As usual, I am slow in posting to update this blog.

In 2019 I set out to breed fewer birds. In that I succeeded. Down from 83 in 2018 to 62 in 2019. It's a quarter down and made the work easier.

The show season is upon us and three shows in I have held my own and done very well.

At the Northern Counties Scots Fancy Show on 28 September, which is very early for our variety, we ran a Scots and Old and Rare Varieties section. The judge was Kevin McCallum and the winner of Best Scots was Gordon Alexander with a flighted cock bird. His daughter, Lauren Wight, won Best Novice and his second daughter, Rachel, won Best Junior. I won 4 classes and took Best Champion Buff, Piebald, White and Yellow which pleased me to have such success across all the colours. Strength in depth, as is said.

At the National Exhibition, I again won 1 class of the 4 that I entered and took 3rd and 5th in one class, 1st, 3rd and 4th in another and 2,3 and 4 in two further classes. Gordon again won Best Scots in Show for the third successive year (I have won Best there in three other years between 2012 and 2016). Gordon also won Best Old Variety which is a major achievement. John & Frances Marshall took Best Novice and Rachel Wight, Best Junior. Pictured below is Gordon's winner.

The Scots Fancies formed 21% of the Old Variety Section of the National with 56 exhibits from 10 exhibitors. A great deal of progress has been made nationally with this variety.

On 19 October 2019, the Scots Fancy Specialist Club held its annual show at Loanhead & District CBS, continuing a tradition of moving around the country with this show. Rachel Wight took Best Junior and her sister Lauren Wight, Best Novice. I won Best in Show with a buff cock and the trophies for Best Current Year Bred [CYB] White, CYB Yellow, Best Unflighted, Best Champion, the Exhibitor with Most Points and Best Old Variety from the USA OVCA. I was delighted. Pictures of the trophies and winners follow.