It's hard to argue that I have not had a successful five years as a novice exhibitor. Next year I exhibit as champion. I feel well set up to make progress.

Kelso OS. The last show of season 2016. Five 1st places out of seve classes entered; three 2nd places and a 3rd. Best Scots Fancy against competition and Best Any Other Variety with my Giboso. A great end to a great season. Time for a rest for the birds and me. Thank you to all my bird fancier friends for your company, advice, tips and suggestions.

Last week I travelled to Belgium to enter 8 Scots Fancies, 1 Belgian "Bump" and 3 Giboso Espanol in the Gouden Ring show held at Roeselare, Flanders. Roeselare is very close to Ieper (Ypres) and the Menen Gate war memorial and the First Wold War cemetries. It's a great location and great show which I very much value.

Under the European system of judging, you only win in a class if your bird is assessed as having over 92 points on the standard for the variety. In 2014, I won a silver and a bronze medal for my Scots Fancies and in 2015 one bronze medal. This year, sadly, I did not win any medals for my Scots Fancies but my Belgian Bump was 4th in its class and just 1 point off a bronze medal.

My Gibosos however, won 2 gold and 1 silver medals. I was over the moon. The "medals" are stated on the glass trophy which you win. 

This is me with one of the winners.

Here is the silver medallist.

And my 90 point Belgian Bump

And the winning Scots Fancy (not my bird)

And my Scots Fancies - which I think are as good!