another perspective. Once you have eliminated the bottom of the class start to take more time to explain what you are doing. Take time to choose your words before you speak to make sure you are clear and comfortable with your decisions.

                Do not spend too much time with birds which are obviously not as good. Take the time to rearrange feathers in the head formations of the birds which show promise if they require this attention to show their best.

                Another important part of the judging process is the judging area. Make sure the table your judging pens are placed on is high enough to allow you to view the birds comfortably. You should not have to bend down to see the birds in profile. Also make sure the judging pens are big enough to allow you to move the birds around to view them  and high enough that the birds will stretch up and show. Make sure the judging area is bright and well lit. The judge must have enough room to step back and look at the birds from a short distance, so do not crowd the judge. It is a good idea to rope off or block off the judging area to stop onlookers and passers by from innocently disturbing the judging process or blocking the view of the exhibitors. Provide seats for your exhibitors and judge to rest on. Your show secretary is critical to getting the classes up quickly so the judge does not have to wait. Most of the time wasted at shows is because the judge has to wait for the classes to be brought up. Then I see the judge asked to hurry up so the show can be completed on time.

                It is a good idea when judging to point out features on birds which you feel are near perfection to the standard even if the birds are not winners. This is particularly important if you have novices watching who are trying to learn. This will help them to recognize what they are striving for in each feature. I know this was extremely helpful to me when I was starting out.

                Remember when judging always try to be positive and upbeat. People are looking up to you and you should try to make them feel good about the hobby by giving praise when it is deserved. The spotlight is on you and what you say and how you act will reflect upon the hobby.

                                           Submitted by Clint Robertson <clint@jacobins.ca>